Celebrate Memorial Day, 2007
Across the Blue Pacific: A World War II Story
Louise Borden
Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
The author's uncle served on a submarine during World War II, and his ship hit a mine while on patrol in the Japanese waters off northeast Honshu. Although the author never knew her uncle, she has written an excellent story focusing upon the observations of a young girl living in that era. Molly lives next door to Ted Walker and, although she and her brother, Sam, know about the war, it seems like something quite remote from their everyday lives. Their street, Orchard Road, is a safe and happy place to grow up. When Ted is home on leave, he is patient and helpful to the young children in the neighborhood. When he returns to duty, Molly writes him letters. She always includes sketches of Buttons, the Walker's dog, in the corner on each envelope. When Molly enters fourth grade, she thinks of Ted Walker every time she looks at the large map her teacher has painted on the wall. She imagines what his experiences must be like in the vast blue of the Pacific Ocean. Then Mrs. Walker receives the tragic news--Ted's ship is missing. When the war is over Molly says, "This is the best news in a long time...except Ted won't be coming back." And even years later, when she is grown, Molly remembers her next-door neighbor, Ted. The text brings home the tragedy of war but does show how people recover while always keeping the memory of the heroes alive in their hearts. 2006, Houghton Mifflin, $17.00. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Booklist Book Review Stars , Apr. 1, 2006; United States
ISBN: 0-618-33922-1
ISBN: 978-0-618-33922-8
African Americans During the Civil War
Deborah H. DeFord.
During the Civil War, over 180,000 African-American men served in the armed forces of the Union. The contributions of these soldiers and sailors were immense; they helped pave the way toward the eventual Federal victory. Despite this, the use of African-American fighting men was strongly resisted by many parties in the North. Not until 1863 was there deemed to be sufficient need to call forth African-American fighting men in any substantial numbers. Once given the opportunity to serve, African-American men faced racism amongst their Union comrades and murderous anger on the part of their Confederate foes. At places such as Fort Wagner, Port Hudson, and Petersburg, African-American soldiers demonstrated their capacity to fight and serve with courage. The story of those African-American service men is presented in this volume of the illustrated "Slavery in the Americas" series. In telling this important but often neglected element of Civil War history, Deborah DeFord does a journeyman's job. The text of this book is sprinkled with enlightening information and quotations from actual participants in the war. Occasionally elements of hyperbole or slight factual errors indicate a somewhat sketchy grasp of military facts. Nevertheless, taken as a whole, this book offers valuable information about a legacy of African-American military service that is all too often overlooked. 2006, Facts on File/Chelsea House, $35.00. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-8160-6138-6
ISBN: 978-0-8160-6138-9
Christmas in the Trenches
John McCutcheon
Illustrations by Henri Sørensen
On Christmas Eve, Grandpa tells Thomas and Nora Tolliver a story that happened during WWI when the German and British soldiers decided to call a truce on Christmas Eve many years earlier. Apparently the British soldiers heard the German soldiers singing and decided to join them. That night, the Germans and the British ate together and played soccer, but the next day they fought each other again as if Christmas Eve had never happened. The first unique aspect of McCutcheon's book is the CD in the inside front cover. On the CD, the author reads the story--once with signals for turning the pages and once without--but the CD also includes songs from the book. This is an excellent way to introduce technology into the classroom while getting kids interested in books. The illustrations, created in oil on canvas, are beautifully done and extremely realistic. The illustrator also does an amazing job of depicting the soldiers during war in a manner appropriate for the young readers. 2006, Peachtree Publishers, $18.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Jennifer Jennings (Children's Literature).
Inspired by an actual incident during World War I, folksinger, John McCutcheon wrote a song also entitled Christmas in the Trenches. With the help of Henri Sørenson, they have created a beautifully poignant depiction of war at Christmas. Deep, rich colors in Sørenson's painting give us a sense of "No Man's Land" in 1914. The story portrays Grandpa Francis with his two grandchildren sitting on his knees after the Christmas feast, recalling his most memorable Christmas when he was away from home during World War I. Voices could be heard during a lull in the gunfire. Across the barren wasteland Christmas carols were exchanged, first in German then in English. Then they heard a familiar tune, "Silent Night." "And suddenly in two tongues one song filled the night sky. I never imagined singing could be so...holy." During this unofficial ceasefire, a group of soldiers, no longer enemies, just sons and father away from home for the holidays, enjoy a time of caroling, sharing photos and small gifts, and a game of soccer. As the sun rose that next morning, they return to their own sides. Although this is a fictional narrative, eyewitness accounts found in diaries and letters confirm this Christmas miracle. An audio CD is included featuring four options of narration read by the author and songs both in German and English. An author note, historical note, along with the words and the music to his song make this book a treasure to share with generation to come. 2006, Peachtree, $18.95. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: Ann Sanger (Children's Literature).
