The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (My Name is America: A Dear America Book) [Hardcover]

Walter Dean Myers (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: My Name Is America

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-When Private Scott Collins's journal begins, he is preparing, along with thousands of other young men, for D-Day, less than five weeks away. When it ends, Scott, now 18, is again waiting to cross the English Channel; he has been wounded in France and has been promoted to sergeant-not simply because he is a good soldier, but also because he has proven to be a "survivor," when so many others have been killed. Readers observe Scott lose both his belief that the Allied invasion will end the war quickly and his innocence-he has seen hundreds die, some by his own hand. While no more graphic than the subject demands, this brief novel presents an accurate depiction of the horror of battle. The narrative voice is engaging and believable, with only a few lapses that sound like explanations provided for today's readers. Scott emerges as a likable and realistic character, one who grows from youth to manhood in a matter of weeks. Young teens who appreciated Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line ought to be moved and drawn to the Journal as well. A short epilogue gives thumbnail sketches of the major players' lives after wartime, and a photographic gallery helps set and expand the historical situation.
Coop Renner, Coldwell Elementary-Intermediate School, El Paso, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Writing in May_ 1944, 17-year-old Collins has no inkling of the massive military offensive he is about to take part in. Myers captures nicely the shift from the fraternity and the boredom of life on the base to the terror and confusion of D-Day. The action and imagery are explicit but not exploitative as Collins survives the landing and pushes on through subsequent battles and skirmishes to secure the town of St. Lo, which is now little more than a pile of rubble topped by the ruins of Notre Dame. Myers' believable portrayal of Collins as a political naif may surprise readers who know far more about World War II than the soldier caught in its midst. The least successful elements here are the handful of letters to relatives and a girlfriend back home. They barely suggest a home life for Collins and don't reveal much of an inner life either. Though it doesn't dig beneath the surface of D-Day events, this My Name Is America series book is still an emotional read that should easily find an audience. Randy Meyer

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1st edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439050138
• ISBN-13: 978-0439050135
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Military & Wars

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Journal Of Scott Pendleton Collins, March 4, 2004

By 

Kenny L. Fitzpatrick (Troy, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (My Name is America: A Dear America Book) (Hardcover)

The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins is a historical novel, a day by day journal about a young man, fresh out of high school, who joins the army during World War II. His nickname is Smoothie because he still does not have to shave yet. At his going away party, his uncle gave him a journal. The first entry in the journal is May 25, l944, from England.

This book is so well written that when he described the landing on Omaha Beach I can almost hear the sights and sounds of Private Ryan's landing on the beach like in the movie, Saving Private Ryan. I can almost feel all his feelings. He is saddened by the wounded and dead that he sees, but he is glad that he is still alive. He wants to be brave but he is scared and is ashamed of being scared. He is sick to the point where he vomits. He doesn't want to cry but he cries. He feels sure he is going to be killed.

He knows that he should not be keeping this journal as he is told to destroy all letters from home after they are read. He feels that it is the only thing he has to leave behind if something should happen to him. He has a message in the journal that if anyone should find it to please send it to his family and he gives the address. He often writes about being afraid of dying. This always seems to be on his mind.

This book was so well written that I almost feel as if I lived his war experience with him. The book also includes a lot of historical notes and also some pictures of the war. This author knows a lot about World War II. With this book he has given me a day to day feeling (2 months worth) of the horrors of war.

My great-grandfather McCormick (there was a McCormack in this book) served in the Army during World War II and my grandfather was in the army as a Military Policeman. In this book, Scotty's great-grandfather fought in the Civil War and his father in World War I and Scotty always wanted his picture on the wall with their pictures. Maybe some day my picture will be on my family's wall with my great-grandfather and my grandfather. I am certainly not the best of readers and don't feel qualified to review a writer's work but I can say that I really liked this book. It was a fast read, I almost didn't want to put it down, and it really held my interest.

This book really inspired me. The quality of the writing is great, the subject matter is great and I would definitely put it in the "great books" category.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blunt nonfiction account of young troop thrust into Normandy, June 10, 2008

By 

Dr. Alan D. Kardoff "doctor k" (palm bay, fl) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (My Name is America: A Dear America Book) (Hardcover)

I bought copy at school bookstore and once it waa picked up, the reading never stopped. Poor English. Broken phrases. Awkward literary tome that spills the guts of young soldier thrust into storming of Normandy. He knows little at first about war but soon gets used to the drugery, fate, killing, and hardships. A first person account with dates. I am 69 and like the book more than most youngsters. Goes with Scott until he gets a fluke injury and returns to the States. A very vital part of the book tells what happens to him and many friends after they settle back down in
America. I find this a war gem. Highly Recommend. Easy read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yep...it's a keeper, November 20, 2006

By 

Christa B. Smith (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 (My Name is America: A Dear America Book) (Hardcover)

I finally had to break down and buy this book when my 10 year-old son kept renewing it at the library at his school. He would mysteriously "forget" to take it on library day...he must have had that book for 6 straight weeks. He absolutely loved it...I will buy more in this series.