Across our country this week we will honor the veterans of wars faced by our nation.

Sadly, children today are surrounded by war. Some are experiencing it first hand in their own front yards. Others are escaping it and become refugees from war. Others have parents who are serving in countries to protect and defend peoples of the world who are in the throes of war. How children are exposed to war and conflict during their formative years can effect the ways they think about tolerance and peace as adults. This includes the type of decisions they make toward issues of diversity. As teachers look for lessons and resources to teach conflict resolution and peacemaking the suggested books below might offer some helpful ideas for children and teachers. The books discussed this week by the reviewers from the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) deal with various aspects of war, refugees, immigration, conflict, acceptance, tolerance and peace.

ReadWriteThink offers a collection of ideas and lesson plans about war and peace. Blogger Cynthia Leitich Smith has collected a list of resources that will be helpful to teachers.

GRADES K-3

Biden, Jill. (2012). Don’t forget, God bless our troops. Illus. by Raúl Colón. New York: Simon & Schuster.

This picture book begins with a note from Jill Biden noting that it is based on her family, but represents the experience of thousands of military families. The first illustration highlights Colón’s watercolor and colored pencil illustrations, showing a family hugging and saying goodbye to Daddy. Natalie asks, “Does Daddy really have to go?” (unpaginated). Mom explains that soldiers have to do hard things sometimes. The book then moves through the different seasons showing Natalie thinking about her father and wondering how he is doing. Throughout is her mantra, “Be brave, Natalie” (unpaginated). During Thanksgiving Natalie pulls the wishbone and makes a wish for her dad. In the winter she makes a snowman and puts an army cap on top of the head—a snow soldier. When summer comes Natalie can’t jump into the swimming pool. Mom suggests that she pretend she is swimming to Daddy. In conclusion, the author gives more information about the military and how we can help military families.

- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Cole, Henry. (2012). Unspoken: A story from the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic.

Without a word, this powerful picture book reveals one girl’s struggle between doing the right thing and possibly endangering her family or turning her back on someone in dire need. Stunning in its simplicity and because of what it does not say, the title forces readers to think and fill in the blanks as they turn its pages. While a family ekes out a living on its farm during the Civil War, soldiers ride through a rural part of Virginia. When a young farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding in her family's barn, she must decide what to do. Telling no one, she brings food to the barn, and then later, goes to warn the fugitive about the slave catchers looking for him. Reading this title more than once will help young readers notice more details each time; for instance, a quilt with a star pattern hangs over a rail fence on the dedication page, an indication that the house behind it is a safe house on the passage north. The graphite illustrations show the girl's initial shock at discovering someone hidden among the crops stored in the barn. The eyes of the runaway are particularly haunting when considered against the girl’s cautiousness in slipping from her house to the barn and back again to offer help. The back matter includes a note from the author about how he came to tell this particular story. Pair this title with Shawn W. Evans's Underground (Roaring Brook Press, 2011) or Jacqueline Woodson’s Show Way (Putnam, 2005) for an introduction to the Underground Railroad.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Thompson, Lauren. (2012). The forgiveness garden. Illus. by Christy Hale. New York: Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan.

The author was inspired to write this story based on the real Forgiveness Garden created in Beirut, Lebanon, after the Lebanese Civil Wars ending in 1990. In Thompson’s story, the book opens with a picture of a stream dividing two villages that had hated each other for a very long time. The villages are named Vayan and Gante that the author explains in an introductory note that the names are from ancient Sanskrit meaning “us” and “them.” Angry faces and words were hurled back and forth until one violent incident takes place when a young boy, Karune throws a rock across the stream and hits Sama on the head and seriously injures her, leaving an ugly scar. When the villagers capture Karune they tell Sama to throw a rock and hit him back. But she refuses. It is time to forgive, Kama (Sanskrit for “forgiveness”) says. She tells everyone that we should build a garden of forgiveness and places the rock on a piece of ground to begin the process. At first, everyone is reluctant and questions how this can ever take place. Karune (Sanskrit for “kindness”) stays apart and is not convinced at first. Slowly and even somewhat reluctantly both villages begin to build the garden. For more of the back story, read this interview with the author in The Kirkus Newsletter, or learn more about the Forgive to Give project that inspired this book.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Trottier, Maxine. (2012). The walking stick. Markham, Ontario, Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Van, a young Vietnamese boy, finds a stick near a huge teak tree. Van takes the stick to the nearby Buddhist temple where his uncle is a monk. His uncle reworks the wood into a brass-tipped walking stick and tells Van it will guide him and always bring him safely home. With his blessed stick it becomes Van’s talisman for the rest of his life. As war comes to Vietnam, Van uses his stick to lead his family to escape the ravages of war and to a new life across the ocean. Years later, on longs walks with his granddaughter, Van describes the country of his birth. His granddaughter decided to travel to Vietnam and takes the precious stick with her. When she comes to a Buddhist temple, she leaves the stick and so it has returned home. Bold colors and expressionistic illustrations bring life to the story.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Wilbur, Helen. (2010). Lily’s victory garden. Illus. by Robert Steele. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