Acclaimed singer/songwriter pens what's sure to be a classic in answer to his grandchildren's question as to his favorite Christmas. Grandpa Francis launches into a reminiscence of one memorable night during his time as a World War I soldier, surrounded by other young soldiers "lonely and frightened, trying to be brave." Deftly, McCutcheon sets the mood: "The skies were clearing and frost covered No Man's Land, the field that separated us from the German soldiers.... Between the bombs and the battles, war is mostly waiting. Waiting to see who will make the next move." That's when the Germans start singing a Christmas carol, and the allies respond by singing their own. Soon soldiers from both sides are clambering from their trenches, mingling in No Man's Land, sharing candy, playing ball--till dawn sends them "back to the trenches. Back to the waiting." Back to the war. Author's and historical notes describe McCutcheon's careful research into the Christmas Truce of 1914. Powerful watercolors portray the loneliness and dreariness of war while managing to convey the joy to be found in unexpected acts of kindness and connection. With our country now at war, this is an especially timely tale. 2006, Peachtree, $18.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Books About Holidays, 2006; Association for Library Service to Childrern; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Grammy Award Nominee 2007 Best Spoken Album for Children United States
SIBA Book Award Nominee 2007 United States
ISBN: 1-5614-5374-9
ISBN: 978-1-5614-5374-0
The Confederate Soldier
Jennifer Blizin Gillis
The American Civil War was a horrific experience. The cost of war is rarely worth the fight, and yet even after thousands of years, civilizations rarely take into account the worth of human life before engaging in war. Often touted as one of the first modern wars, the Civil War resulted in a horrendous loss of human life and some of the most horrible camp conditions imaginable. For the Confederate soldiers, especially, being a soldier was more difficult than they could have imagined possible. A blockade placed around southern ports by the northern navy ensured that few supplies would be available from outside the Confederacy; in addition, the majority of battles were fought in the south, resulting in both armies foraging for supplies throughout the south. There was little food, no re-supply for worn uniforms or other basic necessities, and little hope for relief from terrible camp life. Gillis presents the basic and awful life of a confederate soldier in this very brief title. The author does not gloss over what the soldiers had to endure, yet the book is still suitable for a first glimpse at how difficult the Civil War was for soldiers serving in the Confederate Army. The title is part of the "We the People" series. 2007, Compass Point Books, $25.26. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Danielle Williams (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7565-2025-8
ISBN: 0-7565-2037-1
ISBN: 978-0-7565-2025-0
ISBN: 978-0-7565-2037-3
Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Cynthia Kadohata
Willie, a twelve-year-old boy, moves to an apartment building and must give up his purebred champion German shepherd, Cracker. He tries to pretend that Cracker is going on a vacation and she will return to him but deep down inside he knows he may never see her again. Cracker is taken to the army to be trained as a bomb-sniffing point dog responsible for the lives of the many soldiers who rely on her nose. Rick Hanski, a middle-class high school graduate joins the army to get out of his humdrum life in Minnesota and finds more adventure and danger than he ever expected. What he hadn't expected was to fall in love with Willie's dog, Cracker. He relied on her, trusted her, and put his life on the line for her. When he was wounded and MedEvac-ed from the field, he felt he had abandoned her. He spent days recuperating and writing letters to help find the dog. Cracker had a great memory and instinct for survival. After being separated from Rick, starving and dehydrated, on the verge of dying she believed she would find him once again and made her way across Vietnam back to the original base of deployment where she found Cody, one of Rick's friends. Cody notified Rick that Cracker was returning to the States. Rick wrote to Willie to help him greet Cracker at the airport. Willie understood that Cracker didn't belong to him anymore, but Rick said he could visit Cracker whenever he could. The story is compelling. It definitely brings an understanding of the role our soldiers and dogs played in the Vietnam War to today's children, and to adults who lived through that time, but never fully understood the conditions and dangers our soldiers faced each day. 2007, Atheneum/Simon and Schuster, $16.99. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Gail Krause (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Book Sense Children's Picks, Spring 2007; American Booksellers Association; Top10; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars , Feb. 15, 2007; United States
ISBN: 978-1-4169-0637-7
ISBN: 1-4169-0637-1
