There are lots of WWII books for kids but not many from WWI. I thought this was an excellent book that outlined many different aspects of the war and humanized kids from all sides of the conflict. Obviously this book is intended for middle grade readers so it isn't as brutal and horrific as it could be, but these kids go through a lot, see horrible things, friends murdered, towns leveled, gruesome injuries. Five different teens find themselves connected by courage and an Austro-Hungarian medal. Throughout the course of the war, all of them are gifted this medal for one courageous act or another. There is a daughter of a German general, a fourteen year old Russian soldier, a young woman working on an ambulance train, a Jewish boy trying to brave for his mother, and a young girl separated from her family by the Germans. Their stories are all heartbreaking and I love the way they all weave together. The only thing that is too over the top for me (as an adult reading this) is that some of the main officers seem a little too nice. I don't want to spoil anything, but there is no way that men in their position would be as lenient as they were under the circumstances. Very good middle grade novel about WWI.
No comments:
Post a Comment