msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

"The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this unforgettable, unflinching, uncompromising look at the Iraq war and its impact on the life of a soldier from debut novelist, national book award finalist, and former soldier Kevin Powers. 21 year-old Private John Bartle unravels his story in poetic prose that shifts between his preservice days in 2003, his time as a private in Al Tafar in 2004, and his personal aftermath in 2009. The perfect addition to a study of war and not to be missed. Click here for a full review. Grade 10+

Warning: the culminating scene will make you cry. Friends and family are stunned when Levi's big brother Boaz announces that, rather than heading off to the Ivy league school of his choice with his classmates, he is joining the Marines and leaving to serve in a war that Levi doesn't understand. Two years later, Levi is looking forward to Boaz's return and what he thinks will be the resulting restoration of his family, who have essentially been on pause since his superstar brother's departure. Someone who looks like Boaz shows up, but Levi realizes his brother is profoundly changed: he doesn't leave his room, he screams in the night, he won't ride in cars, and he is planning a secret trip using Levi's old atlas. When he makes a rare appearance to announce his intentions of hiking the Appalachian Trail, Levi knows it is a hoax - he has been snooping through Boaz's browser history. Levi sets out to reveal his brother's real plan, along with best frien...