Tag Archives: Soldiers

MG – I Am Kavi

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Ponweera, Thushanthi. I Am Kavi. Holiday House/Peachtree, 2023. 978-0-823-45365-8. $18.99. 224 p. Grades 5-8.

Fifth-grader Kavi has won the coveted scholarship, which enables her to attend any school in Sri Lanka that she wishes. After her soldier-father’s (Thaththa’s) death, her mother (Amma) has remarried and Kavi refuses to accept Siripala, her new stepfather. With the scholarship opportunity, Kavi wishes to whisk her mother away to a far off place, away from the relentless war. However, Amma is pregnant and says her place is at home, convincing Kavi that she is no longer loved or needed. Kavi’s aunt, Mala Nanda, works as a housekeeper to a wealthy family in Columbo, so she begrudgingly travels there to live with her mother’s older sister with the family, including their thirteen-year-old daughter, Sasha. At school, Kavi’s focus on studies drops to the wayside once she sees the dress and possessions of the popular girls. Her envy takes over and she has a willing tutor in the indulged but lonely Sasha. Kavi wins over the girls, Nethmi and Sulo, with her (borrowed) stories of a rich family and displays of modern 1990’s fashion. The charade seems to be successful until examination time when all pretense gets ripped away. This novel in verse tells a traditional coming of age story with a more international setting of Sri Lanka during the war torn years of 1997 and 1998. Handling mean girls, being the new kid, fitting into a new family configuration, and longing for popularity are universal. Doing this while witnessing soldiers walking through the streets, worshiping Buddha, and making sense of the differences between Sunhil and Tamil is new. This novel in verse gives a new spin to a familiar story.

THOUGHTS: Being true to oneself is hard if one’s life has little material objects to compare with the wealthy. Kavi takes a while to learn her lesson, but she shows real loyalty when she does. Nothing major to impress here, except a revelation of different customs, different life style, different times.

Historical Fiction  

MG/YA – World War I: The Great War to End All Wars

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Knutson, Julie. World War I: The Great War to End All Wars. Illustrated by Micah Rauch. Nomad Press, 2022. 118 p. $17.95 978-1-619-30972-2. Grades 5-12. 

As a title in the aptly named “Inquire and Investigate” series, Knutson presents World War I in all its complexity. The book opens with a timeline and a map to orient readers in the world before, during, and after the war. Illustrator Rauch’s characters guide readers by asking questions they might not think to ask; each chapter opens with these illustrations. QR codes are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, leading to primary sources, articles, photographs, and more. Nearly every page spread includes sidebars with critical thinking questions and QR codes linking to effective videos which deepen understanding. Ideas presented include propaganda, technological advances, experiences of nurses, soldiers and more on the Eastern and Western fronts, genocide, communism, nationalism, and neutrality. The readable text, combined with effective sidebars and photographs, draws in the reader to better understand this devastating war in which 9 million died and 12 million were wounded. 

THOUGHTS: Highly recommended for its success in making understandable a key time period in the history of the world, for engaging readers with sharp questions, and for pointing to helpful related resources. See nomadpress.net for full series list.

940.3 World War I          Melissa Scott, Shenango Area SD

Elem. – Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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Gottesfeld, Jeff. Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Candlewick Press, 2021. 978-1-5362-0148-2 32 p. $17.99. Grades 2-5. 

Sentinel guards keep vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, protecting soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice. Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a picture book written by Jeff Gottesfeld and illustrated by Matt Tavares, perfectly captures and honors the soldiers that honor the fallen. This moving and inspiring book teaches the reader the history and significance of the memorial and how the “Unknowns” have come to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Gottesfeld and Tavares explain through enriched vocabulary and powerful illustrations that the privilege and most challenging post to earn in the army is to stand, with absolute precision in every type of weather, at every moment of the day, since July 2, 1937, when the tomb became protected by American Soldiers. This moving and informative picture book honors the past, present, and future members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

THOUGHTS: This inspirational and beautiful picture book targets grades 2-5, ages 7-10, and would make an excellent mentor text for upper elementary or even middle grades. Not only is Twenty-One Steps a moving tribute but an informative text that would fit well with a WWII or Memorial Day unit. Emotional. Beautiful. Very well done.

Picture Book          Marie Mengel, Reading SD