Publication
Imprint: New York : Scholastic, 2009. Responsibility: Frances O'Roark Dowell. OCLC Number: 501174736. Physical: Text : 1 volume : 163 pages ; 20 cm.
Call number
YA-Fic / Dowel
ISBN
9780545206761
Original publication date
2008
Collections
CSS Library Notes
Description: When her brother is sent to fight in Vietnam, twelve-year-old Jamie begins to reconsider the army world that she has grown up in.
FY2019 /
FY2019 /
Physical description
163 p.; 20 cm
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2012)
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor — Fiction & Poetry — 2008)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2009)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2011)
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature (Honor Book — 2009)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Middle School — 2011)
CCBC Choices (2009)
Description
When her brother is sent to fight in Vietnam, twelve-year-old Jamie begins to reconsider the army world that she has grown up in.
Language
Original language
English
Lexile
890L
User reviews
LibraryThing member horomnizon
A children's book about the Vietnam War? Yes, absolutely - one that every child should read....it should be added to curriculum right now (let's say around 5th grade or so). While the story takes place on a military base and from the perspective of a young (almost 13) girl, it is a story about war
While Jamie and her brother grew up playing with toy soldiers in their yard, their Colonel father is less than thrilled that his son has enlisted and will be going to Vietnam. When letters come for her parents, Jamie receives rolls of film from her brother. She learns from another soldier how to develop the film and begins to see what war is really about - through the lens of her brother, a medical technician. She learns about her father and herself through these discoveries.
While the ending may seem a little bit quick to tidy things up, Jamie trying to understand what her brother is saying through the pictures is masterful. So is her attempt at friendship with another girl whose brother is also deployed. All in all, an excellent story that reminds us that war is not just a game that young children play. Unfortunately, a lesson that too many learn in too serious a fashion.
(A note that I did not find the book in any way disrespectful to soldiers. The opinion expressed about Vietnam was that at that time, the American troops should have been gone - they had done all they could.)
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and about the perception of war. While Jamie and her brother grew up playing with toy soldiers in their yard, their Colonel father is less than thrilled that his son has enlisted and will be going to Vietnam. When letters come for her parents, Jamie receives rolls of film from her brother. She learns from another soldier how to develop the film and begins to see what war is really about - through the lens of her brother, a medical technician. She learns about her father and herself through these discoveries.
While the ending may seem a little bit quick to tidy things up, Jamie trying to understand what her brother is saying through the pictures is masterful. So is her attempt at friendship with another girl whose brother is also deployed. All in all, an excellent story that reminds us that war is not just a game that young children play. Unfortunately, a lesson that too many learn in too serious a fashion.
(A note that I did not find the book in any way disrespectful to soldiers. The opinion expressed about Vietnam was that at that time, the American troops should have been gone - they had done all they could.)
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LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
When Army brat Jamie Dexter finds out her big brother TJ has been sent to Vietnam to fight, she's ecstatic. Her father, The Colonel, has raised Jamie and TJ to support the army way and to take pride in fighting for their country. Jamie declares that if she was allowed to enlist, she would
The ending seemed really abrupt and although I appreciate the fact that it wasn't completely depressing, it seemed like it tied things up a bit too neatly. I thought it was interesting to see Jamie's perception of the war and of her father change throughout the book.
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immediately do so. Since she can't go fight, Jamie looks forward to her brother's letters. She's sure they're going to be filled with all the action and adventure going on at the front, so she's surprised when TJ sends her a cannister of film and asks her to develop it for him. Puzzled, Jamie learns to develop film and soon TJ sends more and more cannisters. As Jamie begins to get a look at what's going on in Vietnam, the things her brother can't write home about, and as Jamie befriends an army private who works in the rec center, she begins to change her opinion about the war. The ending seemed really abrupt and although I appreciate the fact that it wasn't completely depressing, it seemed like it tied things up a bit too neatly. I thought it was interesting to see Jamie's perception of the war and of her father change throughout the book.
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LibraryThing member millme
Beautifully written story. Different view of the Vietnam War.
LibraryThing member momccarthy
Twelve-year-old, Jamie Dexter's brother, TJ, is about to leave for Vietnam. She is so envious that he gets to live out her dream of exciting military engagement. As an army brat, daughter of a Colonol, Jamie has played army forever. The story revolves around TJ's way of letting Jamie know what war
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is about. Still at home, Jamie learns a number of lessons on growing up, using her brain, caring for her family. Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.redmini
Jamie Dexter has been raised in the Army. The Colonel, aka Dad, has raised Jamie and her older brother, TJ, in the ways of the Army. All is well, until Jamie's brother enlists. Then we find out the Colonel's real feeling about this way of life.
Meanwhile, Jamie keeps receiving packages from TJ.
Find out what Jamie discovers through the film, what happens to TJ during the war, and what's up with the pictures of the moon... read Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell.
Meanwhile, Jamie keeps receiving packages from TJ.
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These packages are disappointing... no letter, no description of the combat, just a roll of film. Jamie must learn how to develop the film in order to receive her brother's message. Surprisingly each roll has a shot of the moon. Find out what Jamie discovers through the film, what happens to TJ during the war, and what's up with the pictures of the moon... read Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell.
