I got excited when I saw a new book by the great John Wilson, but wish I had known that this was book #3 in the series. It would have made more sense!(Digital book checked out from public library.)
James Doolan is taken to Chihuahua, Mexico as a prisoner with a group of Apache women and children who will be enslaved. Since he is an American, he is freed when he runs into an old friend, Santiago. The two catch up with all of the things that Jim has been doing since they last met.
The West in 1880 was a rough-and tumble place with a lot of fighting over territory and property. Victorio and his band of Apaches are supposed to go to a reservation, which would stop the fighting, but the removal of the army would also hurt the local economy. This isn't too much of a concern because Victorio continues to raid farms in the area. Doolan tells of previous conflicts during which he ran into Victorio-- when the leader took his forces into Mexico and were followed by the Buffalo Soldiers even though it was illegal. When the Mexicans were not happy with Victorio, he took his troops back to the states where they continued to get into trouble. For a while, Doolan was captured by Wellington, who fought with Victorio and considered Doolan to be a replacement for his son. Victorio's forces try to stay alive and have lots of fights with authorities, but eventually get trapped, surrender, and move to the reservation. Strengths: Wilson's books always have LOTS of fighting, action and adventure. There are few newer books on the Old West, and I think that this series might be a good place for students who have not previously been interested in the time period to start their reading. Then they can move on to some Zane Gray! Weaknesses: Obviously, starting with the third book put me at a disadvantage. The flashbacks made me even more confused. The series is published by Orca, so is available only in e book and paperback formats, but I might spring for prebind copies.
The most popular wars for boys to want to read about have been World War II and Vietnam for as long as I have been a librarian. While there are a fair amount of WWII books, there has been a notable lack of books about Vietnam. Since many of my students have grandfathers who fought then, there has been an increase in requests for these books, but not an increase in books. Here are two very good ones.
Lynch, Chris. Sharpshooter. (Vietnam, Book Two) 1 April 2012, Scholastic In I Pledge Allegiance, we meet four friends growing up at the height of the Vietnam conflict. Rudi is the first to get a draft notice, and is visibly upset. Morris is resigned to going, Beck wants to keep his hair long until the very last minute, but Ivan is gung-ho. His father fought with Patton in WWII, and as long as the fight is a good fight (and any fight for your country falls into that category), it's okay. Sent on a ship to Vietnam, Ivan is trained to be a sniper, and tries to do the best that he can, while most of the other men are just counting the days until they return home. The more experience Ivan has with war, the less enchanted with it he becomes. After he kills his first man, for example, he gets a tattoo, but on the inside of his bicep instead of somewhere showier. Eventually, the horror of the war catches up even with Ivan, and he, too, starts to count down the days. Strengths: The details in this short book are relevant and fantastic. From pop tabs that come off cans (am I the only one who really misses those), to details of the fighting, Lynch does an excellent job of making one feel there. In the first book, I was concerned at how was was almost glorified; it is not in this book. This series is a must have for middle school libraries.
Kurlansky, Mark. Battle Fatigue.
25 October 2011, Walker Books for Young Readers
Joel Bloom is living in a small Massachusetts community in the wake of World War II. The fathers of all of his friends fought in the war; his father was an officer, and it is Joel's expectation throughout his childhood that he will one day grow up and fight for his country. He and his friends play "war" using German and Japan relicts that their fathers brought back. As they get older, Joel and his friends turn more to baseball, and are caught up in current events. One friend's father dies in Korea, which at the time was referred to as a "police action". President Kennedy is elected, and then he is killed. Joel graduates and goes off to college in order to get a draft deferment. He becomes politically active when he meets a girl who is socially conscious, but eventually has to register for the draft. He feels that he cannot go to Vietnam and kill people, so applies for conscientious objector status. When this is denied, he decides to go to Canada. Strengths: It is hard to do this book justice. While the chapters follow Joel's growing up years, they are so well written that his reactions to the events of his time are palpable. I have not read anything for young adults that so clearly explains and defines this influential generation of Americans. Having missed the Baby Boom by six months, I found this fascinating. I have a friend who lived in Canada for many years, not returning until well after Carter pardoned the draft dodgers in 1977. I've not read anything else by this author, but his writing was very powerful. I also gave this to one of our teachers who was born the year before Joel, and he was riveted by it. Weaknesses: One of Joel's neighbors goes to Vietnam and returns shell shocked and angry. He drops a lot of f-bombs. Given the historical context, and the very focused use of this as a component of the character after his tour in Vietnam, I will have to overlook this as justified.
