Purple Heart

McCormick, Patricia. Purple Heart. Balzer + Bray: 2009. ISBN: 9780061730900.

Plot Summary:
Private Matt Duffy awakens to pokes on his feet and the realization that he is laying in a hospital bed. Less than a year ago Matt's biggest concern was a test at high school or some trivial issue with his girlfriend. Life is now very serious and much bigger than Private Matt Duffy anticipated. Stationed in Iraq, Private Duffy is unclear on how he got to the hospital and exactly what is wrong with him. The last thing he remembers is being out on patrol with his buddy, Justin. As time goes on Private Duffy learns he has TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury. A serious injury, but not serious enough to send him to Germany where the critical patients go. It is also not serious enough to keep him from returning to his unit after some rest. As Private Duffy lays in his hospital bed, bits and pieces of his memory begin to return, but they don't make sense or explain how he got hurt. Private Duffy's trust and innocence in his buddies is challenged and questioned as the story unfolds.

Critical Evaluation:
We need more books like this in the body of today's YA literature. This book reflects the situation that too many young men and women are unprepared for in today's political climate. Students join the military straight out of high school for many reasons. Some seek adventure, travel, proving themselves, or money for college. They don't understand that many will end up enforcing government policy in a war where the rules are unclear and ever changing. Private Matt Duffy is tough, but the reality of the, "sick shit," that he sometimes is involved in weighs on him very heavily. Patricia McCormick has written an honest, unflinching novel that doesn't hide Private Duffy's experience, or exaggerate it. The book bears a dedication in memory of five servicemen; the assumption is that they were killed in Iraq. This dedication lends gravity and reality to the story before one page is read.

Reader's Annotation: This is war, people die and sometimes you are the one that kills them.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
After living through such a horrible experience as war. Service members may like to read about others war experiences and find a connection. The idea of being separated from the "World" is very isolating and can be difficult to reenter.

Genre:
Issue Novel/Death and Deadly Disease

Why I Chose This Book:
It concerns me that a young person can graduate high school and within a few months be in a combat situation. This book illustrates the point and I will remember it as an important resource for readers advisory.

The Things a Brother Knows

Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Wendy Lamb Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780375844553.

Plot Summary:
Levi Katznelson is part of a good Jewish family. Life is pretty normal with no surprises, until his older brother Boaz joins the Marine Corp after high school graduation instead of entering one of the Ivy League Schools that accepted him. This sends the Katznelson family into a tailspin, they are angry and don't understand why he made this decision. As expected, Boaz is sent into combat and the family anxiously awaits his return. The book begins as Boaz comes home from the Marine Corp, his enlistment is over. Levi is still angry with Boaz for going away, he worshiped his big brother and is struggling with ambivalence. Once home Boaz is clearly not the same. He stays in his room and rarely comes out for meals. His conversations are minimal and very brief. After awhile Boaz announces that he is going to hike the Appalachian Trail. Levi doesn't believe that this is really his plan and follows him. The remainder of the story revolves around this trip.

Critical Evaluation:
This book fills a need for today's teens who have to deal with family members returning from combat. The author does a great job of showing the helplessness a family feels at seeing their loved one come home a changed person. This is also a commentary on teens joining right out of high school. The oorah doesn't last long and the teens are not prepared to deal with the situations. Before Boaz left he wasn't old enough to buy a beer, but he could go out and kill someone. Levi's voice is strong. At first he is angry and doesn't have a position on the war until Boaz joins, it really doesn't impact his life. That is a common experience for many people. Levi has always wanted to be like Boaz, confident, strong, good with the girls. These feelings mixed with the confusion about Boaz's joining up and how he is acting now that he is back home, anchor the story and allow both characters to grow and learn.

Reader's Annotation:
Sometimes knowing what you don't believe in is more important than knowing what you do believe in.

Bibliotherapeutic Purposes:
As family members it is important to try and understanding what a service member experiences during war. We can never completely understand, but reading novels like this give us a glimpse of the pain and conflict they are feeling.

Genre:
Issue Novel/Politics

Why I Chose This Book:
My son joined the Marine Corps two years ago when he was twenty-one. The decision hit me like a mack truck. Thankfully so far his deployments have not included combat.

Sunrise Over Fallujah

Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise over Fallujah. Scholastic Press: 2008. ISBN: 9780439916240.

Summary:
2003, the invasion of Iraq by U. S. and Coalition Forces. Suddenly being in the military is about more than traveling and seeing new places. Robin Perry joins the Army after graduation instead of going to college like his father wants. Robin has grown up listening to his Uncle Richie's stories about Vietnam and is curious to have his own experiences. Richie is assigned to a Civil Affairs unit sent to Kuwait to be part of the invasion. Technically, civil affairs do not engage in combat. Their job is to bring a human side to war and help rebuild locations that have been bombed and secure a safe water supply. Women are not authorized to serve in combat, but they are assigned to the civil affairs units. Richie spends much of his time bored and waiting until his unit is given orders. These orders place Richie in harms way on a continual basis and he is involved in combat. The longer the unit spends in the relatively safe Green Zone, the more unsure they are about going about in town. The enemy is constantly changing and a new technology called IED's are killing soldiers each week. Richie reacts to the stress of living in a war zone in a typical fashion. His sleep is disturbed and unrestful and his thoughts are frantic and scared. Sent on a mission for Special Operations Richie and the unit are pushed just about as far as he can go.

