All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

The first book I want to tell you about is All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg. I guess I should disclose the fact that Ann Burg is my sister. She is an author who has written quite a few children's books. I am very proud of her. When I was a little girl she would sit on my bed and read to me the stories and poems she wrote. She took me for my first library card and instilled in me the love of books. My mother was also a great influence to me regarding the love of reading~that is another story. But it was my sister who read to me often and made the words seem real. This book brought home to me a time when I was growing up but did not understand because I was so young. I saw the images on the TV of the helicopters and soldiers, of children being lifted into those helicopters. I never understood why. I knew a girl in high school from Vietnam but she wasn't one of those children. As an adult I learned more but still never really thought about what had happened to these children. I felt bad that the vets had been treated poorly but again I had no understanding of their feelings. When my sister started this book and read to me passages I started to get a glimpse of these children and soldiers and their struggles. This book is a great read for all ages but especially for young readers. As you can see there is a baseball on the cover~so boys should like it ! Baseball and music are central to the plot. It gives a fresh perspective on a very tumultuous time~Check it out!