1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Anyone who is thinking about joining the army should read this first, January 28, 2011
This review is from: War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk about War (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is a collection of poems, short stories, interviews, and first hand accounts of war. It is comprised of four sections: what I believe about war, deciding about war, experiencing war, and the aftermath of war. Basically every entry looks at war from a different angle or tells a different aspect of it. My two favorite entries were the article on the truth of recruiting and Mark Twain's satire piece on a group of people praying for God to support them in their war (and an angel comes to talk to them.) Just a very fascinating collection.
I would personally want anyone who is thinking about joining the army to read this book first. It is not all pro or anti war and I feel that the overall picture is a balanced one. It tells about the reality of war and what a teen should be thinking about before enlisting. There is language (obviously, as there is in all war books and in war.) There are disturbing images and situations (again just as there will be in life.) If a student that wants to join the army is not comfortable reading that, then they don't belong in the army. I would especially want people to read the article on recruiting. This book is not an all purpose read, but for what it is written to do it is a 5 star book.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 22, 2009
This review is from: War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk about War (Mass Market Paperback)
I realized that I actually read this book on Peace Day. It left me anything but peaceful. I'm angry about a number of things shared in the stories included in this book.
First of all, I'll mention the introductions written by the book's editors, Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell. They are worth reading even if you don't read the rest of the book. Their ideas about war differ, but those ideas led both to create this collection of war stories - and a powerful collection it is.
The book includes accounts from soldiers, reporters, and civilian survivors. There are stories from past wars and current wars, and all the horrific wars in between. Some stories tell gruesome tales; others find some shred of hope. Whatever the storyteller chooses to share, it reveals the truth and will touch the emotions of all who read it.
My anger flared most when I read of the current war, and how we don't seem to have learned anything from the past. As an educator, I was shocked to learn that the military and the signing of young volunteers is actually a part of the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Bill. The law states that the military must have the same access to secondary students as post-secondary educational institutions or prospective employers. "The law also requires high schools to provide the military access to students' names, addresses, and telephone numbers -- unless a parent or student contacts the school to deny permission to release this information."
Included in this article is the suggestion that all high school seniors should be given access and help in reading the military recruitment contract. Basically, the military makes hollow, meaningless promises within that contract. Our young people sign up thinking they are agreeing to 4-to-8 years of service with a variety of monetary benefits, and the whole thing has been proven to be completely meaningless.
Other things that raised my hackles were the accounts of how unappreciated our veterans feel, the harassment suffered by women in the military, and the horrific expectations we place on innocent young people only just out of high school. The emotional and physical scars are something no human should have to endure.
Aronson and Campbell have compiled this collection to speak to a YA audience, but this is a book everyone should read. It needs to be in every public library, high school library, college library, and perhaps in every waiting room and lobby around the country. Just picking up this book and randomly choosing and reading a selection will have an impact on any American.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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5.0 out of 5 stars
All American Teenagers Should Read This Book, August 4, 2011
This review is from: War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk about War (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a straightforward, sensible book that should be required reading for kids in public school who will be the target of military recruiters and for any American who wants to understand what we are asking of our volunteer army. It is not necessarily an anti-war book; the editors disagree on their views of war and peace, which makes the book inclusive and broadens its audience to just about anyone. The book could be used in debate preparation and in college ethics classes. It is not a long book but covers a lot of ground, with striking memories, varied voices, and multiple narrative genres (letters, journalism, even fiction). The book will make you both sad and angry, and it is fascinating; once you start to read it, you will find it hard to put down.
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