About “The Boys Start the War”
The Boys Start the War is the first novel in a series of children's books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The story follows two families, the Hatfords, who have four sons—Jake, Josh, Wally, and Peter—and the Malloys, who have three daughters—Eddie, Beth, and Caroline. The names Hatford and Malloy likely reference the Hatfields and McCoys, real-life families known for a long-standing feud. The Malloys are temporarily living in a house across the street from the Hatfords, which was once home to a group of boys who were close friends with the Hatford boys. The novel explores the beginning of a conflict between the two families. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)
Book details
- First published
- 1993