War Is...Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk About War

Aronson and Campbell have collected an outstanding array of essays, interviews, blog posts, articles, song lyrics, short stories, and letters from people directly involved in war. The book is broken into sections called "Deciding About War," "Experiencing War," and "The Aftermath of War." A former soldier writes an open letter to young enlistees, hoping they will scrutinize their reasons for joining up. The U.S. military recruitment contract is minutely examined by a high school social studies teacher. World War II reporter Ernie Pyle's articles on D-Day are reprinted. An essay about women soldiers who served in Iraq is excerpted from Helen Benedict's forthcoming book, The Lonely Soldier. And a memoir by poet Fumiko Miura, survivor of the atomic bomb at Nagasaki, is included. The volume closes with a short play and a short story about the aftereffects of war. The editors make it plain that they are antiwar, but they have made an effort to convey a variety of experiences. Overall, however, war is shown to be brutal, life-changing (not for the better), and ongoing. Aronson notes that humans have gone to war for all of recorded history and show no signs of stopping now. Many books about war for young people make it seem glamorous, exciting, and noble. This powerful collection shows its inglorious, perhaps more realistic side.— SLJ Reviews 2008 November

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Write Naked

An ancient black Royal typewriter seems to beckon sixteen-year-old Victor from a yard sale in his small Vermont town. Assured by the man who gives it to him that there is a story in it, Victor finds himself lugging the heavy typewriter on his bicycle and by foot to his uncle's cabin hidden in the woods. He likes to stay under the radar, and working on the old Royal in the hideaway seems the perfect way to express himself without being watched. He had seen a drawing of a bearded man wearing only wire-rim glasses and declaring that being naked is the way to write. In the privacy of the cabin, Victor tries it, and sure enough, words flow out of him. But then the face of a girl appears at the window. Home-schooled Rose Anna knows the woods and has been writing her eco-fable about a newt with a gold fountain pen from her grandmother. Later she and Victor agree to meet at the cabin to write and to read each other's work. Awakened to the connection between them, Victor is transformed by the sudden clarity of first love. The converging personal journeys of two thoughtful young people unfold beautifully in Victor's quirky but honest voice and in Rose Anna's self-revealing fable. The engagingly youthful narration is authentic yet rich with sensual detail and figurative language-the Royal is like a Model T waiting to take someone for a ride. Young adult readers will not want to put down this exceptional debut novel.-VOYA Reviews 2008 June

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The Military and Teens

VOYA Reviews December 2008
Individual chapters discuss various facets of military service, from basic training experiences to veteran concerns. More philosophical issues are covered as well, including discussions about the nature of patriotism and the affects of propaganda. Both liberal and conservative viewpoints are represented in most examples. Other chapters discuss military careers; racial, ethnic, and gender barriers; conscientious objectors; peace movements; and war zone experiences. Insets offer random facts about the military and sidebars offer quotes. With the pros and cons spelled out for each topic, teens will find this book useful for school assignments. Overall the information is useful and timely.

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VOYA Reviews 2008 August
This slim volume holds secrets almost too intimate to share, emotions too raw to expose, leaving the reader feeling clandestine. Once spread, its pages reveal tortured, timeless poetry, yearning hearts, broken spirits, and emotions on overload. Brutally honest, achingly tender, these glimpses of love through poetry are erotic, sibilant, and sexy. Relationships range from heterosexual to homosexual and bisexual attraction. Line after line emerges as eloquent and memorable. "To all the males whose hearts have been impaled by the spikes of my high heels." begins Amy Collier in "Apologies." "I never thought any of us would die this way" mourns Zachary Boehler in "Aside." Elichia Owens describes a girl who "holds a cigarette and a baby with the same tenderness." Katie Chow airs her jealousy in "Deceleration" "I will be the fifth wheel on your automobile. The brakes on your bicycle built for two. Oh, I'll get in the way so you're never alone." Without exception, each piece speaks with the same honesty and emotional clarity. Eloquent and evocative, this anthology deserves a place on every high school and public library shelf. These verses may prompt controversy, denial that those so young can speak with such authority and familiarity about the intimacy they share, but to refuse them exposure rejects the very essence of youth and love.

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Mummies

SLJ Reviews 2009 January - Starting off with perhaps the most famous mummy of all, King Tut, this serious yet engaging study goes well beyond familiar territory. Woog discusses how powdered Egyptian mummies were used as medicine in Europe from the Middle Ages into the 19th century. Many bog mummies of Northern Europe show signs of having been murdered or ritually sacrificed. The author also reports that there are 8000 mummies on display (many of them posed) in Sicily. Ancient Caucasian mummies have been found in the remote northwest part of China. There were self-mummifying monks in old Japan. And the process of self-mummification is explained in gruesome detail. Many experts are quoted throughout the readable text. Engaging photographs, some grisly, complement the subject. This often grim, always interesting read is perfect for reports or general reading.

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Juvenile Court: A Judge's Guide For Young Adults and Their Parents

The juvenile criminal justice system can be bewildering to minors and their caregivers; most people have little or no experience with the court system and can be overwhelmed by the frightening and complicated process. This guidebook does not replace the advice and counsel of an experienced lawyer, but it can help ease the anxiety of teens and their parents.

Krygier provides an overview of the entire juvenile criminal justice process, from the initial police detainment through court appearances and sentencing. She gives specific advice on how to best make one's case to the court. For example, bringing certain documents to your hearing, such as character references, can help the judge be favorably disposed. The book even features a glossary of legal terms and an appendix of the types of documents the reader can expect to encounter in the juvenile court process. Tips on preparing for court hearings and eye-opening excerpts from actual letters written to the court by teens about their personal experiences in the system are invaluable. Presented in a straightforward and crisp manner, this is a cru-cial reference guide; but it can also serve to warn youths, and their parents, about the consequences of breaking the law.

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