Douglas MacArthur: America's general
Brenda Haugen
The son of a highly decorated soldier, there was never any doubt about Douglas MacArthur's path in life: he was a military man to the core. Trained at West Point, he distinguished himself in every major skirmish from World War I to Korea. Among his accomplishments: he helped established the Army's renowned 42nd Division in World War I, commanded the U.S. Army in the Far East during World War II, accepted the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri to end the Second World War, and led the successful landing at Inchon, Korea. In keeping with its young audience, this is a wholly positive and therefore relatively sanitized look at MacArthur's life. Always one to do things his own way, little is made of some of the controversies MacArthur created in political and sometimes personal circles. Regardless, none can deny that this book does a wonderful job in describing the historic impact this complicated man made with his unique brand of military leadership. The book includes a timeline of MacArthur's life, a list of additional resources, a glossary, an index, and source notes. Part of the "Signature Lives" series. 2006, Capstone Press/Compass Point Books, $30.60. Ages 10 to 13. Reviewer: Kris Sauer (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7565-0994-7
ISBN: 978-0-7565-0994-1
The Gettysburg Address
Michael Burgan
In November of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln journeyed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There, the previous July, the Union and Confederates armies of the east had waged the most cataclysmic battle of the Civil War. In three days of brutal combat over 52,000 men had been killed, wounded, or captured. Over the ensuing months the bodies of thousands of these fallen soldiers had been reburied in order to return the surrounding countryside as well as the town of Gettysburg to some semblance of normalcy. Funds had been raised to establish a national cemetery at Gettysburg where Union boys were interred by their home states. Hundreds of these tombstone markers bore a one word epitaph for these fallen lads--UNKNOWN. As Mr. Lincoln approached the podium he held in his hand a speech of less than 300 words. Little did he know that this speech, which was to be known as the Gettysburg Address, was to become one of the most revered orations in American history. In this concise illustrated work, author Burgan does an outstanding job of recreating the moment in which Mr. Lincoln expressed the heartfelt feelings of many Americans, then and now, regarding their republic. This is a fine book as it combines a well-developed story with relevant illustrations. Young historians will gain from this work and the way it has been crafted. 2006, Capstone Press, $ 23.93. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7565-1271-9
ISBN: 978-0-7565-1271-2
H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet
Devin Scillian
Illustrated by Victor Juhasz
This alphabet book about the Armed Services and military life is written in verses of four lines, and each page has sidebar text that explains each concept in more detail. The verse for the letter A is about the American Armed Forces, and the sidebar text relates more information about the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and the Coast Guard. Each letter depicts different aspects of the military, from an explanation of the term "military brats," to a listing in the sidebar of the special phonetic alphabet system for communicating over the radio or phone. Both personal situations and technical explanations are addressed. The realistic drawings reveal interesting details, as in the intricate illustration of a submarine alongside an aircraft carrier and a helicopter. Another picture shows a soldier reading a letter from his child. This serious and respectful text provides important information in a unique approach. 2006, Sleeping Bear Press/Thompson Gale, $17.95. Ages 7 to 12. Reviewer: Vicki Foote (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-5853-6292-1
ISBN: 978-1-58536292-9
The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage
Walter Dean Myers and William Miles
The 369th Infantry Regiment distinguished itself in World War I more than most other U.S. fighting units. America's fighting role in the Great War was relatively short, but the 369th's story is exceptional because it was a black regiment in an era of segregation when blacks were usually regimented to jobs as laborers. The 369th fought as part of the French Army and saw lots of combat. Some of the battles were so horrific that newspapers dubbed the 369th Hellfighters. By war's end it was one of the most decorated American regiments of WWI. Myers and Miles have done an excellent job retelling this dramatic story--one of the previous books on this subject, now out of print, was by yours truly--which undercuts popular arguments for segregation in America. Miles is the 369th's historian and his contribution has enhanced this attractive and engaging book with personal accounts and photographs. 2006, HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Michael L. Cooper (Children's Literature).
