In Honor of Veteran’s Day

An elderly veteran salutes in front of an American flag, wearing a hat and jacket adorned with military insignia.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we’ve curated a list of upbeat books for kids about military families and military dogs and a list of books for adults by and about Veterans.

Cartoon of a smiling man with a large mustache, short dark hair, wearing a teal jacket and a white turtleneck.
Jon
Marketing Coordinator
Cover of "Jacky Ha-Ha," a graphic novel by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. Three kids are smiling, one holds a book.

Jacky Ha-Ha by James Patterson

Becoming a class clown and turning everything into a joke in order to avoid feeling the pain of her mother’s military service and her father’s perpetual absence, 12-year-old Jacky makes a promise to give up something she loves if it will keep her family together.

Book cover showing '*Parents Here and There: A Kid's Guide to Deployment*' with photos of diverse families.

Parents Here and There by Marie-Therese Miller

This guide offers an accessible approach to life with a deployed parent and presents helpful information on how to stay in touch. While routines change, the love for a parent doesn’t.

A dog wearing a harness stands on a rocky terrain with the text "Scout National Hero" above it.

Scout: National Hero by Jennifer Li Shotz

When a flash flood endangers their town, Scout and his twelve-year-old owner Matt try to survive the deluge and help others to safety, including Matt’s sister.

Book cover of "Piper Reed: Navy Brat" by Kimberly Willis Holt, illustrated by Christine Davenier, with a confident girl and dog.

Piper Reed: Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt

Piper is sad about leaving her home and friends behind when her father, a Navy aircraft mechanic, is transferred yet again, but with help from her often-annoying sisters and a surprise from their parents, she finds happiness in their new home in Pensacola, Florida.

A soldier in camo kneels beside a service dog, petting it. The text reads "Gabe: The Dog Who Sniffs Out Danger.

Gabe: The Dog Who Sniffs Out Danger by Thea Feldman

A portrait of the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Award-winning canine who worked with the United States military describes how he used his highly trained sense of smell to find hidden weapons and prevent harm during the war in Iraq.

Cover of "At The Mountain's Base" depicting a white-haired figure weaving strings, with a house and trees below.

At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorell

In a cabin at the mountain’s base, a Cherokee family waits for their loved one, a pilot, to return home.

A family embraces their dog on a porch. "Sometimes Love" is the book title.

Sometimes Love by Katrina Moore

Sharing a powerful message about the different ways we show love, this poetic story follows a little girl as she is temporarily parted from her beloved dog when her mother is deployed overseas.

A dog and two children dressed in army gear, with the text "Army Brats" and "Daphne Benedis-Grab" visible on the cover.

Army Brats by Daphne Benedis-Grab

Navigating new friends, the local swimming pool and a bully when their family moves to an army base, the Bailey kids investigate rumors that a nearby abandoned building is haunted. By the author of The Angel Tree.

Book cover of "The Polar Bear Expedition" by James Carl Nelson featuring soldiers marching in a snowy landscape.

The Polar Bear Expedition by James Carl Nelson

The extraordinary true story of America’s forgotten invasion of Russia: one-thousand miles north of Moscow, five-thousand brave U.S. troops from Michigan fought the Red Army during the winter of 1918-1919 in brutal arctic conditions.

Book cover of "Shoot Like a Girl" featuring a soldier in uniform with helmet and goggles and the text details below.

Shoot Like a Girl by Mary Jennings Hegar

An Air National Guard Major describes her experiences after being shot down on a Medevac mission in Afghanistan, recounting the courageous acts that saved lives and earned prestigious decorations before she began efforts to convince the U.S. government to allow women to serve openly on the front lines.

Book cover of "For Love of Country" by Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, featuring an American flag in the background.

For Love of Country by Howard Schultz

In a collection of compelling, original portraits, the CEO of Starbucks and a National Book Award Nominee celebrate the extraordinary heroism on the battlefield and the equally valuable contributions on the home front of this generation’s American veterans. Co-written by the author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City.

Book cover of "Top Gun: An American Story" by Dan Pedersen, featuring a fighter jet flying against an orange sky.

Top Gun: An American Story by Dan Pedersen

When American fighter jets were being downed at an unprecedented rate during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy turned to a young lieutenant commander, Dan Pedersen, to figure out a way to reverse their dark fortune. On a shoestring budget and with little support, Pedersen picked eight of the finest pilots to help train a new generation to bend jets like the F-4 Phantom to their will and learn how to dogfight all over again.

Book cover of "Facing the Mountain" by Daniel James Brown, featuring a blue background with mountain imagery.

Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown

Based on extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, the New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat chronicles the special Japanese-American Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe.

Cover of "The Odyssey of Echo Company" by Doug Stanton, depicting soldiers running through a field during the Vietnam War.

The Odyssey of Echo Company by Doug Stanton

A portrait of the American recon platoon of the 101st Airborne Division describes their 60-day fight for survival during the early 1968 attack by North Vietnamese soldiers on dozens of South Vietnam cities, tracing their postwar difficulties with acclimating into a peacetime America that did not want to hear their story.

Book cover of "Immortal Valor," featuring a Black WWII soldier in uniform, by Robert Child. Subtext reads: "The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II - Denied Recognition for 50 Years".

Immortal Valor by Robert Child

Tells the story of seven African-American soldiers in World War II who were finally awarded Medals of Honor for their service in 1993 based on the work of a research team at Shaw University in North Carolina.

A soldier stands before a U.S. flag on the cover of the book "Walk in My Combat Boots" by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann.

Walk in my Combat Boots by James Patterson

Shares firsthand wartime accounts describing the courageous battlefield sacrifices of men and women from every branch and operational specialty of the U.S. military, from the Vietnam War through the present.

Cover of "Thank You for Your Service" by David Finkel, featuring soldiers and a circular label indicating a major motion picture.

Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel

An award-winning staff writer for The Washington Post discusses the hardships faced by soldiers who have come home from service by following the men of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion originally depicted in his book The Good Soldiers.

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