Here in the library: Thought I could have everything shelf read by 8 a.m. yesterday. So funny! Finished by 3:00 p.m. partly due to the fact I wasn't closed yet and students still had reports, etc. I also ended up weeding about 350 of the nastiest paperbacks and older titles-- I haven't bought a paperback in the ten years I've been here. You can imagine the odiferous pile of crumbling tomes.
Reference Question of the Day: "Can you teach us how to hustle?" No joke. And yes. Yes, I can.
Today I am CLOSED, but may have to watch about 30 students who haven't turned in books and therefore won't go to Field Day. Since I also need to do inventory, I can torture them with the incessant beeping of the hand held scanner! Always fun. The overheads begin their ritual migration to the library for purposes of worshipping the Great Overhead God-- pictures forthcoming.
Michael's family is in big trouble in Paris during WWII. His mother is American, which puts them all under suspicion, his father and brother are missing, and they are hungry and angry with the Nazis for occupying France. Michael begins to realize that his friend Jacques is working with the Resistance, and he wants to help as well. Instead of just irritating the Nazis, Michael helps to gets messages and forged documents to other collaborators, and helps to hide and take care of downed aviators. When some of the aviators need to escape the country, Michael is entrusted with helping them. Can he make his country, and his father, proud? Strengths: Calkhoven'sBoys of War Time series is just what many of my students want. There is a lot of research apparent in these titles (also Will at the Battle of Gettysburg and Daniel and the Siege of Boston), and there is just enough war action to make the readers happy. They are a good length, have great covers, and remind me, vaguely, of the We Were There books, in a good way. I will buy any that come out in this series!
Weaknesses: I was absolutely riveted when the Nazis came to take away neighbors and someone shoves the little girl into Michael's apartment and wants his family to hide her. That must have happened a fair amount, and how heart-stoppingly difficult must that have been. Unfortunately, the story line didn't cover much about how that panned out, and I was disappointed. I'll have to forgive Calkhoven, though; reading the blurb in the back where she admits to being intrigued by the Resistance made me feel not so awkward that I still, on rainy mornings, bike up hills thinking that I must get sensitive documents delivered!
Mazer, Harry and Peter Lerangis. Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am.
Things are going well for Ben Bright. He’s got a good role in the school play, has a girlfriend, and generally excels in everything. When he enlists in the Army right after high school, his parents are devastated, especially when he gets sent to Iraq right away. While there, he is gravely injured when the Humvee in which he is riding is blown up by a Tickle-Me-Elmo bomb. The worst of his injuries are to the brain, and he slowly begins to recover. His family, especially his autistic brother, Chris, rally around and try to help him through this difficult time. Strengths: This book has an appealing cover, is short and interesting enough for the target audience, and addresses a modern concern in a straight forward fashion. Weaknesses: The part of the book where Ben is in Iraq is only 20 pages long, and there are many of my boys begging for books set in the middle of military conflicts, so this was disappointing.
Harry Mazer wrote the Boy at War series, which is hugely popular in my library, as well as The Last Mission. (Which is really good but does have some salty language.) His experiences in World War II clearlyhad a profound effect upon his life. The Solid Gold Kid is another title that circulates fairly well even though the copy I have has so much glue and tape on it that I am surprised each time it returns in one piece! I am glad to see that Mazer is still writing. I was very sad when I heard that his wife, Norma Fox Mazer, passed away in 2009. She was very kind, and once replied to a letter I wrote her with information about a writing workshop where she taught. It is a big regret of mine that I never got to attend that and learn from her.
Aronson, Marc and Patty Campbell. War Is...Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War. (2008)
This collection of writing about various facets of war has an introduction by Marc Aronson that finally makes sense of why so many of my boy readers want to read about war. Aronson posits that "People like war." Why?
