That Burning Summer - Lydia Syson

That Burning Summer by Lydia Syson

 

M's review

Once again, Lydia Syson's teen fiction marries the thought-provoking nitty gritties of wartime with a tone that is celebratory in its joie de vivre. That Burning Summer is a quick and enjoyable read that complements her debut novel, A World Between Us.

That Burning Summer shares some similarities with Syson’s first novel, A World Between Us: war, moral conflicts and courage, deceptions, first love and an underlying playful humour that adds a light touch to otherwise heavy subject matter. But there are significant differences too.

That Burning Summer is set in England and weaves Poland in, and whereas A World Between Us looked at principled reasons for engaging in war battle, That Burning Summer grapples with reasons for not fighting. And of course, refusing to fight in the war was a punishable offence......

This time, the action is set on English home ground down in Romney Marsh, Kent in the summer of 1940, the year of the Battle of Britain. At this point, most of the children in that area of England have been evacuated but Peggy (16) and Ernest (11 nearly 12) have not. They’re living in and helping out on a farm with their mother and their aunt’s family. Their father is away...well, somewhere?

The novel is organised around the different rules and advice the government set out in a leaflet on what to do when Britain is invaded:

• How do you spot an invader and what should you do in that situation?
• And if it’s by parachute?
• And they’re foreign, with a name like Hendryk?

It is interesting to see how this propaganda leaflet affects the behaviour of the novel’s different characters, especially young Ernest who is most perturbed and alarmed by this document.

The novel is filled with tension as you wonder what individual characters will do when they’re faced with potential and life-threatening deceptions or revealing secrets. And where is the children’s father? Is Hendryk as innocent as he claims? What will happen in the end? Like a mystery thriller, the plot is interspersed with clues as to the answers.

For me, the most compelling narrative is Ernest’s story: his fixation with doing the right thing at his age is endearing. The heroine, Peggy, is a headstrong and wilful character. Ernest is too, but in his own much quieter and reflective way. June their cousin, is an interesting character and brings to mind the portrayal of Trixie in the Call the Midwife television series. And pilot Hendryk's story and dilemma is truly heartbreaking.

Two of my favourite scenes include a funny one (borderline farcical when something slowly appears round a corner) and a passionately truthful one (everything some of you already knew about dancing very closely!). The developing romance was my least favourite part of the story because I thought Peggy would have been more afraid and confused about what to do. But, I suppose especially in times of war, there's no accounting for what people might do....

Younger readers especially will likely appreciate Ernest’s confusions and actions, and enjoy the historical explanations that are woven through the novel. Older readers are likely to sympathise with Peggy. Syson also creates a really strong sense of place – I could see Romney Marsh in my mind even though I’ve never been there.

 

Although there is a thrilling romantic thread in this novel, rather than an historical war romance I would describe That Burning Summer as an historical war mystery/thriller which, in terms of interests and age, may appeal to a broader readership than A World Between Us.

Publication details: Hot Key Books, 3 October 2013, London, paperback

This copy: received for review from the publisher

Fireweed - Jill Paton Walsh

Fireweed by Jill Paton Walsh

Joint review by M & Little M

Bill and Julie meet each other in a chance encounter at Aldwych underground where they are sheltering during an air raid in 1940. He is fifteen. She is maybe slightly younger – or not. Both are runaway evacuees who have returned to their home city: London. They don’t see it as dangerous and they want to stay there. But, this means they have to live without adults, without ration books, and without a place to stay. Their best chance of survival, literally and as independent children, is to pair up and become a team. They think holding hands will make them look like brother and sister and make them less conspicuous....

Fireweed was a very quick read with a lot of description, and it was quite unusual (for us). We would recommend it to readers interested in what central London looked like during the Blitz. It often felt a bit like a tourists’ guide around central London, especially the area around the Thames and Embankment. Little M liked this aspect of it and felt that it made the novel seem more real.

Overall, what did we think?

Both of us agree. It started off really well, then it became a bit dull, then it livened up and then it ended a bit suddenly. The novel left us a bit uncertain and we didn’t quite get the point although our discussions were interesting (the joy of discussing books together). We decided that some people might say the point of the novel is summed up in the final paragraph about fireweed. On reflection, the novel may be about letting go. Some readers may find this poignant.

Questions

Here are some questions we asked ourselves and discussed together. Be aware that these contain some small plot spoilers but nothing that big.

 

Why is it called Fireweed?

