My Brother Sam...

My Brother Sam Is Dead by J.L. Collier & C. Collier (1974)

Newbery Honor 1974

A bit on the violent side, with heads lopped off and all, but a quality read; timely for both when it was written, after the Viet Nam war, and now. The reality of war's impact on those left at home, and those left when people begin to die. Battle is not glorified, and both sides are shown as brought down and lessened by war, no matter their ideologies.

I also thought it was interesting how many times it was mentioned that Tim, not even old enough to drive, drinks beer and wine, even gets himself a little drunk to stave off the cold... a product of the time the story was being written (early 1970's -- were the authors laid back hippie types?) possibly. I know kids drank beer, fermented cider, whatever, but it seems a comtemporary author would downplay that aspect in regards to alcohol abuse reaching younger kids these days?