There is a certain rush of Adrenalin that the war experience provides. People who have been in wars, despite the horrific experience, are drawn closer to those with whom they fight; they feel more alive. This is a very complete collection showing things from how army recruiters are not entirely honest, to women who experiences harassment while serving, to an interview with a chaplain. The stand out, for me, were several essays by World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle. I had heard of him, but never read his work. Why his "The Horrible Waste of War" recounting what the Normandy Beach looked like after the fighting is not required reading in every high school, I don't know. It is powerful stuff, and beautifully written. I will definitely look up the collection of his columns, entitled Brave Men, and will definitely purchase War Is... for my library. Don't know how I missed it.
Sciezka, Jon. Guys Read: Thriller.
Release date 20 September 2011. E-ARC received from NetGalley.
From the publisher: "A body on the tracks. A teenage terrorist. A mysterious wish-granting machine.The world’s worst private detective. The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka,Guys Read: Thriller is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page."
Again, that Adrenaline rush. Scary stories, suspense. The Guys Read: Funny Business has been very popular: there's something to be said for a book that says specifically on the front cover "This is for boys to read." I would give more description, but it is so hard to page back through an E-ARC to look at the short stories again. They were all good.
I liked Vampire Rising so much that I nominated it for the Cybils Awards.The second book is a textbook example of how to write for the Adrenaline rush: Alex is chased by two cars, has blood sucking leeches thrown at him by Elle, is attacked by the leeches again in his dorm room, and then the dorm catches on fire. That's just the first two chapters! The boys from Glenarvon have to move in with the girls at LaLaurie school until repairs are made. Shades of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy!) From there, we find out that the vampires are still trying to take out Alex, so Elle makes several more attempts on his life, and a character named Ultravox is brought in. He's trying to brainwash the LaLaurie girls to carry out an evil plan, using Alex's friend Sid's short stories to do it! This is an absolutely essential purchase if your library's Darren Shan books are in tatters. Still not enough of Ale'x sister, but I think there will be a sequel, and I can live in hope.
Adrenaline. Why things need to explode in the very first chapter of a book for some boys to find it intriguing! That said, adrenaline literally makes me sick to my stomach! I don't like scary books or movies, I don't sky dive, and quite frankly, making left turns in heavy traffic is as daredevilish as I care to get. That's why it's important for me to separate what I want to read from what my students want. If I had my way, we'd have a collection based off of the blogging of The Paris Hat!Ah, rec rooms and saddle shoes. A little more in my comfort zone.
Most readers would like a weekly feature on books for boys. Sorry, though--no snacks on this blog, nor am I willing to title the feature Dinosaur Monday! Lists of books for boys got a lot of votes. While unwieldy to post, I'll do it anyway; if you would like a version in Microsoft Word, e mail me.
I also got this very good response; the author can certainly send me a name or link!:
"Displays aimed at boys are a good thing. I found a site that had a display of the Guys Read booklist "At Least One Explosion." So I made a display, and besides our awards display, it is our most popular display so far.
Also, I think we shouldn't be condescending to boys and their interests. If they ask for hunting books, don’t get them something that is trying to dissuade them from hunting (there isn’t a lot out there, but The Trap by John Smelcer is very popular with boys.)
I think it is always best to listen to what they want to, and spend the time to search based on their interests. If I have to put in 2 hours' work to find one book for one boy, and that boy really enjoys that book, then that isn't time wasted. We are here for readers.
Just a note: I'm a librarian, in case that wasn't clear."
One thing that I have found boys ask for is books about war. They don't want books set on the home front; they want books about battles. These can be difficult to find; for example, Hobbs' Sonny's War was too much from a teen girl's point of view.
Certainly nonfiction books are good, too. I have gotten several good series lately, including Capstone'sBloodiest Battles, which has been hugely popular, and selected title from the We The People series. This companies The Terrible, Awful Civil War was quite good, replete with facts about clothing, food and sleeping conditions. 24/7 Goes to War was another good series. The problem with all of these, though, is that they are very short.
While not all of the books on this list have a lot of fighting, they have all been popular with my boys.
Books about War
Ancient Times
Ford, Michael. Fire of Ares. (Series of 3)
When slaves rebel in ancient Sparta, Lysander is caught between the Spartan ruling class, with whom he has been training as a warrior since his noble heritage was revealed, and those among whom he was recently laboring as a slave.
Rubalcaba, Jill. The Wadget Eye.
