War Stories by Gordon Korman

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.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

The phrase "illegal alien" and  "illegal immigrant" have shot to prominence of late not only here in the United States but overseas as well. Of course a person can't be illegal but by crossing national borders without the required documentation they will break laws and be in a country illegally.

Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin make clear that this is a work of fiction but that the various elements that make up the story are true.

Told in a flashback style, we meet Ebo a young by who is a gifted singer who follows his brother Kwame to Europe. The boys leave Ghana across rough terrain to arrive at Niger and then from there to Libya. They face untold hardships on the various stages of the trip. They face it all with humor and a strong brotherly bond.

I won't give away the end but it is bittersweet. needless to say I found myself thinking about the regions that these migrants come from. They leave various parts of Africa that are desperately poor, riddled with internal conflict (or perhaps both) and risk it all to journey to Europe. Of course with the numbers of migrants that have flooded Europe over the last decade, that has caused other problems in those countries as well. The problems seem to have no easy solution at all.

So the next time you hear a story about a boat full of migrants that sunk off the coast of Italy or Greece, spare a thought for these people who are fleeing conflicts that we here in North America cannot imagine not only in our wildest dreams. Some read alikes  are Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh and Refugee by Alan Gratz and Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed.

Empathy, Diversity, Cultural Awareness and the Political Process...for kids!

Empathy is a buzzword nowadays and with good reason. When we empathize with someone we can imagine what it is they are feeling and we can better understand their point of view. I am an avid public radio listener and I heard a story not too long ago about what parents wanted their children to know versus what teachers wanted. For young ones games that are inventive and relevant are excellent teaching tools. Here we find several games and apps that do just that.

My own children are feeling much better now but the results of last week's election left them saddened. I know that many children are still coming to terms with what happened. I have searched for some reads that parents and caregivers can use to help. The past few months have seen many difficult issues come to the forefront and although as parents we often try to shield our little ones from the ugly truths, there will come a time when we have to talk. This site lists many good books that can be used to help talk about many of life's difficult issues.

My children are one of a few ethnically diverse children in their school. Thus from time to time we often have some very deep conversations at home about race. This site talks about teaching kids about people who may look or do things differently than they. A big part of that is also understanding and respecting similarities and differences. Lately it seems that people who are "different" have been in the news a lot. For adults who want to gently broach the subject, picture books are a good way to do so and this website has some books that talk about diversity and inclusion.

I have been as surprised as anyone with the level of vitriol spewed in the campaign. It is no wonder that a week later there are still protests and rallies nationwide. Commonsensemedia has a great set of tools to help kids of all ages navigate the campaign season (don't forget, midterm elections are around the corner!) as well as deal with the negative aftermath of an election.

These are just a handful of resources however and if you wish to find more head to your local library!