We think this is summed up in the last couple of pages and refers to things like a city/nation/world/individual that has been damaged by fire and flame but heals over and can grow again.

Did we believe in the characters?

Little M: I believed in Bill the most but Julie was difficult to figure out. Also, sometimes she seemed like she was five and sometimes she seemed like she was thirty!

M: I agree. I didn’t really believe in the characters – perhaps I did Bill. They were a bit stilted. It was going alright up until just before Dickie (when they take refuge in the bombed out house). Then it starts to sound like they’re playing grown-ups in a romanticised way rather than being children who are living independently because they don’t want to be sent away.

Little M: Bill is not his real name. Why is it never revealed?

We don’t know. We could hazard guesses.

Were Bill and Julie in love?

M: I don’t think so. Bill perhaps develops an infatuation but I think more than anything, they’re dependent on each other for everything.

Little M: I think Bill was in love but I’m not sure about Julie.

Was Julie selfish?

Little M: No, because she also gives up something after Bill gives up something he longs for.
M: I think she is. She shouldn’t have asked him to let the person in the distance go in the first place.
 

Publication details: Hot Key Books, August 2013, London, paperback

Originally published in 1970.
This copy: received for review from the publisher

 

Phoenix - SF Said

Phoenix by SF Said

Review by M

Phoenix is a soaring space quest story packed full of starry action, adventure, science, myth, colourful characters and wowsome illustrated pages. It’s a compelling and beautiful pageturner.

Lucky’s world on Phoenix is falling apart: he doesn’t know his dad, he’s lost his mum in more ways than one, he’s carrying some illegal kit while the sky is splitting apart and discovers that unmentionable things are happening to him when he’s asleep and dreaming. All of this happens in the middle of an ongoing inter-celestial battle between the Humans and the enemy Aliens (horn-headed, hoof-footed Axxa). On top of this, Lucky’s off on a quest to find his dad and the best way it seems to do this is to hitch a rocket ride with a bunch of very frightening Aliens. They eat eyeballs, you know! The ride is very bumpy and there are all sorts of deceptions and revelations along the way. There are numerable sad losses too.

Author SF Said writes Lucky’s space quest adventure in engaging and occasionally mesmerising words that are vividly enhanced by pages of beguiling illustrations (thanks to illustrator Dave McKean). As the quest progresses and we learn more about Lucky and his dangerous power, we also learn that there are twelve ‘gods’ who will be unable to save the celestial world from the wolf that eats the stars. A second quest ensues and yes, some aspects of the plot are a bit contrived and coincidental.



12 doublespreads like this depicting the 'gods'/Astraeus

Skirting the action-adventure of the quest and just beneath its shiny but grimy sci-fi surface, the novel explores themes of race, religion, deception, right and wrong, choice, and war. More than anything, Phoenix is a pacifist’s heaven that rings the peace message loudly: war, war is stupid......but very complicated too. Unexpectedly, the novel also injects some deep-seated and properly bittersweet romantic elements too. A satisfying but heartbreaking resolution becomes beautiful and slightly teary.

Overall, this is an exciting story weaving together multiple sub-plots and sub-texts in a way that should make much of it readily accessible to young readers. There are also many plot elements that point towards the potential for numerous allegorical interpretations. Those that sprung to mind for me were many religious stories, particularly the Age of Aquarius, and also Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. There are plenty of shadows and deceptions in Phoenix! Unravelling and linking all these allegorical clues can be a lot of fun for the readers, and even young ones will spot some of these.

For colourful characters, apart from Lucky, my heart was taken by Bixa Quicksilver, an Astral Martial Arts fighter with glowing needles in her hair; a couple of old-wizened Startalkers; and Bazooka, a phoenix.

Unusually, I’d also highly recommend watching the book trailer before reading: it’s just the opening pages of the book being read aloud but it is completely captivating and sets a beautiful, glowing tone to the novel.

Following the navigational quest theme, I don’t need an astronomer nor a mariner’s astrolabe to know that for me, Phoenix is this year’s A Boy anda Bear in a Boat. My hunch is that it will attract a much broader story loving audience, especially among newly confident readers who hunger for the thrills often housed in whopping big tomes.

  

Publication details: David Fickling Books, August 2013, Oxford, hardback

This copy: received for review from the publisher



This video is made up of the illustrations that appear in the book! Pages and pages of them.....

