Imagine you were an independent school educator in the years just before World War II. When the first "Independent School Bulletin" arrived, almost simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor, what books would have been on your shelves? Are there any books your children and grandchildren might be reading now? According to best-seller and notable book lists, there were quite a few significant works that appeared in those dark times. In this article, Richard Barbieri explores the fiction and nonfiction popular in the years just prior to World War II when the first issue of "Independent School Bulletin" was released.