Since its colonial days, America has been a nation that has been dogged by the scarring effects of racial prejudice. In this title readers are given a chance to see both another example of this theme of racial bigotry and the way in which one group of African-Americans strove to overcome it. The subject matter of this fine book is the 369th Infantry, dubbed "The Harlem Hellfighters." The 369th was originally the 15th New York National Guard Regiment. Once America entered the First World War in 1917, the 15th became a fully-vested part of the American Army. In France, the 15th was renamed the 369th and was assigned to fight under French command. In the trenches of the Western Front, the 369th became a hardened combat infantry unit. Several of its members received the highest French decorations for bravery while the entire unit was also recognized for valor. However, as the two authors of this insightful book note, these accomplishments did not impress American bigots either at home or in the military. In the end, the accomplishments of the 369th were noteworthy as was the bravery of its membership. This is a well-written and compassionate book that tells the story of African-American soldiers who stood up and tried to be "race men" at a time when doing so was a grave risk. 2005, HarperCollins Children's Books, $16.99. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Book Sense Picks, Winter 2005-2006; Independent Booksellers Association; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog 2006 Supplement to the Ninth Edition, 2006; H.W Wilson Company; United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Book of the Season Spring 2006, 2006; Nominee; Children's; New York
ISBN: 0-0-6001136-X
ISBN: 978-0-06-001136-9
ISBN: 0-06-001137-8
ISBN: 978-0-06-001137-6
Megiddo's Shadow
Arthur Slade
Hector Bathe, Edward's older brother, dies fighting for his country during World War I. Back home, Edward's father, bedridden and under emotional duress, refuses to let his remaining son enlist. Despite his father's forbidding, Edward, only sixteen, joins the war effort. His journey leads him from his native Canada, across the Atlantic, all the way to Palestine. Along the way he falls in love, develops a close camaraderie with his fellow soldiers, and forms an unbreakable bond with his horse, Bucephalus or "Buke" for short. This is not a romanced or lovely story about a horse and his boy; it is an incarnation of Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est." The text's presentation of the emotional and psychological inner struggles that arise when propaganda fails is an uncompromising look at humanity in the chaos of war. This is a highly engrossing and recommended book for young readers. Slade does not pander to his readers; he instead gives them a book whose message and main character embody the very questions and sorrows that are so painfully pertinent to our present point in world history. 2006, Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, $15.95. Ages 12 to 17. Reviewer: Monserrat Urena (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-385-7470-1
ISBN: 978-0-385-90945-7
ISBN: 0-385-74701-2
ISBN: 0-385-90945-4
My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier
Lynda Durrant
Jennie Hodgers put on boy's clothes to herd sheep as a girl in Ireland, continued to dress and work as a boy when she immigrated to the United States, enlisted in the Union Army as Albert Cashier, fought in the siege of Vicksburg, and retired with a pension before being revealed as a woman shortly before the end of her long life. This engaging first-person re-creation of her story believably explains the need for such a deception and its physical and emotional difficulties. Living a lie sets her apart from others, keeps her a private person, and, at the end, one who has to live behind physical locks as well. The book boasts a gentle, unfulfilled love story in Jennie's friendship with fellow soldier Frank Moore, who is also based on a real person. There is also an interesting inclusion of the then, new ideas of Charles Darwin, pointing out that while animals adapt over time, people can decide to adapt overnight, if necessary. This different perspective on a soldier's life includes the hard physical labor, the endless uncertainty, and a gripping battle scene, as well as sympathetic reminders of the suffering of women and children caught up in the Civil War. Carefully researched and clearly told, this book would be solid supplemental reading for middle school history students. An afterword describes the known facts behind this story and a selected bibliography includes Internet sources. 2006, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Amelia Bloomer Project, 2007; Feminist Task Force SSRT ALA; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, February 1, 2006; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, April 2006; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Parents' Choice Award Recommended 2006 Fiction United States
ISBN: 978-0-618-57490-2
ISBN: 0-618-57490-5
Outpost Kelly, July 1952: A Tanker's Story
Jack R. Siewert
Warfare is so much more than great armies wheeling in clever strategic maneuvers, of divisions invading enemy beaches or battering enemy strong points into submission. Much more often, war is long, dusty marches as tired platoons are plugged into critical points on the line, or small units cowering under enemy barrages in their waterlogged defensive trenches. And always, there is the young company-grade officer, not long out of college, using his untried resources and half-remembered lectures to make sense out of a bewildering situation. Leadership is a skill always learned in the field, and how successful it is depends on what is in the soldier to begin with. In 1950, Second Lieutenant Jack Siewert found himself in charge of a platoon of five M?48 Patton tanks and their enlisted crews, rapidly learning how to survive and fight in a morass of rocky hills in Korea. Here, the author tells of a fairly routine three-day assignment to the front line that morphed into a two-week struggle to defend, and then to retake, an isolated outpost. It was not one of the more newsworthy battles of the war, nor was it strictly speaking even a battle--mostly it was just tension-filled waiting interspersed with grinding fighting. This isn't even a coming-of-age-in-combat tale; Siewert was a capable and self-possessed young officer before the combat began, and a stable and responsible one afterward. His story is, in fact, is refreshingly free of self-conscious angst and melodrama. It comes across as the tale of most young men, placed in uniform and in command of a small body of men, who simply do what they must do under new and frightening conditions. It also makes an instructive manual for others, in or out of the military, who might find themselves in a boots-on-the-ground leadership position someday. Recommended for school and public collections. Category: Biography, Narrative. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2006, Univ. of Alabama Press, 156p. illus. notes. bibliog., $19.95. Ages 15 to adult. Reviewer: Raymond Puffer, Ph.D. (KLIATT Review, March 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 2)).
