War Stories
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Lively, nuanced D-Day story of tween and war hero.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
Twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone adores his 93-year-old great-grandfather Jacob, a decorated World War II veteran who tells a lot of WAR STORIES. Trevor plasters his room with combat posters and spends all his time blowing up armaments and buildings in video games based on the conflict. When word comes that the French village once liberated by Jacob's unit wants to honor him at a ceremony, Trevor is in heaven over the chance to revisit the sites of all these exploits. As they make their way from boot camp through training bases and the Normandy countryside, Jacob's recollections bring the past (sometimes heroic, sometimes just stupid and gross) to life. Meanwhile, though, Trevor's dad is worried, because somebody who doesn't seem to share their enthusiasm is posting nasty remarks and threats on the village's Facebook page.
Is It Any Good?
Master storyteller Gordon Korman packs a lot of history and wisdom into this nuanced tale of battle, memory, and family. There's more to war than blowing up buildings and bad guys, as 12-year-old Trevor discovers when he revisits D-Day, on location, with his great-grandfather, a decorated veteran. War Stories offers alternating chapters of Jacob Firestone, 17-year-old infantryman trying to survive and also beat Hitler, and of Trevor's impressions as the family makes its way through Normandy and he learns about a lot of tragedy, loss, and foolishness that happened right along with the heroics.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about World War II and its effects on the lives of people caught up in it. How does War Stories compare with other stories you know about that era? Does it give you a different view of those events?
Have you ever heard a story of events you've actually lived through -- and found that it's very different from your own experience? How does that make you feel?
Do you have family members who had interesting adventures in the past? What did they do? Do you think you'd like to do the same things, or are you happy to avoid the whole experience?
Book Details
- Author: Gordon Korman
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic
- Publication date: July 21, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 240
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 31, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate