Thursday, June 26, 2008

Shooting the Moon by Frances Dowell O'Roark - OPTIONAL

Dowell, Frances O’Roark Shooting the Moon, 163 p. Atheneum (Simon), 2008. 

EL, MS – OPTIONAL





The child of a career Army man, Jamie, 12, is proud when her big brother volunteers for duty in the Vietnam War.  She can’t understand why her dad tries so hard to talk TJ out of it. When TJ’s letters start arriving, all Jamie gets are rolls of film, which she must learn to develop. As the war unfolds through TJ’s camera lens, Jamie learns almost too much about war and its consequences. 

Dowell has written a book that younger students can use to get inside the idea of war, without being inundated with violence and death. I am worried that it will have trouble finding its audience, as the title lends nothing to the experience and only becomes clear after the fact. So, librarians, you may need to baby this one along. 

Cindy, Library-Teacher

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