There is a saying that history has been written by the victors. Often, we learn history in school but as we get older and reflect on what we learn, we see that some parts of history have been glossed over. Our nation still has soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, a fact that many people probably do not think about unless they have family serving overseas.
This is not the first war that America has fought in- World War II was the deadliest conflict in world history to this point. America sent more than 16 million troops overseas to fight this war. In this book, Korman introduces us to a kid called Trevor who loves playing war video games and is obsessed with war lore, especially that of World War II.
Trevor is lucky enough to still have his great grandfather in his life. G.G. as they call him is crusty, matter-of-fact but with a soft side underneath it all. Trevor's dad adores G.G. but is not a big fan of the war stories that G.G. tells from his time in World War II.
As it is the anniversary of G.G.'s unit liberating a French village, they invite him to be honored. Trevor soon discovers that not everything that G.G. has told him and his dad may have been the truth. Sometimes the truth is complicated and knowing it doesn't make you feel any better. War is not a simple thing and sometimes hard sacrifices have to be made for the good of the whole.
Korman does a good job of showing all sides of the conflict. The eager Trevor reveres G.G. (probably because he has heard the stories dozens of times). A read alike to this book would be The Bicycle Spy by Yona Zeldis McDonough and Allies by Alan Gratz.
