Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: War Stories by Gordon Korman

Image: Scholastic

War Stories by Gordon Korman. 234 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., July 21, 2020. 9781338290219. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features War Stories by Gordon Korman. Twelve-year-old Trevor is a bit of a history buff - well, World War II history. This might be because he's an avid video gamer and he's an ace at his WWII game. More likely, it's because his beloved great-grandfather, Jacob, is a WWII war hero. Trevor is his best fan and never tires of G.G.'s war stories. Trevor's dad, on the other hand, worries about Trevor's obsession with war and war games. Daniel was raised by his grandfather and, while he loves and respects his grandfather, he is anti-war. 

G.G. receives a invitation from the town that he helped liberate. They want to honor him, the only surviving soldier, with a parade for the 75th anniversary. Trevor's dad doesn't think travel is a great idea for a man his age. G.G. not only wants to go, but he wants to retrace his steps from 1943 by first traveling to Georgia, where he did his basic training before heading to Omaha Beach, where he landed and then take a road trip through the French countryside, where he fought. And, he wants to bring Trevor with him!

The chapters shift in time between Trevor's trip with his dad and G.G. in the spring of 2020 and 1943, when Jacob dropped out of high school, lied about his age and enlisted. 

War Stories is a bit more serious than Korman's usual fare. He has a lesson to teach, but he does so with a deft hand. The scenes from WWII are gripping and vivid. The tension of G.G.'s secret gradually builds as he revisits each site. Trevor's love and admiration for G.G. is palpable. I felt that the revenge subplot was a tad weak and distracting until the end, where it made for quite the climactic scene. Young readers won't notice. 

One other quibble for me was the math. My husband's uncle served in WWII. He's four years older than G.G. He never married but his great-nieces and nephews range in age from 50 to 28. For me, it's more likely that Trevor would be a great-great-grandson. Again, the kids won't notice.

If you have readers who chew through your collection of war stories and ask for more, War Stories is just the ticket.