After his mother dies, Damon, a young medical student living in Alexandria, Egypt, in 45 B.C., makes a perilous journey to Spain to locate his father who is serving in the Roman army led by Julius Caesar.
Stone, Jeff. Tiger (Series of 7—Ancient Orient)
Five young warrior-monk brothers survive an insurrection and must use the ancient arts to avenge their Grandmaster.
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Black Ships Before Troy.
Retells the story of the Trojan War, from the quarrel for the golden apple, and the flight of Helen with Paris, to the destruction of Troy.
Dougherty, Terri. 300 Heroes : The Battle of Thermopylae (Series: Bloodiest Battles)
Describes events before, during, and after the battle of Thermopylae, including key players, weapons, and battle tactics.
Crusades, Medieval
Alexander, Lloyd. Westmark. (Series of 3)
A boy fleeing from criminal charges travels about the kingdom of Westmark, and ultimately arrives at the palace where the king is grieving over the loss of his daughter. (Not really historical, but lots of fighting.)
Cadnum, Michael. Book of the Lion. (Series of 3)
In twelfth-century England, after his master is brutally punished for alleged cheating, seventeen-year-old Edmund finds himself traveling to the Holy Land as squire to a knight crusader on his way to join the forces of Richard Lionheart.
Jinks, Catherine. Pagan’s Crusade. (Series of 4)
In twelfth-century Jerusalem, orphaned Pagan is assigned to work for Lord Roland, a Templar knight, as Saladin's armies close in on the HolyCity.
Flanagan, John. The Ruins of Gorlan. (Series of 7 and counting)
When Will is rejected by battle school, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger. (Not really historical, but lots of fighting.)
Spradlin, Michael. Keeper of the Grail
In 1191, Tristan becomes a Templar Knight's squire during the Third Crusade and soon finds himself on a mission to bring the Holy Grail to safety.
Revolutionary War
Avi, Fighting Ground
Thirteen-year-old Jonathan goes off to fight in the Revolutionary War and discovers the real war is being fought within himself.
Barry Denenberg. The journal of William Thomas Emerson : A Revolutionary War Patriot
William writes of his experiences in pre-Revolutionary War Boston where he joins the cause of the patriots who are opposed to the British rule.
Elizabeth Alder. Crossing the Panther's Path
Billy, son of a British soldier and a Mohawk woman, joins Tecumseh in his efforts to prevent the Americans from taking more land from the Indians in the Northwest Territory.
Civil War
Abnett, Dan. The Battle of Gettysburg (Graphic Battles of the Civil War)
Presents a brief depiction of the Civil War battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July, 1863; and describes major Union and Confederate generals as well as details of the fight.
Avi. Iron Thunder.
At Tom’s job at the local ironworks he helps build an iron ship for the Union army, and his loyalty come into question when he is approached by Confederate spies to sell secrets about the ship to the South.
Beatty, Patricia. Charley Skedaddle
During the Civil War, a boy joins the Union Army as a drummer, deserts during a battle in Virginia, and encounters a hostile old mountain woman.
Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher Collier. With Every Drop of Blood.
While trying to transport food to Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War, Johnny is captured by a African American Union soldier.
Fleischman, Paul. Bull Run.
An assortment of characters describe the glory, the horror, the thrill, and the disillusionment of the first battle of the Civil War.
Paulsen, Gary
Soldier’s Heart— Eager to enlist, Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat.
Severance, John B. Braving the Fire.
Jem joins the Union Army but is not sure of his motives or what he hopes to accomplish, particularly since the Civil War has divided his family and caused much violence and confusion in his life.
Sid Hite. The Journal of Rufus Rowe : a Witness to the Battle of Fredericksburg
In 1862, Rufus runs away from home and settles in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he documents in his journal the battle he watches unfold there.
John Wilson. The Flags of War
Two cousins, Nate in South Carolina and Walt in Canada, know nothing of each other until they are united by the Civil War and a runaway slave from Nate's plantation.
World War I
Erich Maria Remarque ; All Quiet on the Western Front
Depicts the experiences of a group of young German soldiers fighting and suffering during the last days of World War I.
Murphy, Jim. Truce.
Tells the story of the December 25, 1914 truce between German and British soldiers as they laid down their weapons and met in No Man's Land to celebrate Christmas.
