January 4, 2007
There are so many fiction and non-fiction books written about the different wars in history. Below are a few fiction titles that I have read. I would like to know what war books that others have read or enjoyed. Please leave me your comments.
Charley Skedaddle by Patricia Beatty (Winner of Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction)
Twelve-year-old Charley Quinn is a Bowery Boy. He feels tough, clever, and ready for adventure. When he gets a chance to join a New York regiment marching to battle in the Civil War, he is happy to go along.
Charley is too young to be a soldier, so he is trained to be a drummer boy. No amount of drumming, though, can protect him when the bullets start flying. Frightened and sickened by the blood, Charley runs. As he scrambles for safety in the Virginia mountains, he is captured by someone more menacing than any soldier.
Each day, as Charley works for his captor, he hopes that he can prove that he is not a coward. But what will he do when he is faced with the ultimate test? Charley Skedaddle tells the story of a boy’s journey toward manhood. Jeff Woodman’s narration keeps up the swift pace of this historically-accurate work.
The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho
For years war has touched the Cambodian village where 12-year-old Dara lives. Bombs have gradually destroyed the huts and temple. Recently, soldiers marched into town and burned all the rice seed. Now with nothing to eat, Dara and her family are walking to the border. They have heard of a refuge camp near Thailand, far away from danger.
The camp is even better than Dara expected. She has all the food she wants and makes wonderful new friends. Most of all, she finally feels safe. But when fighting breaks out near the settlement, she becomes separated from her family. Suddenly Dara must find new strength from within to go on.
The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
When Hannah opens the door during Passover Seder to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she suddenly finds herself in the unfamiliar world of a Polish village in the 1940s. Hannah had always complained about listening to her relatives tell the same stories of the Holocaust over and over, but now she finds herself in a terrifying situation. The Nazi soldiers have come to take the villagers away, and only Hannah can guess where they are going. This is not your typical Holocaust book. This book will appeal to historical fiction fans as well as science fiction due to the time travel element.
Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn
In 1944, while her older brother is overseas fighting in World War II, eleven-year-old Margaret gets a new view of the school bully Gordy when she finds him hiding his brother, an army deserter, and decides to help him.
December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn
This is one of my favorite books about Vietnam Veterans. Thirteen-year-old Kelly tries to befriend Mr. Weems, a disturbed homeless Vietnam War veteran who spends his days in her surburban library, though the man makes it clear he wants to be left alone.
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
All his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother Sam. Sam’s smart and brave, and always knows the right thing to do. In fact, everyone in town had admired Sam Meeker. Until now. Now Sam is part of the new American Revolutionary Army. He talks about defeating the British and becoming independent and free. But now everyone in town wants to be a part of this new America. Most people are loyal supporters of the English kind–especially Tim and Sam’s father. The war is raging, and Tim knows he’ll have to make a choice. But how can he choose–when it means fighting his father on one side, and fighting his brother on the other?
This book is a Newbery Honor Book. It is well written and will appeal especially to boys. A great read!