Bookclubbing and A World Between Us

We had our first proper sit-down-together-in-real-life-and-discuss-a book meeting!

When we first started this blog, Little M hoped it would be about sharing and discussion and a bit ‘bookclubby’. That’s much more difficult than we thought it would be – but we’re getting there. We seem to do more of that offline with real life events. We've tried a small book group with Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi, we shadowed the CILIP Carnegie 2013, and we discussed Wonder by RJ Palacio.

Recently, The Reading Agency supplied us with reading group copies of A World Between Us by Lydia Syson and we have become a little more organised (only a little !). The books came with some author and novel background notes as well as discussion prompts, and feedback forms.  It worked so well that we’re carrying on with book groups (though expect the 'form' each one takes to be somewhat different)!

Our next planned reading group discussion is Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher, again supported by The Reading Agency (Reading Groups for Everyone). If you’re interested in joining in with us online, more information on that will follow.

 

Here’s what we sat down together and thought about A World Between Us:

 

Four of us got together – it was quite difficult to find a time that suited everyone, especially with after-school activities and exams/school tests. Other than me (M), the rest of the group were 13 and 14 year olds. They all really enjoyed the novel. Please note, some of you may consider what follows to contain small spoilers – but there’s nothing major that would spoil your own first reading.

The group enjoyed the history/war/romance mix and were pleased that it wasn't a soppy romance. Even though terrible things happened in the novel, most of them saw it as a hopeful novel. They felt there were lots of surprises in the novel and they enjoyed that. The Dolores question (what she did and what happened to her) raised a lot of discussion. Felix was the favourite character. George was their least favourite character and they couldn't quite see his point in the novel other than being a plot device (getting Felix to Paris). On the otherhand, George was my favourite character! They all liked the writing style.

One of the readers hadn't quite finished the book yet (time constraints) and it was quite interesting to talk about what she thought might happen, what she wanted to happen and what would leave her in despair. The general feeling was that everyone would have been distraught if the novel had ended differently.

Towards the end, we used the discussion points that were sent to us. They weren't the sorts of topics that we would voluntarily have picked up in the novel to talk about. However, the questions led to some interesting discussions that weren't directly about the novel. There was some very deep discussion about making spontaneous decisions with long-term consequences like Felix does; considering whether killing in war is murder and what books people would/might not take to a war zone/battlefield. On the question of whether politics can be romantic, I thought that it could, but only one other agreed with me. The notion of romanticising ideological commitment wasn't felt by the others (equal split then!). We chatted for over an hour, the cake was finished, and that was that.

This was the first time a group of us had sat down to discuss a single novel that we’d all read. They enjoyed it and want to do more. So we will.

 

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A World Between Us was recently Highly Commended for the Branford Boase Award 2013. You can read M's review here, Little M's thoughts here, an interview with Lydia Syson here, and see the different design processes that went into the cover here.

If you’re interested in online book discussions here are some other ones to consider:

Nosy Crow and The Guardian run a superb reading group for adults to discuss children’s books. They run a real life meeting in London which simultaneously links up with participants on Twitter (use the hashtag #NCGKids) and The Guardian online. Their next reading group book is: A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton, 8 August 2013.

 

We Sat Down's summer book club read:

 

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher.

 

 

 

 

Vortex (Insignia #2) - Little M's review

Vortex by S.J. Kincaid

 

Review by Little M

Vortex is the second book in S.J Kincaid's WWIII trilogy (there are spoilers for the first book, Insignia, in this review; you can read M's review of Insignia here). The novel is set in World War 3. The war takes place in space, but no one gets hurt because they control the ships by computers that have been put in combatants’ brains.

Tom Raines is the main character who has completed his Pleb training as a combatant and has now moved up into Middle section. Tom's best friends Vik, Wyatt and Yuri all train together but because Yuri is a suspected spy for the Russians, he has to stay as Pleb till more has been found out about him.

As they train they must also try and get sponsors, though Tom can't quite mange that. Then when one of the big companies asks Tom to do something for them, they promise him that they will make him a combatant but if he doesn't do what they want, they will tell all the other companies that they shouldn't sponsor him. This will leave Tom with not many choices after he has finished training.

I really liked the novel because I found the way people could control ships in space via a computer in their brain, very exciting. Though I think the first one, Insignia, is better but Vortex is still very good!

There are many subplots in the book but one that stands out for me is the relationship between Tom and Medusa. I think it is very cute but also it shows that no matter what side of the war they are on they still like each other.

