Two boys on opposite sides of World War II fear that the war will end too soon, that they won't get the chance to prove themselves. They finally see the action they have been hoping for when their paths collide at the Battle of the Bulge--but war is nothing like they imagined.

Reviews

The premise of Hughes's (Family Pose) novel, the disillusionment of two idealistic boys one American, the other German who idealistically insist on hurrying into battle during WWII, proves more compelling than the somewhat uneven plotting and character development. The author effectively portrays the motivations of Hitler Youth leader Dieter, from his nascent aspirations at 10 to the brainwashed zealotry in the name of Hitler that leads him to lobby to be sent into combat at the age of 15. However, the back story describing the motivation of 17-year-old Spence, a Utah Mormon who joins the Airborne paratroopers to prove his toughness to the folks back home (especially one disinterested girl), feels cursory. The pace of the narrative quickens as the boys each experience the gut-wrenching and haphazard realities of war that challenge their starry-eyed, patriotic notions. Though some readers will find a few passages overblown (e.g., "None of this seemed like the stuff Spence had seen in the movies") and Spence's religious epiphany which leads to his rather convenient connection to Dieter implausible, others will appreciate this realistically harrowing depiction of the pointlessness of war. Ages 10-14. (Dec.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 7-9-Parallel stories follow teenagers Spence Morgan, a farm boy from Utah, and Dieter Hedrick, a farm boy from Bavaria. Stirred by complex feelings of patriotism and adolescent insecurities, both young men find themselves fighting for their respective countries in World War II. The first part of the story follows Spence from his small-town life to the rigors of basic training as a paratrooper; Dieter has left his family in order to supervise other Hitler youth, digging trenches on the German border. Then suddenly, both teens are thrust into the chaos and carnage of the Battle of the Bulge. Dieter has his eyes opened somewhat by a disillusioned and embittered corporal in his unit. Spence learns of war's truths when his best friend dies. The novel comes alive in these final chapters, capturing the soldiers' struggles to stay warm and to overcome their fear, and the battle scenes place readers in the center of the action. Hughes doesn't flinch from describing the devastating effect of a bullet. Soldier Boys rises above the cliche's of standard World War II stories and serves as a reminder that wars are often fought by young people like those we see every day in our libraries.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.