As you may or may not know, I review books (mainly children’s and Y.A. Lit). In the past few months I’ve noticed a bit of a theme going on. There’ve been a number of books about war, or the consequences thereof. I guess it’s a reflection of the times we’re in. It’s interesting to see how different authors have approached the subject.

McRobbie, David 2011, Vinnie’s War, Allen & Unwin: Vinnie, an orphan, is evacuated from London during W.W.II. The story is based on the author’s experience as an evacuee and includes posters, advertisements, recipes etc from the era. It’s an interesting vignette of social history, as well as an engaging story about Vinnie’s search for a place to belong.

Heffernan, John 2011, Harry’s War, Omnibus Books: Harry’s Grandpa fought in W.W.II and was a hero. Harry’s father was a Vietnam Vet and came home a damaged man. Harry idolises his Grandpa, until he discovers that neither men were who he thought they were. This a story about truth and consequences. Having experienced being conned by someone I loved, Harry’s pain pressed all sorts of buttons for me.

Wilkerson, Carol 2011, Fromelles, Black Dog Books: An interesting mix of historical records, letters etc and fictional accounts of individual soldiers, based on historical research. An indepth account of “Australia’s Bloodiest War”. I think it’s summed up beautifully by the quote on the frontispiece: In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. (Jose Narosky)

Hof,Marjolijn 2011, Against the Odds, Allen & Unwin: Kiki’s father belongs to Medecins sans Frontieres. He’s missing and the odds for him getting home alive aren’t in his favour. Kiki decides she must do something to shorten those odds. This is an exquisite little book which resonates with truth, grief and hope. It’s my favourite in this selection. My only criticism is that it will be appreciated far more by adults than children.

Park, Linda Sue 2010, A Long Walk to Water, UQP: Park combines two stories. The first is about a little girl, Nya, who lives in the Southern Sudan. Her life is a daily grind of walking hours every day just to collect water for her family. The other is about Salva, a boy who becomes separated from his family due to rebel attacks. He becomes a refugee and walks for weeks through the desert in search of his family and a safe haven. It is based on a true story and should be read by every first world kid who complains about his/her life.

Finally there’s a little memoir self-published by a fellow in Sydney. It’s aimed at the adult market, but I think children from middle-school up would find it easy to read.

Fleischmann, Tomas 2010, Lolli’s Apple, Griffin Press, NSW: When Fleischmann (a Jew) was six years old he and his mother were separated from his father, and sent to a concentration camp. We get a rare insight into life for a Jew in W.W.II seen through the eyes of a little boy. Due to his irrepressible nature, and childhood innocence, even though we learn of unspeakable things we aren’t overwhelmed. We see the triumph of love and the human spirit in appalling circumstances. The memoir then takes us into life after the war, but in many ways I think it would have been better if Fleischmann had finished at war’s end, with perhaps just a postscript about his return to his family estate in his senior years.

Take your pick, or read them all. (Why should children & teens be the only ones to read these things?) As for war: I think of the adage, If we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it. I guess most of us need to spend a lot more time studying the history books, because so far we’ve not learned much at all – other than how to wage war in bigger, more efficient and bloodier ways!