My Hero: Military Kids Write About Their Moms and Dads [Hardcover]

Allen Appel (Author), Mike Rothmiller (Author)

Book Description

Working through the Armed Services YMCA, Alan Appel and Mike Rothmiller have collected more than 100 essays from children whose parents are serving or have served in the military. The children’s heartfelt, moving, sometimes funny, and completely honest observations about their moms and dads truly capture the emotional connection between parent and child.  It is a connection that cannot be severed even when a parent is thousands of miles away, gone for long stretches of time, and in danger.
Inspiring, heartbreaking, and genuine, this book provides a fascinating look inside the hearts and minds of kids who love and honor their moms and dads as heroes - at home or on the battlefield.

Allen Appel is the author of five novels and the successful series, Thanks Mom and Thanks Dad.  Mike Rothmiller is the author of the bestselling non-fiction book, L.A. Secret Police.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up—Adults will both laugh and cry while reading the more than 100 short paragraphs written by kids whose parents are serving in the military. In some cases, a parent has died in the line of duty and the child is praising the parent's memory with touching and heartfelt sentiments. One child poignantly mentions, "My dad is like a puzzle piece to me. Without him, nothing works properly; nothing fits like it should. He makes me feel safe." Another child lauds his mother, who has been accepted into an officer program to become an Air Force nurse because she wants to take care of all the wounded soldiers coming home from the war. Original line drawings decorate the pages. There is a preface written by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf as well as comments from three former presidents—Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. While the contributors range in age from 6 to 13, this is really a book for adults, who will appreciate these children's deep feelings.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“My Hero paints an intimate portrait of the personal thoughts and emotions felt by these children.  It clearly demonstrates, without reservation, the immense pride, honor, and unselfishness of our nation’s military children and their families.”
-Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States of America

“This book illustrates a wonderfully accurate picture of what the children of our military personnel go through when a parent is deployed.  Their essays are simple and honest expressions of grief and sadness mixed with a tremendous sense of family pride and unparalleled patriotism.
-George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States of America

“With this heartwarming collection of essays and artwork, the many mothers and fathers in the United States military can take comfort knowing how much their service means to their families. Each work in this volume was created with one beloved family member in mind, but taken together, they form a touching tribute to all of those parents, past and present, who have served our country so faithfully.”
-William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312373465
• ISBN-13: 978-0312373467
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!!!, August 4, 2008

By 

K. Reckard (Elk River, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Hero: Military Kids Write About Their Moms and Dads (Hardcover)

We are watching child whose mother is deployed to Iraq. We ordered this book and included our own stories throughout the book for her to enjoy. We all cried putting it together and she cried reading it. It is the perfect gift for your soldier.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the real deal, July 5, 2008

By 

Earth Girl (Northern Cali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Hero: Military Kids Write About Their Moms and Dads (Hardcover)

I read this book and cried my eyes out because as a dual military family (both husband and I are serving) we have heard our children say and write alot of these things. This book is a tear jerker, but certainly worth every tear.

5.0 out of 5 stars A gift for my son, March 12, 2009

By 

Shaphan Richardson "Shaphan" (Murrells Inlet, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Hero: Military Kids Write About Their Moms and Dads (Hardcover)

The notes and drawings in this book, written and drawn by the children of my military comrades, truly touched me. My son is back home and I miss him dearly. I read each page fighting back tears. I only sat the book down to blow my nose. Once you start reading, you have to finish the entire book. It is that gripping! The joyful comments are evenly distributed between the writings of the children of fallen heroes, who live on in their hearts and memories of their children. This book is a must have for servicemen, servicewomen, and the children of our heroes!