ALA Booklist

In any war it is always the children who are the biggest losers. Ellis has written many books, including the Breadwinner Trilogy, about young people caught up in war. Now she interviews children of Canadian and American soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. For each child, Ellis starts with a brief general introduction and includes a small photo; then the child speaks about pride, anger, and sadness in the military family. Some young people are proud (the army is in Iraq to give us freedom); they hate the antiwar demonstrators. But some kids (and some soldier parents, too) support the peace movement. The partings are heartbreaking, and the return home can be filled with problems, as in the case of a traumatized dad who abuses his wife and kids, and his family wonders if he shot at children on his tours of duty. Ellis tells everything without sensationalism, including the sadness when the soldier parent does not come home alive. The personal voices are unforgettable.

Horn Book

Ellis interviews American and Canadian children whose parents have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Chapters begin with an introduction; the rest is told in the children's words. Especially interesting is their honesty about what happens when the parent comes home. Readers will empathize with these young people whose lives have been upended by circumstances beyond their control. Websites. Ind.

Kirkus Reviews

With 13,500 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and one million American military personnel in Iraq, millions of children on the home front and in the war zones have been affected. As Ellis says, "In any war, it is always the children who are the biggest losers—children whose voices are rarely heard." In an oral history reminiscent of Studs Terkel's superb volumes, Ellis gives voice to the children of Canadian and American soldiers. Each interview is prefaced by information on the war, army bases and the children themselves. Though the children's voices often sound similar, and many repeat the same sentiments—sadness when a parent goes away, the poignancy when children realize they have gotten used to a parent's absence and the difficult readjustment when parents return—it is their accumulation that makes an impact. Later interviews reflect a divergence of opinion—one 11-year-old girl states that the "war was just for oil, and for money-grubbing Americans." Ellis continues to be an important voice of moral and social conscience, and this volume will be followed, in January 2009, by Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees. (glossary, further information) (Nonfiction. 9 & up)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8 War is hell, and not just for the soldiers who go off to fight it. In interviews with approximately 40 children, all of whom have at least one parent who is serving, or has served, in Iraq or Afghanistan, Ellis shows just how hard it is on the family members left behind. Ranging in age from 6 to 17, young people from Canada and the United States talk about the things that are on their minds. Worry about their parents' safety, pride in their service to their country, and confusion about why such service is necessary are all intermingled with the everyday concerns of friends, school, and "just getting on with life." Common themes run throughout; many of those interviewed mention how important it is to maintain a normal life and to find people they trust to talk to, and how hard it is when they are not around other families who are experiencing the same issues. Accessible and utterly readable, this book offers a glimpse into current home-front life, and is a primary source of what it means to have a family member serving in a war. While students may find some of the reading repetitive, the book is an excellent resource for opening discussions about the current events. Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Voice of Youth Advocates

"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." 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.-Hilary Crew.