Wilson, John. And in the Morning.
Canadian Jim Hay joins the army in World War I and is sent to France where he meets a tragic end.
Spilbeen, Geert. Kipling’s Choice.
In 1915, mortally wounded in Loos, France, John Kipling, son of writer Rudyard Kipling, remembers his boyhood and the events leading to what is to be his first and last World War I battle.
World War II
Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker.
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned and other Navajos are recruited to send messages during World War II.
Cromwell, Sharon. GI Joe in World War II
Examines key events involving U.S. soldiers during World War II that have shaped the course of the nation, while defining the GI's place in history.
DeMallie Howard R. Behind Enemy Lines : A Young Pilot's Story
A young American pilot is forced to bail out over occupied Holland during World War II, helped by the Dutch underground, and imprisoned in a German prisoner of war camp.
Dowswell, Paul. True Stories of the Second World War
A collection of stories about the events during World War II and some of their later results.
Elliot, Laura. Under a War-Torn Sky.
After his plane is shot down by Hitler's Luftwaffe Henry strives to walk across occupied France in hopes of rejoining his unit.
Hughes, Dean. Solider Boys.
Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Stones in Water.
After being taken by German soldiers, Roberto is forced to work in Germany, escapes into the Ukrainian winter, before desperately trying to make his way back home to Venice.
Walter Dean Myers. The journal of Scott Pendleton Collins : a World War II soldier
A seventeen-year-old soldier from central Virginia records his experiences in a journal as his regiment takes part in the D-Day invasion of Normandy and subsequent battles to liberate France.
World War II
Salisbury, Graham. Eyes of the Emperor.
Following orders from the United States Army, several young Japanese American men train K-9 units to hunt Asians during World War II.
Wilson, John. Flames of a Tiger.
Dieter believes in the policies of Hitler and the Nazis, but as World War II intensifies and he is called upon to fight for his country, Dieter begins to question everything he believed.
Wilson, John. Four Steps to Death
Two bodies, uncovered at a building site, prompt the investigating officer to remember World War II and the circumstances involving their deaths during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Wulffson, Don. Soldier X.
In 1943 sixteen-year-old Erik experiences the horrors of war when he is drafted into the German army and sent to fight on the Russian front.
Vietnam
DiConsiglio, John. Vietnam : The Bloodbath at Hamburger Hill. (24/7 Goes to War)
Explores, through letters and diary entries, the Vietnam War and its effects on the soldiers and the citizens of Vietnam.
Hughes, Dean. Search and Destroy.
Recent high school graduate Rick Ward, undecided about his future and eager to escape his unhappy home life, joins the army and experiences the horrors of the war in Vietnam.
Kadohata. Cynthia. Cracker, The Best Dog in Vietnam.
A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing German shepherd.
Mitchell. A Sniper’s Journey (NF)
Gary Mitchell recounts the experiences he had while serving as a sniper for the United States Army, describing the assassinations he was ordered to carry out.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.
Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
Smith-Llera. Danielle. Vietnam War POWs (We the People)
Examines key events that took place during the Vietnam war, focusing on the mistreatment of our POWs.
White, Ellen Emerson. The journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty, United States Marine Corps
A Marine records in his journal his experiences in Vietnam during the siege of Khe Sanh, 1967-1968.
Iraq
Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah.
Robin Perry, from Harlem, is sent to Iraq in 2003 as a member of the Civilian Affairs Battalion, and his time there profoundly changes him.
McCormick, Patricia. Purple Heart.
While recuperating in a Baghdad hospital from a traumatic brain injury sustained during the Iraq War, Matt struggles to recall what happened to him and how it relates to his friend, Ali.
Because this blog is aimed at librarians and patrons of school libraries all books reviewed should be available in hard cover from vendors like Follett. I rarely review books that are only available in paperback and never review books that are born digital or published through subsidy publishers. I use E ARCs provided by Netgalley and Edelweiss, and physical ARCs if provided by major publishers, as well as finished books. I do not earn any money from this blog, and any books I receive are donated to my school library or other libraries in my district. All opinions are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.
Lynch, Chris. Sharpshooter. (Vietnam, Book Two)
Kurlansky, Mark. 