Evaluation:
This first person account of a young soldier's experience in the invasion and occupation of Iraq is fiction based on a actual historic events. Fictionalizing recent world events is not easy. The ability to remain objective is difficult. Walter Dean Myers is able to walk the very thin line of the reality of the situation and not politicizing it. Robin Perry and his squad mates could be any young Americans trying to serve their country. The experiences of war are very similar. The details may vary, but the effects are the same. Teens wondering what fighting a war is really like should read this book. The author includes women in this story and female teens will find a connection point as well. The author explores the feelings a person has after killing someone. For some people it is a high, power, adrenaline. For others, a part of them dies with the victim. No one knows how they will react until confronted with the situation. Other titles to consider are The Things a Brother Knows by Diane Reinhardt, and Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick.

Reader's Annotation:
It is not always clear who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
This novel could be used with someone who is considering joining the military or dealing with issues after getting out. Shared experiences can be validating and make us feel like we are not alone. This book would work for male or female soldiers. Family members would benefit from gaining an understanding about what their service member went through.

Genre:
Issue Novel/Death and Deadly Disease

Why I Chose This Book:
At this point in my life I am drawn to books about war and the military experience. I have read some adult titles like Jarhead by Anthony Swofford and Operation Phantom Fury: The Assault and Capture of Fallujah, Iraq by Dick Camp.

Read-alike: The Things a Brother Knows by Diane Reinhardt

Fallen Angels

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Scholastic Inc.:1988. ISBN: 0590409425.

Summary:
Upon high school graduation Richie Perry joined the Army and finds himself on a flight to the war in Vietnam. The year is 1967 and the rumor in country is that a truce will soon be signed and the war will be over. Richie meets Army nurse Judy Duncan and fellow squad mate "Peewee" Gates on the flight. Like Richie, Peewee is also an African American from a big city. Richie was not suppose to go to Vietnam. He has a medical 'profile' because of a problem with his knee, but because of a mix up Richie sits on this flight. Hoping the issue can be sorted out upon arrival, Richie pleads his case to various officers and is told to work it out once he arrives at his unit. Bringing up the profile to his new company commander is not easy and the commander assumes Richie is trying to avoid combat. Richie decides not to push it and just wait for the paperwork to catch up to him and meanwhile hope his knee holds out while on patrol. Patrols are terrifying. Everything about them, the helicopter ride, landing, being on alert is immensely stressful. Confusion, combat, boredom and waiting make up the Vietnam experience.

Evaluation:
A stark, realistic view of what combat is like physically and mentally. Walter Dean Myers gives an unflinching look at what war really is and what being a soldier in war entails. Written for a young adult audience, this novel is powerful and enlightening for adult readers as well. Do seventeen and eighteen year old young people really understand what they are signing up for when they enlist? Richie states, "You tell people what this is really like and who's going to come to the next war" (page 268). The author sheds light on these questions in a way that blends with the story and doesn't sound didactic. He also shows the enemy as people, not just an idea that is threatening our ideals or political agendas. "Saying you were trying to stop Communism or stuff like that was different than shooting somebody"(189). Richie learned that the 'enemy' he was killing was just boys his age. He was trapped, kill or be killed. The point is also made that the younger enlisted ranks are filled with minorities, and youth from urban and those living in poverty.This circumstance has not changed. Today's ranks are full of youth looking for a better life and opportunity and who like Richie, feel they can't achieve that in the World. A young adult who is considering joining the military would benefit from reading this book and Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick. It may not change their mind, but at least they will have clearer understanding of what is being asked of them.

Reader's Annotation:
War is not the same as an ideal. It is a harsh reality.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
This novel could be used with someone who is considering joining the military or someone dealing with issues after getting out. Shared experiences can be validating and make us feel like we are not alone. Richie will have nightmares for a long time. The soldiers in his unit wondered if their reactions to the inhumanity of war were normal, for example seeing the enemy and reacting when nothing was actually there. These circumstances are universal and not specific to a particular war or country.

Genre:
Issue Novel/Death and Deadly Disease

Why I Chose This Book:
I have been interested in reading a book by Walter Dean Myers for some time, but my school schedule has prevented it. Also, my son joined the Marine Corp at age 21 after deciding college wasn't working out for him and he needed a break from our family situation. I have struggled with this decision and cried through deployments. I have been reading war related books because I want to know what he has been through so I can be there for him.