Myers, Walter Dean. Invasion.

Myers, Walter Dean.  Invasion.  Scholastic Press      2013  205p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-38428-5  ms/hs  Realistic fiction      E-BN

In the prequel to Fallen Angels and Sunrise Over Fallujah, Myers returns to World War II to introduce Marcus Perry, uncle and father to characters in his subsequent books, and to tell the story of Josiah Wedgewood, a young soldier who learns the horrifying nature of war first-hand.  What is most interesting about this book is the evolution of a man from innocent farm boy in Virginia to killer in Normandy.  Myers captures the feelings, friendships and suffering of war from Josiah’s viewpoint and places them in words for teen readers to comprehend.  In Josiah’s letters to his mother and Vernelle, his “wannabe” girl back home, we learn of a soldier’s need for emotional support.  In his budding friendship with Mink, Josiah shares his need for human connection, for someone to break the tension of the moment with a quote or an anecdotal story drawn from past life.  Myers’s research on actual participants in the Normandy invasion authenticates his writing.  Fans know about the battles, but with Invasion, Myers recognizes that they need more than that, and he pushes them into the minds of his soldiers.  He takes his time developing Josiah’s feelings as he experiences the changes of spirit that are a real part of warfare.  Readers will want to find out whether Josiah survives: that is what happens when an author writes masterfully. 

Summary: Country boy Josiah Wedgewood tells the story of the battle at Normandy’s beaches in 1944.  This prequel to Fallen Angels and Sunrise Over Fallujah introduces Marcus Perry, whose offspring provide the protagonists for books on the Vietnam war and the Iraqi war.       

World War Two-Fiction                                       --Martha Squaresky

Myers, Laurie. Escape by Night: A Civil War Adventure

Myers, Laurie     Escape by Night: A Civil War Adventure    

Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2011  120p  14.99 978-0-8050-8825-0     elem  E-BN  Historical  

   During the Civil War, Tommy and Annie and their dog Samson meet a wounded soldier at the hospital in their church.  They conclude that he is a Yankee and help him and a local slave escape from Augusta, GA. For grades 3-6.   As a wagon load of wounded soldiers rolls past their window, Tommy and Annie see a one-armed man clutching a book.  The book falls and Tommy retrieves it.  Returning it to the man and forming a friendship, Tommy comes to realize that the soldier is really a Yankee.  When he learns the man has a young son he wants to return to, Tommy debates what it means to “do justly, and love mercy”.  He finally decides to help the man escape.
    This Civil War story is perfect for young independent readers.  Simply written, it has enough of the gruesomeness of war to be real, but it is handled very gently.  The moral debate Tommy wages with himself is very well written and balanced with adventure.  It is especially touching when Tommy’s father, Reverend McKnight, recognizes Tommy’s strength of conviction even if he believes his choice is wrong.
   The story is loosely based on the childhood of Woodrow Wilson.
The sparse pen and ink illustrations help the reader picture the characters, setting and action.  They enhance the text for the reader.
An excellent choice for young readers interested in the Civil War. For grades 3-6.              Civil war - fiction     Joan Theal

Myers, Anna. Time of the Witches.

Myers, Anna. Time of the Witches.
Walker & Co 2009 197p 16.99 978-0-8027-9820-6 ms/hs

The story of Drucilla helps readers understand the tension in Salem Village during the time period when witches were called out. Readers will also experience the power of group mania. Drucilla, an orphaned girl, loses her mother at birth. She is raised by Gabe’s mother. In time both children are orphans depending upon themselves for comfort. As they past from home to home they learn skills and grow closer together. It was not easy on them to be separated when their last foster family broke up. Gabe and Drucilla were given to two separate families in town. The people involved were relatives by blood but enemies in action. Unfortunately Drucilla went to the home of Ann Putnam. The Putnams lived across the street from the parish house. As a result the daughter, Ann, and Dru became friends with the minister’s daughter and niece, Abigail, and slave TiTuba. Mistress Putnam was was a vengenful person who was an instigator in starting the calling out of witches. She worked with Reverend Samuel Parris to bring a reign of terror to the small Massachusetts town as innocent folks were declared witches and hanged. The author has written a book that will help young readers to understand that peer pressure and group powers can sway people to a course of action that is not always true to the facts involved. They will also she that Dru, an orphan, wanted to be needed more than anything in the world. In addition the readers will get an insight into a historical event. Historical McNeil, Linda

Game. by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. Game.
Harper Teen, 2008, $17.89, 218p, 978-0-06-058295-1
Realistic fiction

The Game by Walter Dean Myers is another hit for the award winning author. In this tile, Harlem High School senior Drew Lawson, a young black man, dreams of making it big in The National Basketball Association (NBA). Drew’s dreams of making it into the NBA, include him being scouted by a Division I university to play. Even though the odds of making it big in the NBA are slim, Drew’s determination and strong character keep him going. Since this is a big dream for him, Drew stays away from street gangs and the brutal streets of Harlem. Drew comes from a strong family and this stability helps him focus on what is important and that is him playing the game his way. Drew knows that since he is not the best student academically, he needs to focus on his athleticism to get him through to success. After seeing life on the streets in Harlem, Drew realizes that he must stay focused on his game in order to overcome what life would be like as a Harlem teenager on the streets.

Even though Drew is the star of his basketball team, his coach brings in a new white player for offense and he’s afraid that this new player will interfere with his chances of making it big and being seen by college scouts. Needing to overcome his fear and thoughts of his coach sabotaging his chances of making it big, Drew’s dedication paid off when DePaul University, a Division I school, offered him a full-scholarship to play basketball for them.

The author provides readers with basketball insight and game highlights and this makes one feel as if you are on the court. Since the author provides substantial game details, basketball and sports enthusiasts will appreciate this title and it will make them feel like they are a part of the game. Readers will cheer for Drew throughout the title. CFM