Kidsmomo

Yeah, we know that summer’s just around the corner, beckoning to you with its long, sun-filled days and ice cream and swimming pools. But first, allow us a serious moment, because before summer, there’s Memorial Day.

And we don’t want to just breeze by it as an excuse for a long weekend; there’s more to Memorial Day than that. So for our current theme, we’re focusing on books about war — stories of those who fought and also those whose lives at home were affected. Here are their war stories (in no particular order):

1. Countdown by Deborah Wiles (Karen’s pick)
2. Bull Run by Paul Fleischman (Nancy’s pick)
3. My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
4. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
5. Don’t You Know There’s a War On? by Avi
6. Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
7. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
8. The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777(Dear America) by Kristiana Gregory
9. My Name Is America: The Journal Of William Thomas Emerson, A Revolutionary War Patriot by Barry Denenberg
10. City of Spies (a graphic novel) by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan, illustrated by Pascal Dizin
11. Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
12. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

If you’ve read any of these, send in your book review. Or send in a review of a book about war that you recommend.

UPDATE 6/1/10: We revealed the answer to our War Stories Mystery Book Theater in the “Lock and Load” Podcast, so take a listen if you want to know the answer. Or just tune in if you want to hear Nancy’s depressing animal story. It’s not what you expect, we promise!