  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2012 Gr 2–4—This series shares the combat stories of individual soldiers from diverse backgrounds and rank. The profiled service members committed outstanding acts of bravery and were decorated accordingly, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, a fact that is emphasized throughout. The volumes start with a quick description of 9/11 or, in the case of Coast Guard, a story of a rescue mission. They move on to combat in the Middle East, and/or disaster-relief missions. Action-filled color photos enliven every spread. While the justification for war in Afghanistan is clearly explained, the explanation for the conflict in Iraq is oversimplified to the point of bias: "...government officials believed that Saddam Hussein...was building powerful weapons...Though the weapons were never found, the U.S. and its allies were able to remove Saddam Hussein from power." This series will have the most appeal in areas with high military interest. - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2012 These slender volumes use bright backgrounds, large color photographs, and limited text to tell the stories of the military men and women who have gotten the Silver Star and other awards for bravery. Each book begins with a picture of the Twin Towers and a brief explanation of the war on terrorism, followed by quick summary of the roots of the war in Iraq. The books don’t spend space explaining the various branches of the service—the focus here is entirely on individual war stories, with the first few heroes given two to four pages, while shorter accounts come at the end. Each group of profiles includes a nice balance of ethnicities. Today’s Marine Heroes is especially action packed and includes many exciting recaps of daring missions. Older students with weaker reading skills will not be embarrassed to be seen reading these military-themed books. The stories are gripping, and each book includes a story of one military hero who made “the greatest sacrifice.” - Copyright 2012 Booklist. Loading...
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