I would say this book is for teens or older, I think this partly because there are some aspects that some people may not understand and also because the main character is around 14, 15 and he does what 14, 15 year olds do.

 

Publication details: 4 July 2013, Hot Key Books, London, paperback

This copy: digital proof received from the publisher for review

 

 

 

The Child's Elephant - Little M's review

The Child’s Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston

 

Reviewed by Little M

 

When Bat, a young African boy finds a dying baby elephant on the savannah, he and his best friend Muka set their hearts to save her. As Meya, the elephant, grows up Bat learns to let go of her and to let her into the wild.

After a few years without the elephant, Bat and Muka are taken captive by the soldier children. They are forced into the rebel army and must face whatever the army throws at them. This includes asking them to kill Meya!

This is an amazing story of a boy, an elephant and a rebel army, which forces children to join. This novel made me cry and laugh but never made me too sad. It makes me think about animal poaching and betrayal.

Definitely for Michael Morpurgo fans and also Gill Lewis and Lauren St John fans. I think almost anyone should read it but I would recommend it to late primary school and early secondary school. This is down to the main characters’ ages and the style of writing which best suits this age.

The cover for this novel is amazing. It captures the essence of the story. I think it will make people pick it up!

This is a novel that will stay with me forever. I  recommend The Child’s Elephant 100%!

 

Amazing full cover for The Child's Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston. Artwork by David Dean.

 

 

Publication details: David Fickling Books, May 2013, Oxford, hardback

This copy: received for review from the publisher

 

 

 

Monkey Wars - M's review

Monkey Wars by Richard Kurti

 

Reviewed by M

Monkey Wars was a refreshing read, quite different to many other novels that I’ve read recently.

At first glance, it is a story about monkey troops in Kolkata, India. When humans feel threatened by the mischievous Rhesus monkeys, they bring in the Langur monkeys to get rid of them. Or so the story goes....From here on, it becomes a territorial war between monkey troops. The story focuses on Mico, a young Langur monkey who is small and thinks a lot about what he sees and thinks is going on. And at some point, he has to decide which side he is on – and there are many sides.

At second glance, Monkey Wars is a fable and explores many questions about power, politics and moral decision-making. But it’s also an urban war story packed full of action, gore, military strategy, loyalties and loves, spying and insurgency.

Being a fable, monkeys and their behavioural characteristics (and ways of marking territory!) are part of the plot but they are also humanised for the sake of storytelling. At times, you recognise it’s a monkey (e.g. defecating to mark territory) but at other times, I easily imagined it was human characters. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to this idea but after that I was really into the story and it was quite page-turning. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself rooting for any particular monkey! Mico was one of my favourites, but also Papina and Hister.

Initially, the timescale of the novel seems to be a matter of days but then I realised that it became months and then most definitely years – at least a lot of monkey years (what’s that in human years?). In this sense, it’s a long story told over much of a lifetime.

The novel is divided into three parts. Part two was my favourite. The ending, for me, was slightly disappointing because it came together a bit too easily. However, it brought most threads together – and there were quite a few. The ending definitely leaves with you with a lot to think about where and how the characters who survive might end up. It might make you think about wars and situations that you know about in real life too.

Monkey Wars re-inspired me.  As much as it is a story about power, politics and war, it is also a story about how we create and use history – or rather, histories. How much of our history do we really know? Which parts have we not been told? Which parts have been colourfully embroidered or dulled? And of course, who did the telling? In Monkey Wars, the narrator is omniscient (third-person and all-knowing). I wonder if this was to give us the sense that the whole truth was being told and not just the truth from Mico or Papina or Tyrell’s point of view (author Richard Kurti tells me his reasons tomorrow)? And of course, was there anything important that the narrator may have left out?

Issues touched upon in the novel include power, politics, tyranny, strategy, genocide, war and refugees. I particularly liked the refugees aspect. I would highly recommend this novel to teens. It would likely appeal to anyone who wants to read about war, action, history, and/or ideas. And maybe monkeys. It is recommended for readers aged 11+ but I would say that younger, confident and mature readers would enjoy this novel too (note, there are some graphically violent scenes).

Monkey Wars made me (as an adult) think about:

• How many times and places this story could be about
• How the lives of animals (or even other groups of people) can go on around us/me and we don’t even notice. Or if we do, we don’t see them as part of a whole intricate life and social network.
• George Orwell’s Animal Farm

Publication details: 2 May 2013, Walker, London, paperback

This copy: uncorrected proof received for review from the publisher

 

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Watch out for M's interview with Monkey Wars' author, Richard Kurti.

