Kid Soldier

October 14, 2013
In this historical coming-of-age story, a Canadian teenager joins the Army at the outset of WWII. Maruno (Cherry Blossom Winter) introduces 15-year-old Richard Fuller, who starts out performing odd jobs around his hometown of Niagara Falls in order to earn money for a bicycle, before he's introduced to the lure of armed service. Under a false name, the underage Richard enlists and quickly proves himself capable as a signalman. After training, he's sent overseas to England, where he comes face-to-face with the true cost and brutality of war. Maruno's attention to detail and loyalty to source material adds significant verisimilitude to the historical setting. However, the story itself is fairly skimpy, often skipping from one episodic event to the next without closure, creating a patchy effect that doesn't always support the gravity of the subject matter. As a result, characterizations also remain rudimentary; Richard goes from one job to the next, joins the Army, has a few adventures, and is deployed to England in quick succession. Rich in historical accuracy, light in story. Ages 12â15.

August 1, 2013

Gr 7-10-A story set during World War II. Richard Fuller, 15, longs for a bicycle. He takes a series of odd jobs such as harvesting fruit and delivering bread to earn the money to buy one. His relationship with Mr. Black, the local baker, leads to the teen's interest in Morse code and an army training camp. Shortly after attending the camp, underaged Richard enlists in the Canadian army under a fake name. Maruno creates a well-realized world for Richard and her readers in every setting she places him, be it the humid house where his mother does her laundry work or the tense scouting and air-raid scenes in England. She even communicates the shift the hero experiences when he returns home from the war. The theme of family is skillfully woven throughout the novel. Mr. and Mrs. Black, the neighbors who love and mentor Richard, fill the void left by his grieving mother and his deceased father, a veteran who died when he was young. Richard's relationship with his mother realistically matures while he's away. However, the protagonist's near-perfect affability makes his likable character less believable. Maruno reveals in her author's note that Kid Soldier is based on her father's war experiences, which perhaps explains the idealized Richard. Iain Lawrence's B for Buster (Delacorte, 2004) is a good companion to this story.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.