Jackie was an average kid growing up in a Finnish family in Niagara Falls, Canada in the late 1930's and early '40's.

In this true story you will join Jackie as he deals with being the youngest of four children, but also the terrors of his second grade teacher or the school nurse, and the pangs of his first crush. Then there was the run-away bread wagon and being lost in a snow storm, but snow meant building a huge snow castle and of course snow-ball battles on the ramparts. This book may seem best suited for middle grade readers but not so. There are oldsters, grand-parents and parents too who will become teary-eyed as they recall similar experiences. What do you suppose is the author's message here ?