John Wilson (8) (1951–)

I received an advance reading copy of this book to review.
This book was written for children ages 11-14, and I think kids that age would really enjoy this story. The plot is fast paced, with enough twists and turns to be interesting, without being overly confusing. The characters and settings are quirky and diverse.

As an adult I found this to be a very easy read, but was aware the entire time that it wasn't written for me. Some books written for kids are strong enough that they work equally well for adults, but this isn't quite one of those books. It was still a fun read, however, and will probably delight the target audience.… (more)

This true story is about World War I from the experience and diary of 18-year-old Russell Rabjohn from Ontario, Canada. When he came of age he immediately joined the Canadian military and eventually was shipped overseas to fight. Russell began a diary September 7, 1916, which is how this book was compiled by the author who included Russell's amazing drawings.

When it was discovered that Russell was very talented at drawing, he became the official artist for the war. This book uses his diary entries in which Russell expresses his horror of things that happened. His drawings are accurate and descriptive and give the reader more understanding of warfare at that time.

This book could be used in schools in history and in art.… (more)