When Lily is considered too young to qualify for a Victory Garden during WWII, the determined girl takes things into her own hands and approaches a neighbor who has a piece of land that isn’t being used. He agrees but does so reluctantly and with the admonition not to disturb his wife who is in mourning over the loss of her son to the war efforts. With barely serviceable tools, Lily works hard to turn the soil and plant the seeds and later, to tend the plants as they come up. As she nurtures her garden, the reclusive Mrs. Bishop on whose land the plants are thriving starts paying attention to Lily and her careful tending of the garden. Eventually, the woman ends up helping Lily as she slowly starts to heal and learn to laugh and embrace life along with Lily and her dog Thunder. The story and brightly colored illustrations will tug at the heart while reminding readers of the universal need for caring and compassion. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

GRADES 4-6

Bingham, Jane. (2011). War stories: Animal heroes. Mankato, MN: Heinemann Educational Books/Raintree.

Young readers may be surprised to learn that even animals have played important roles during wartime. Although the author romanticizes their contributions in her account, she also includes the sobering statistic that 8 million horses died during WWI. Readers will be pleased to learn about the Animals in War Memorial in London that celebrates the contributions of animals during war. They will enjoy reading about the many different types of animals that have helped humans as they waged war and tried to stay alive. The book contains vignettes about Napoleon’s dependable horse Marengo, who carried him safely through many war campaigns; a donkey named Duffy who carried the wounded from the battlefield during WWI; Sallie, a dog who refused to leave the sides of wounded Union soldiers after the Battle of Gettysburg; Cher Ami, a brave messenger pigeon; Gander, a courageous canine who sacrificed herself by catching a grenade, thus saving part of her Canadian regiment during WWII; and even the aptly-named HeroRATS that have been trained to locate land mines in Africa. Filled with photographs of many of the heroic animals and anecdotes about farm horses that were donated to the war effort during WWI, this nonfiction title will leave readers humbled by these loyal creatures and grateful that some of the animals received honors for their service while also leading to questions about the morality of using animals during times of war. These true stories will tug at just about anyone's heartstrings. For more stories about courageous canines, see 5 Questions With... Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (DOGS ON DUTY) on the Engage blog. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Delaunois, Angele. (2011). The little yellow bottle. Illus. by Christine Delezenne. Second Story Press. (Translated from the French by Barbara Creary)

Told as a first-person narrative, young Marwa speaks of the friendship she has with Ahmad, though their country is unnamed. They enjoy playing soccer with their friends and Ahmad is the best goalkeeper on the team. The children know there is wars in their country but continue to play their games when they can. One day the skies darken and airplanes fly overhead and bombs are dropped that don’t explode. These bombs lay in wait. One day when Marwa and Ahmad are kicking the soccer ball about, Ahmad discovers a little yellow bottle. It explodes and their worlds go dark. Marwa is seriously injured but recovers within weeks. Unfortunately, Ahmad loses an arm and a leg. As he deals with his sadness, a victim of another war and bombing comes to show him how to live with his disability and offers hope for the future. This stark and spare picture book carries a somber story and is probably best used with older students as teachers try to teach about living with the aftermath of war. The book is an IBBY International Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, 2011. The book trailer on the publisher’s website contains almost the entire book and could be used an opening for reading the book. Teachers might also like to read current information from Handicap International. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Fein, Eric. (2012). Weapons, gear, and uniforms of the Civil War. Chicago: Capstone Press/Heinemann.

Filled with interesting tidbits about the Civil War with a focus on the weapons, gear, and uniforms of the military forces on both sides, this title is a Civil War buff’s treasure trove. After a brief introduction to the conflict and a map showing the states involved in the war, the author describes the tools of warfare used during the war between the North and the South, detailing the things the men carried and what they wore. There are even descriptions and photographs of mess kits and Civil War food. Examining the light and heavy weapons used by both sides makes it easy to see how inferior some of the Southern weapons were and how close to their opponents the soldiers on both sides would need to be in order to fight effectively. The Gatling gun with its ability to fire 200 rounds per minute certainly must have been a frighteningly effective weapon for its time period. The book contains interesting information about little known aspects of war such as identity discs, created by jewelers to identify the soldiers.  Since the army on both sides did not issue dog tags for identification purposes, other men simply wrote their names on paper that they stuck in their pockets. Although war ultimately results in deaths, few of us have considered carefully exactly what weapons have been used to cause those deaths. Readers will be, by turns, fascinated and horrified by the interesting details about war provided in this book. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Fitzgerald, Stephanie. (2012). The split history of the Civil War: A perspectives flip book. Chicago: Compass Point Books/Heinemann.

The Civil War divided the nation, sometimes separating families and even sections of states as the nation was divided over the issue of slavery. Like many things in life, one’s perspective on the war and its battles often had much to do with which side you were on, as this unique book shows. From one side of the book, the author offers the Union perspective, describing the attempts of generals and President Lincoln to end the Southern rebellion. When readers flip the book over, they will be able to read the Confederates' points of view on the same war years and battles. Interestingly, even the battles themselves often had two different names with Union forces naming them after nearby rivers and the Confederates naming them after local crossing points. Filled with illustrations and photographs and interesting descriptions of war between a nation’s two deeply-divided sides, this short book will appeal to anyone with the slightest interest in the Civil War. It contains interesting notes such as the fact that the citizens of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Southern stronghold, did not celebrate the Fourth of July again until the 1940s since that was the day the city surrendered to the Yankees after a long siege during which many citizens were forced to eat rats and mules. This is history at its liveliest—and most fascinating. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Raatma, Lucia. (2012). The science of soldiers. North Mankato, MN: compass Point Books.

This is the perfect nonfiction text for kids who think they might want to join the military some day or for those interested in the life of a soldier. The main message is that science and technology are important in today’s military. The contents include chapters on science and soldiers, how soldiers train, what soldiers eat, what soldiers wear and carry, how wounded soldiers recover and how soldiers use technology. Scattered throughout are fact pages with additional information on the training that a ranger goes through or the face paint that a soldier wears. Children will be fascinated to learn how Kevlar body armor was created and how it protects soldiers’ chests and shoulders. Modern technology such as GPS navigation, PDAs and night vision goggles help soldiers position where an enemy is located and note sound waves from bullets to determine the type of weapon and caliber of the bullet. All of these play an important role in our military, helping save soldiers’ lives. Through science soldiers can fight longer, be more effective and stay safe, but a soldier will always need to rely on his/her strength, courage and instincts.

- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

GRADES 5-8

Avi. (2012). Sophia’s war; a tale of the Revolution. New York: Beach Lane Books/ Simon & Schuster imprint.

The opening chapter of this book sets the tone at twelve-year-old Sophia Calderwood watches the hanging of Nathan Hale by the British in New York City, 1776.  British troops have occupied Manhattan and Sophia’s family has been forced to quarter British soldiers including the dashing young Lt. John Andre. Sophia starts an emotional journey as she is attracted to the handsome Lt. Andre but is frustrated the he will not help her find her imprisoned brother, William, a soldier for the revolution who went missing after the Battle of Brooklyn. Part II takes place a few years later when Sophia is asked to work as a maid in the home of General Henry Clinton but she is actually a spy for the Culper spy ring charged with gathering information against the British. It is in this position that she learns of the plot to capture West Point and her beloved Lt. Andre is involved as well as the traitorous Benedict Arnold.  Her infatuation with the young lieutenant makes it difficult for Sophia to turn against him. The author has included historical fact from fiction notes at the end of the book that help young readers understand the craft of writing historical fiction. Read more about the book from Avi’s blog. A reading guide is available at the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. (2012). A thunderous whisper. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

The setting is World War II, but in Spain’s Basque country it is the Spanish Civil War. Twelve-year old Anetxu Largazabalaga, known as Ani, is the daughter of fish sellers. Her father has gone to war and she is left with her cruelly abusive mother who will not let her forget the sacrifices she is making to keep them alive. Smelling of fish all the time, she has no friends at school and is a lonely child until Mathias, a German Jew escaping from Berlin, becomes her friend. Mathias’ parents bought the local movie theater though it is a cover for the spy ring of which they are a part. Mathias and Ani are drawn into the spy business by delivering messages while making sardine delivers. The children are helping the British deliver supplies as they try to get through Franco’s blockade. And then the Germans bomb their small town of Guernica and this air raid brings death and devastation as a result. Ani and Mathias escape to a farm outside of town where they learn of other orphans of war. Gonzalez has written of a period that is little known in middle grade fiction with the Spanish Civil War set against the backdrop of the Holocaust of WWII. She has included historical notes at the end that will help understand this period in history. Read more on the author’s website. For more serious art students, teachers might like to recommend taking a look at Picasso’s most famous painting, “Guernica” (1937) that he painted based on the bombing of this Spanish town. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Moss, Marissa. (2012). A soldier’s secret; the incredible true story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War hero. New York: Amulet Books.

Sarah Emma Edmonds runs away from her abusive father who is trying to marry her off to a man who will be just like her father. As Sarah tells her first-person story in the 1860s, to be a woman alone is dangerous so she disguises herself and takes on the persona of a man and calls herself Frank Thompson. She works at several odd jobs until she finally decides to enlist in the Union Army of the Potomac. The army doesn’t take her at first because she looks too young, but as the war continues to rage she manages to get in the Union Army on her next try. She ends up being a field nurse and witnesses the devastation of battle that the author accurately describes; from amputations, filth, disease, lack of medicine and supplies and the raw bloody horrors of war. Throughout her tour of duty, Sarah is never discovered as a woman and her various experiences from being a nurse, a mail carrier, a soldier and a spy are written from the research the author took from letters, diaries and journals. The author has included a Civil War timeline, archival photographs, glossary and detailed notes on the period. She also includes a touch of romance as Sarah falls in love with a fellow nurse. Based on the real life of Sarah Emma Edmonds the author states she was the only female to receive a soldier’s pension after the war. Teachers might also enjoy using the author’s 2011 picture book about Sarah, Nurse, Soldier, Spy. Visit the author’s website for journaling tips and a discussion guide for this book or the publisher’s blog.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Pearsall, Shelley. (2012). Jump into the sky. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

At the end of WWII in 9145, thirteen-year-old Levi Battle finds himself being sent away from his Aunt Odella’s home in Chicago. Levi has been abandoned his whole life; first when his mother left him as a baby to pursue her music career, then by his grandmother when she dies, then his father joins the paratroopers and now his aunt is sending him back to his father who is station at Camp Mackall in North Carolina. When he arrives in Fayetteville, it is hot and he is thirsty. He walks into a little grocery story to buy a Coke and is confronted with a gun-toting white man who threatens him for apparently no reason. But Levi is being introduced to the Jim Crow South he had only heard of in Chicago. Now it was real. He ends up walking to the camp only to find that the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the “triple nickels” and his father’s unit, have been ordered to Oregon. Thanks to a helpful, injured paratrooper who was left behind, Levi eventually makes his way to Oregon to be with his father. The paratroopers have been assigned to fight the fires that the Japanese balloon bombs are setting along the west coast. Pearsall has researched a little-known area of African American military history. She includes historical notes at the end of the book including the opportunity to interview one of the Triple Nickels to hear a first-hand account. Learn more about the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion and video at the Children’s War blog, or visit the author’s website for a teacher’s guide on the novel. More background can be found at the Triple Nickel website. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Preus, Margi. (2012). Shadow on the mountain. New York: Amulet Books.

The cover of this book states: “A novel inspired by the true adventures of a wartime spy.” It is 1940, and the Nazis have invaded Norway, a neutral country, under the guise of protecting them from British invasion. It is not long before the Hitler-directed intrusions and atrocities begin. Fourteen-year-old Espen and his his soccer-loving friends, are drawn into the occupation. Espen and his family are outraged at the political intrusion and Espen becomes involved with the underground Resistance movement, first as a courier on his bicycle delivering messages while his sister delivers ration cards to hungry Norwegians. Espen soon learns one of the difficulties of war is how people, especially your friends and their families, align themselves politically and the decisions and actions they take in support of the sides they choose. In Espen’s case, it means losing some of his childhood friendships. As the years go by Espen becomes more deeply involved in espionage and spy work. Skiing into Norway’s majestic mountains on dangerous spy missions create the action adventure part of this story based on the real life spy activity of Erling Storrusten. The author has included a great deal of back matter in this well researched novel. The end of the book includes extensive author notes, “Espen”, a timeline and an extensive bibliography. Read more about the back story and the real “potato spy” at the author’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

GRADES 9-12

Kokie, E.M. (2012). Personal effects. New York: Candlewick.