Soldier Dog - Little M's review

Soldier Dog by Sam Angus

Soldier Dog has been nominated for the Carnegie 2013. This review is part of our shadowing of the longlist. But, the judging criteria have not been considered for this review.

Soldier Dog by Sam Angus

Soldier Dog is set in the Great War (WWI). It is about a boy named Stanley Ryder who signs up in the signals section of the British army but he does not know what he has signed himself up for. The section he signed up for was the Messenger Dogs which means he must train a dog to come back from where ever he is. This dog can give vital messages back to his Keeper, that’s Stanley. The dogs go through No Man’s Land and have a high risk of getting injured or killed. This can be very sad for the keeper.

While in the army, Stanley is also looking for his older brother Tom. Stanley wants to find him because their father did a terrible thing, something he would never forget or forgive: he killed Stanley’s dog.

This book made me cry an awful lot. I never knew how one book could make me cry so much. It is sad but it did make me laugh at some points. If you like Michael Morpurgo then I think you will love Soldier Dog; people who like books based on wars might like it too.

In some way it is like Michael Morpurgo’s novel, War Horse, in the sense that a boy has an animal that he deeply loves and then his father takes it away from him. They are also both set in a war time.

This was the first book I have read by Sam Angus. It has made me want to read more of her books when she writes them. Soldier Dog is her debut novel.

I am very happy that this book has been longlisted in the Carnegie and it is a book I think lots of people will enjoy and recommend.   

Publication details: 2012, Macmillan Children’s Books, London, paperback

This copy: received for exploring the Carnegie longlist from the publisher

 

This review counts towards Little M’s British Books Challenge 2013 and the Debut Author Challenge 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

War & Conflicts - Book List

Sunday was Remembrance Day so  we thought now was a good time to share a list of children's/YA novels about war and conflicts. This is one of Little M's favourite genres too.

Some of these novels are probably best suited to older readers because of the.....uh, violence. Some of these novels are historical fiction, others use the topic of war more loosely to create a different kind of novel. A couple of these books are memoirs.

We have read some of these books and if we've read them recently, there is a link to our review. We've also included a list of books that we haven't read but that have been recommended to us. 

 

Please feel free to include any other books that have war or conflict as a theme in the comments section.

 

 

 

Books we have read:

 

World War I

War Horse – Michael Morpurgo

World War II

Between Shades of Gray – Ruta Sepetys (review 1 & review 2)

Code Name Verity – Elizabeth Wein (review)

The Silver Sword – Ian Serraillier (review)

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Hitler’s Angel – William Osborne (review)

Once – Morris Gleitzman

Carrie’s War – Nina Bawden

Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian

The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank (non-fiction/only part read)

The Seeing – Diana Hendry (post-WWII) (review)

Hitlers Canary – Sandi Toksvig

 

Civil Wars & Conflicts

Never Fall Down – Patricia McCormick (review)

Now Is the Time For Running – Michael Williams (review)

A World Between Us – Lydia Syson (review)

A Soldier’s Secret – Marissa Moss (review)

 

Afghanistan

This Is Not Forgiveness – Celia Rees (review)

Billie Templar’s War – Ellie Irving (review)

Shadow – Michael Morpurgo

 

Futuristic/Speculative Wars

Insignia – SJ Kincaid (review)

Katya’s World - Jonathan L. Howard (review)

 

 

Other Recommendations 

We have not read these books. They have been recommended by various people.

 

World War I

Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo

Also, see Booktrust's list

 

World War II

Far From My Home, Never to Return - Nadia Seluga (Polish child’s WWII Memoir)

The Endless Steppe - Esther Hauzig’s (memoir)

The Upstairs Room – Joanna Reiss (autobiography, Dutch occupation)

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr (Jewish girl in Germany)

At the Firefly Gate – Linda Newbury (romantic ghost story)

The Machine Gunners – Robert Westall

Blitzcat – Robert Westall (about a cat)

Tamar – Mal Peet (Dutch resistance)

Once, Then , Now, After – Morris Gleitzmann quartet (We’ve read Once. It's brilliant!)

