War Stories, written by Gordon Korman, reviewed by Katy Golden

Summary: War-obsessed Trevor has grown up hearing his great-grandpa "G.G."'s heroic tales from his time as an infantryman during World War II, and is thrilled to have the chance to join the trip when G.G. is honored as the last surviving member of the unit that liberated the small town of Saint-Regine, France, from the Nazis. Chapters alternate between Trevor's perspective as he retraces his great-grandpa's steps from training in Fort Benning, Georgia, through D-Day and the liberation of Saint-Regine, and 17-year-old G.G.'s first-hand account of the same events in 1944. As Trevor, his father, and G.G. travel across Europe, they are met with a mysterious group protesting G.G.'s heroic return with claims of the "truth" about what really happened. Through G.G.'s war stories and their experiences on the trip, Trevor learns the truth about the chaos of war and the far-reaching impacts one person can have. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: "War Stories" is a gripping, emotional look at the actual experience of war, far from the glamorous stories and video games Trevor loves so much. Korman does not shy away from depicting the chaotic mess that made up World War II: From the rivalries and terrible food in basic training, to the cramped transport ships that brought the troops to land at D-Day, to their creeping progress through the hedgerows of France and the tragically avoidable deaths of his comrades, World War II through G.G.'s eyes is a loud, smelly, tragic journey. Readers will soak up details and vocabulary about World War II on the French front, including the bravery of the French resistance, the bocage war through the French countryside, and the confusion and mistakes that made up the Allied invasion on D-Day. This novel would be an excellent companion to a study of World War II, and some prior knowledge of the basic movements of the Allied troops is helpful in following some of their steps. Students studying any war can learn about the difference between the exciting stories and the day-to-day experience of being a soldier through "War Stories"