It has been six months since the uniformed officers delivered the personal effects of TJ, who was Matt Foster’s older brother killed in Iraq. Matt, 17, is struggling not only with the war-time death of his brother but also his violent, former army sergeant father, in addition to the years earlier death of his bi-polar mother. His father has sealed away the boxes that the military delivered that day and Matt is feeling like he needs to touch those things to feel the closure for his brother. Angry, boiling with turmoil, resentful, Matt lashes out at school toward an anti-war supporting fellow student and beats him unmercifully. This leads to a suspension from school that gives Matt time alone at home. Though he has someone he can talk to and is fully supported by his best friend, Shauna, she is also causing conflict for Matt as to the budding feelings he has for her to be more than just a friend. When the military deliver another box of TJ’s personal effects, Matt opens them before his father has a chance to sequester these away. He discovers letters and an entire secret life of his brother that Matt had no idea existed. Based on the letters from someone named Celia, Matt decides to journey to Madison, Wisconsin, to deliver one letter from TJ that never got mailed. When he arrives at the home, the shock that he finds there opens his eyes to a number of situations and provides the new direction his own personal thoughts and decisions will be. This heart-wrenching story will resonate with readers long after the book is closed. Listen to an interview with this debut author on her website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Mazer, Harry and Peter Lerangis. (2012). Somebody please tell me who I am. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Talented “Broadway” Ben Bright is headed for a career in the theater, with a quick tour in the army, or so he thinks. Though everyone sees Ben ready to pursue his theatrical career after high school, he feels a patriotic obligation to serve his country, against the wishes of family, friends, and fiancé. After basic training, he is immediately deployed to Iraq. In a very short chapter, Ben’s tank hits a mine and in the explosion he is seriously injured suffering severe brain damage. When he is shipped home, he has to relearn everything including people, memory, and language. This brief novel carries a big story as readers go through Ben’s arduous but somewhat hopeful recovery. However, the strain it puts on family and friends is the part of the book that becomes intense from his autistic brother Chris, his best friend Niko, his fiancé Ariela who is pulled into relationships with her friends at college, to the contemplation of divorce between his parents. The story is actually divided into three parts: before, during, and after Ben’s life in Iraq. This sparse, easy to read war novel, will be welcomed by older reluctant readers as well as readers who want to learn about the far-reaching consequences of war.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Schmidt, Gary D. (2012). What came from the stars. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: Clarion Books.

Stretching his literary muscles, the author takes readers on a familiar journey of recovery after the death of a loved one, in this case, the protagonist Tommy Pepper’s mother. However, even though the book contains similar elements to some of his earlier books, this one alternates between a storyline in Plymouth, Massachusetts and a planet far from earth where a battle rages between those who cherish art and those who rely on power. In a parallel move, sixth grader Tommy, his father, and his little sister are barely making it through their days when a realtor’s plans to build condominiums near their property opens the wounds of loss that have started to heal. After all, Tommy's mother loved their house and the beach nearby and would be mortified at the changes planned for the area. The two worlds collide when some of the citizens of Valorim (the other civilization far away) desperately cast out a necklace into the universe, and it happens to land in Tommy's lunch box. As others from that world try to enter his world, Tommy begins using unfamiliar vocabulary, and very strange things start to occur. Tommy must save the world on several fronts—preventing the destruction of the beachfront property and thwarting the interplanetary warriors who are headed for his town. Of course, as in all of Schmidt's books, there are heroes and villains and characters and events that break hearts. Readers might want to read the vocabulary list and the testament at the back before starting the book to make the story easier to understand.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

St. John, Warren. (2012). Outcasts united; the story of a refugee soccer team that changed a town. New York: Delacorte Press.

This book is the youth adaptation of St. John’s adult book, Outcasts United; an American town, a refugee team, and one woman’s quest to make a difference. (Spiegel & Grau, 2009) Luma Mufleh was a Jordanian immigrant who was educated in the United States and spoke flawless English. She was also a woman with a mission but in her youth she was not quite sure what that mission would be. Estranged from her wealthy family in Jordan and on her own in the United States, she floats after college seeking her place in life. As she settles in the Atlanta, Georgia, area she discovers the suburb community of Clarkston, outside Atlanta. Clarkston has become a refugee resettlement community for immigrants rescued by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. When Mufleh sees them playing soccer, her own personal beloved sport, she sets out to learn more about these children. The book unfolds the background of these young children and the ravages of war in their homelands that they had to escape. Children from Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo, Liberia, Zaire, Kosovo, and more come together to play soccer and become known as the Fugees. Mufleh is a tough coach with tough rules that she insists they adhere to or they are off the team. As Mufleh gets to know the hard-working families, the multiple jobs they hold, the hopes for their children, she turns this soccer program into a safe place for kids in this community. This is the story of a coach and her players, exciting soccer moves and matchesalso the story of their lives and all that they endure to succeed, not only on the playing field but in life. For more back matter on the adult book, the refugees and the Fugees Family organization, lesson plans and other resources, visit the Outcasts United website or go directly to the Fugees’ website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.