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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
