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Synopsis
Deborah Ellis has been widely praised for her gripping books portraying the plight of children in war-torn countries. Now she turns her attention closer to home, to the children whose parents are soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. In frank and revealing interviews they discuss how this experience has marked and shaped their lives. The children talk on military bases, in the streets, in their homes, and over the phone. They speak with remarkable candor about how war has touched their daily lives, and they remind us that although they may be living safely in North America, children always suffer when nations go to war.
VOYA
"There are some big differences between military kids and civilian kids. They don't get to go down the same pathways we've passed through," observes twelve-year-old Jasmine. These differences are heard through the voices of children and teens from Canada and the United States who have a parent or both parents serving in the armed forces. Whether they live on- or off-base, they talk openly about their lives, how they deal with a parent's absence, and their fears for their parents' safety. They discuss family relationships, including changes in their fathers or mothers after a tour of duty. Some have experienced the death of a parent or relative. Others talk about their strong relationship with the parent at home and about the hardships the family faces with absent parents. They express their opinions about war, think about future careers, and offer advice to others on how to cope as an "army kid.o Each interview is prefaced by a paragraph that provides extra information, for example, on army bases, the National Guard, the war in Iraq, or support groups. Although the emphasis is on the "war trauma" that "can affect both the soldier and the soldier's family," these young people take pride in their parents' service. Their voices are resilient. In the words of one young girl, "My advice for military kids is keep strong and don't let anybody get you down." These revealing interviews will provide insight into the "pathways" experienced by children and teens who also bear the burden of war. Reviewer: Hilary Crew