Sunrise Over Fallujah

This book by Walter Dean Myers is a great novel of the fictional experiences of Robin Perry, a very young African American soldier, in Iraq at the beginning of the war. The book is written for a teen audience, but it really doesn't sugarcoat the experience of war. Along with the descriptions of excitement, and the over powering strength of the American military, are other real accounts of loss, the tragic cost of war and the impact on our armed forces.

There is some disturbing stuff in this book. We were having a discussion in class whether or not this book was appropriate for immature teenagers. My opinion is this: If we are recruiting kids right out of high school to go and fight our wars in these foreign countries, than we are doing a disservice by not exposing them to what war really is about. We have all these recruiters coming in really rounding up what might be considered the "less college bound" students. Why do they not deserve to get a "second opinion" or at least some education on this thing called war.

I believe this should be manditory reading in the high schools. Kids need to understand what our actions are doing in the world. They need to understand the price these veterans are paying. I have attended so many Veteran's Day services with my father, to be disappointed by the absence of greatful citizens to give thanks to these men and women who have done so much. Taking a second to just focus on these kids, this book helps illustrate how ill prepared and naive these kids are on the battle field. Their sacrifice is not even noted in the pages of our newspapers any longer. No wonder politicians, who have no concept of what it takes to serve in the military, are so eager to send them around the world. They don't see the cost. We don't see the cost.

Empathy for the poor civillians killed in the cross fire is a whole other story. This book does humanize them to the point. It illustrates our willingness to dehumanize them as well. I also liked the portrayals of strong women and African American characters. This really is a necessary and great book to be in our schools. Highly reccomended.