ISBN: 978-0-81735-341-4
ISBN: 0-81735-341-0
Primary Source Accounts of the Civil War
Archie P. McDonald
The Civil War remains one of the watershed events in American history. For four long and bloody years citizens of the North and South waged terrible warfare against one another. In the end, the forces of the Union emerged triumphant but not before over 630,000 soldiers died, and much of the nation was bereaved. Here, in a title in the "MyReportLinks.com" series, younger readers are given a glimpse of what life during those tumultuous days must have been like. As is the case with other titles in this series, this particular book features not only a workable text, but also illustrations lifted directly from the Internet. In this way readers can not only encounter period illustrations but also go directly to creditable web sites featuring Civil War information. Additionally, this particular work features numerous primary source quotations drawn form letters, diaries, memoirs, speeches, and other first-hand sources. In this way the author presents an impression of Civil War America that has added depth. Further, this particular title features approximately 40% more text than earlier books in the series. The addition of more substance makes for a superior product and is typical of efforts made by the publishers to improve an already creditable series. Taking these factors into consideration, this title is a good introduction and resource guide for youngsters studying or interested in this topic. 2006, Enslow Publishers, $33.27. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-598-45000-X
ISBN: 978-1-598-45000-2
Primary Source Accounts of the Vietnam War
Kim A. O'Connell
Books in the MyReportLinks.com imprint offer the reader a background on the subject and also send them to recommended Web sites for further research. Each volume begins with a page explaining the MyReportLinks.com Web site, where links to the sites referenced in the text are available, and provides a password to the site. This page is followed by an explanation of primary sources. In Primary Source Accounts of the Vietnam War, a history of the Tet Offensive precedes a brief account of the war beginning in 1954. Obviously intended to inspire immediate interest in the war, if read out of sequence, the book could be confusing to a student. Later chapters cover soldiers' stories (U.S., North and South Vietnamese), the words of nurses and Vietnamese civilians, popular songs in both the U.S. and Vietnam, and a particularly interesting chapter on the press, both its possible influence on the American mood and the experience of American reporters in Vietnam. Interspersed throughout the text are quotes and colorful photographs and illustrations from the period. Many illustrations in these volumes are reproductions of the homepage of an approved Web site, directing the reader to the MyReportsLinks.com site. Written at a middle school level, the books in this series obviously are not for students without Internet access. Although some might find it disheartening to see books leading students to the Internet-they will probably go there anyway, but will the students come back to the books or just keep surfing? - the recommended Web sites in these volumes are exceptional collections of primary sources and are not sites that students would find immediately using Google. Other volumes in the series discuss the War of 1812, the Mexican American War, the Spanish American War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. (America's Wars Through Primary Sources) VOYA CODES: 3Q 2P M J (Readable without serious defects; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, MyReportLinks.com Books/Enslow, 128p.; Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Maps. Source Notes. Further Reading. Chronology., PLB $33.27.. Ages 11 to 15. Reviewer: Angela Carstensen (VOYA, February 2007 (Vol. 29, No. 6))
ISBN: 1-598-45001-8
ISBN: 978-1-598-45001-9
Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story
S.D. Nelson
This is a thoughtful glimpse into the life experiences of one of the soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, an act that thrust him, reluctant though he may have been, into the spotlight. Ira Hayes was a quiet lad who lived with his family in a one-room house on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Sacaton, Arizona. When he was sent to a government boarding school for Native Americans, Ira felt out of place and lonely. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Ira joined the Marine Corps and there he felt at home among his buddies. Ira, proud to be a Marine, was an honorable warrior and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. After a small American flag was planted on the top of Mount Suribachi, a Marine Commander sent up a group of men to put up a bigger flag. Ira was one of those men. When Ira returned home, he found that the photo of the flag raising had made him a hero. Ira was never comfortable with the attention and turned to drink to cope with the loneliness he felt after leaving the company of his Marine comrades. He died about ten years later and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 2006, Lee & Low Books, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-58430-263-6
ISBN: 1-58430-263-1
Shipwreck Search: Discovery of the H.L. Hunley
Sally M. Walker
Illustrated by Elaine Verstraete
Children love stories about discovering lost treasure. They should find this account about the discovery of a genuine historical treasure--a Civil War submarine--irresistible. Part of the "On My Own Science" series, this beautifully illustrated book tells about the team of men who searched for and found the sub in the dark, deep waters near Charleston in 2000, decades after its sinking in 1864. Finding the historic submarine was only the first step. Well-written text explains how they were able to successfully raise the Hunley, how they kept it from deteriorating further, and how the real "treasure" hunting--for artifacts and human remains inside--progressed. Researchers were able to verify an old story about the captain's having a lucky coin that he had always carried since a bullet struck it instead of him at the battle of Shiloh, when that very coin was found. They also uncovered a mystery: a metal name tag belonging to a Union--enemy--soldier. The inside of the sub was preserved enough for archeologists to find out how the sub was operated. Best of all, special artists were able to reconstruct models of the skulls to show how the crew members looked. This is an exciting book, especially for young readers who may not read well enough for many books about shipwrecks. The book includes an afterward about ongoing research about the Hunley, a timeline, glossary, and two bibliographies about the historical sub, the Civil War, and shipwreck science in general. 2006, Millbrook Press, $23.93. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Judy Crowder (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-57505878-8
ISBN: 1-57505878-2
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Natalie M. Rosinsky
Of all the wars throughout U.S. history, none has sparked more controversy than the Vietnam War. Unlike previous wars, soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War were not welcomed home as heroes; the politics that sparked controversy regarding this war spilled over onto the soldiers and their actions during the war. Vietnam veterans were made to feel ashamed about what occurred in Vietnam and for years were reluctant to express how they felt about the war. That all changed in the late 1970s and early 1980s when a group of veterans began to work together for a memorial for those who had died in the war. But just as controversy surrounded the war itself, controversy also surrounded the memorial. Many thought the wall was an ugly and unfit tribute to those who served during the war. But in the years since it was built, there have been few who have not been moved by the simplicity of the memorial. Rosinsky has presented a brief overview of the Vietnam War and offers a great deal of information behind the design of the memorial and the controversy surrounding it, as well as a brief history of the memorial after its completion. This title is part of the "We the People" series. 2007, Compass Point Books, $25.26. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Danielle Williams (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7565-2032-0
ISBN: 0-7565-2044-4
ISBN: 978-0-7565-2032-8
ISBN: 978-0-7565-2044-1
War Fix
Steve Olexa and David Axe
Having watched the Gulf War on television as a youth, David does not want to sit around and watch this one from thousands of miles away. As a journalist, David heads to Iraq to report on the elections. He finds the war to be 1 percent action and 99 percent waiting around for something to happen. In Iraq, he meets soldiers who live to kill, soldiers who just want to get through it alive, journalists, and people like him-addicted to war. After the explosive elections, David returns home to his girlfriend, his writing, and his friend, Geoff, the one person he knows will understand everything he saw because Geoff was in the first Iraq war. Then he quickly leaves it all again to go back. The Iraq war in sequential art is powerful. The text and the art work together to complement and influence the story. The different fonts easily distinguish dialogue for readers from David's written words. The black-and-white artwork is realistic in its portrayal of characters and of warfare violence, particularly the several text-less pages of the election day. The few nude scenes are muted to avoid showing any sexual parts. The only downfall of this title is that few teens will pick it to read. Only the teen most interested in war graphic novels will be intrigued by it. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P S G (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Graphic Novel Format). 2006, NBM, 96p., $15.95. Ages 15 to 18. Reviewer: Kristin Fletcher-Spear (VOYA, August 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 3)).
ISBN: 1-5616-3463-8
ISBN: 1-561-63464-6
ISBN: 978-1-561-63463-7
ISBN: 978-1-561-63464-4
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