Waiting for Anya – Michael Morpurgo

A Medal For Leroy – Michael Morpurgo (inspired by first black officer in British army)

The Chalet School in Exile – Elinor Brent-Dyer

The Great Escape - Megan Rix (pets left by evacuees)

I Am David – Anne Holm (escapee from a communist camp)

The Rabbit Girl – Mary Arrigan (evacuees)

 

Afghanistan

The Breadwinner – Deborah Ellis (11 year old who becomes a breadwinner in Afghanistan)

A Million Angels – Kate Maryon

 

Zimbabwe

Out of Shadows – Jason Wallace

 

India

The Wheel of Surya – Jamila Gavin

 

Futuristic/Speculative

How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff


Non-Fiction: Britain & World War I
Here's a list of non-fiction titles on The Guardian website.


There are more suggestions from Alex Baugh (The Children's War blogger) on her Remembrance Day guest post for us.

Have you read any of these books?
Can you recommend any other books with war and conflict as a theme?

 

 

 

A Soldier's Secret - Little M's review

A Soldier's Secret by Marissa Moss

A Soldier's Secret - Marissa Moss

A Soldier's Secret is one of my favourites because it was based on a true story about Sarah Edmonds, a civil war hero in America in 1861. I don't know if this happened in the true story but this is what happened in the novel. Frank Thompson is a Union Army soldier in America. He is actually a she. Sarah Edmonds is actually Frank Thompson. Sarah hated being a woman because she just got bossed around and treated like a woman, instead of a person/man. So, she runs away and disguises herself as a man. She signs up for the army to help fight the American Civil War. She becomes Private Frank Thompson who is a mail carrier, spy and nurse for the army.

From drills to boggy marches, to blood, guts and gore (like amputations and maggots in wounds - ergh!), this story made me think about what it would have been like to be a part of the American Civil War.

I read this book quite slowly (for me - 2 weeks) because I had homework. But, I found that I enjoyed it more because the story stayed with me for longer.

I would recommend this book to people who are fans of war novels set in the nineteenth or twentieth century. If you are interested in books where women want to fight in a war, you might be interested in this novel. This book reminded me of a book called Scarlet because of the fact that a girl dresses up as a boy when they're not meant to do so.

I am happy to say that A Soldier's Secret by Marissa Moss has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer award for young people's books that are about women striving  for equality.


Publication details:
Amulet, September 2012, New York, paperback, hardcover

This copy: uncorrected proof received for review from Abrams & Chronicle Books.

Remembrance Day - Alex Baugh from The Children’s War

Alex Baugh runs The Children's War blog which holds an extensive collection of books about children and teenagers and Word War II. We're delighted that Alex has joined us (all the way from New York) for a special Remembrance Day guest post.

 

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“Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure”

- Abraham Lincoln

 

In 1918, on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, the Armistice ending World War I, the war to end all wars, was signed between the Allies and Germany. The date became a nation holiday called Armistice Day, set aside so that nations to remember and honor those who lost their lives on the battlefields and in the trenches.

Sadly, World War I wasn’t the war to end all wars and twenty-one years later, the world was at it again. Six years later, World War II finally ended. In the United States, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day, a day to honor all veterans of the armed services, the fallen as well as those who are still living, and those who are still serving. In the British Commonwealth nations, Armistice Day was changed to Remembrance Day, a day honor those who fell in battle in all wars.

Here are some of my favorite books for helping young people understand the meaning and importance of Veterans’ Day and Remembrance Day:

 

The Unknown Soldier by Linda Granfield

The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh, illustrated by Layne Johnson

Veterans Day by Marlene Targ Brill, illustrated by Qi Z Wang

Remembrance Day by Molly Aloian

Remembrance Day by Jane Bingham

 

And here are some of my favorite stories about the men, women and even animal soldiers:

World War I Stories:

 

 

War Game: Village Green to No-Man’s Land by Michael Foreman

Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon

And the Soldiers Sang by J. Patrick Lewis

The Christmas Truce by Carol Ann Duffy

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Soldier’s Game by James Kilgore

Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

 

World II Stories:

 

 

A Medal for Leroy by Michael Morpurgo

The Diary of a World War II Pilot by Dennis Hamley

The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier by Walter Dean Myers

Coming in to Land by Dennis Hamley

Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchas

Robert Moran, Private by Ken Catran

Mare’s War by Tanita Davis

Prisoner of Dieppe: World War II by Hugh Brewster

Behind Enemy Lines: World War II by Carol Matas

Fly Boy by Eric Walters

 

- by Alex Baugh, The Children's War