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LibraryThing member melodyreads
Brother goes to Vietnam, and he does return. This story is about his little sister, and how she changes her opinions as she develops the film that her brother sends home and prints the pictures. Good story.
LibraryThing member tinkdust21
I absolutely loved this book and the rich characters that Dowell developed. The main character is one that kids will relate to well. The only thing that kept me from rating this higher is that the ending feels very rushed and thrown together so it isn't as satisfying as one would hope.
LibraryThing member NMkimdykstra
Personal Response:
I loved this book. I got the audio book version for a cross country road trip with my dad because I thought he would be interested in the Vietnam era theme. However, I absolutely fell in love with this book. In my opinion, it is just such a sweet story, and it now ranks up there
School/Library Uses:
I really haven't encountered a lot of fiction books about the Vietnam War for this age group, I think this would be a great addition to a unit on the subject. Also, this would be a good book to use for a book discussion group in a school library or public library setting.
I loved this book. I got the audio book version for a cross country road trip with my dad because I thought he would be interested in the Vietnam era theme. However, I absolutely fell in love with this book. In my opinion, it is just such a sweet story, and it now ranks up there
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with "Penny from Heaven" as one of my favorite middle school level books.School/Library Uses:
I really haven't encountered a lot of fiction books about the Vietnam War for this age group, I think this would be a great addition to a unit on the subject. Also, this would be a good book to use for a book discussion group in a school library or public library setting.
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LibraryThing member sgranier
Booktalk: In 1969, as the Vietnam war continues, Jamie, 12-year-old daughter of Colonel Dexter, Gung-ho commander at Fort Hood, is ecstatic when she learns that her 17-year-old brother TJ has signed up for the Army upon graduation. Surprisingly, her "Hoo-ah" father does not agree with his son's
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choice and tries to convince his son to change his mind. Despite his father's objections, TJ continues on his original course and after boot camp, he is shipped to Vietnam. Jamie looks forward to his letters from Vietnam, but instead, he sends her rolls of undeveloped film. Through these photos, Jamie begins to see that real war is messier than the war games she and TJ played as kids. When 19-year-old Private Hollister, Jamie's friend from the base rec center, may be transferred to Vietnam, Jamie has to decide if she will use her influence with her father to keep Hollister out of the war. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelf-employed
Atheneum has another great book and Junior Library Guild selection in Shooting the Moon, the story of twelve-year-old, Jamie Dexter whose brother is about to leave for Vietnam.
This is another historical fiction novel; this one taking place during the Vietnam War. Jamie is an Army brat. Her father
Shooting the Moon, (reflecting her brother's penchant for taking photos of the moon), is a slow and thoughtful look at a difficult period in US History. Neither irreverent, nor uber-patriotic, Shooting the Moon can be read quickly, but will not be easily forgotten.
This is another historical fiction novel; this one taking place during the Vietnam War. Jamie is an Army brat. Her father
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is a Colonel, her mother is a dutiful and cheerful Army wife, and her older brother, TJ, has just enlisted. For a child born on a German Army base and raised on a steady diet of hooah and little green army men, life could not be much better. But as she volunteers at the base rec center and learns to develop the rolls of film arriving steadily from her brother, she begins to realize that life and love and war are more complicated than the "Army way" had taught her to believe.Shooting the Moon, (reflecting her brother's penchant for taking photos of the moon), is a slow and thoughtful look at a difficult period in US History. Neither irreverent, nor uber-patriotic, Shooting the Moon can be read quickly, but will not be easily forgotten.
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LibraryThing member KimJD
Twelve-year-old Jamie and her brother TJ have grown up with the mantra, "The Army way is the right way." So Jamie doesn't understand why her colonel father is not thrilled when TJ enlists to serve in Vietnam. As TJ mails Jamie rolls of film from the front and she learns to develop them, her
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romanticized view of the war slowly changes and she gains an understanding of all the shades of gray that are involved in conflict. A beautiful story that will open middle-graders' eyes to some of the history around the Vietnam War. Show Less
LibraryThing member lindap69
Jamie is an army brat, raised to believe in the importance of being a soldier, has a change of heart when her brother is sent to Vietnam and sends her photographs instead of letters. Great voice, beautifully told.
LibraryThing member librarian1204
Anti war theme taking place during Vietnam war. Told by the daughter of the commander of Fort Hood. -Shooting- refers to photographs taken.
Love this author, she writes a good story every time.
Love this author, she writes a good story every time.
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Captivating from the start. I loved Jamie Dexter's character, so whip-smart and sassy. For a Vietnam War story, it never veers to sentimental or sad, and for this it works.
LibraryThing member 2wonderY
Is the story of two army brats who were raised to glorify military action by their Colonel father. The older enlists and is deployed to Vietnam and sends photographic film rolls to his younger sister, who learns the art of film processing and printing. It's a beautiful story arc.
There were a
The pre-teen Jaimee wore blue jeans and carried a backpack and wore 'sneakers' and put a seat belt on automatically when getting into a car. From our recollections, blue jeans and backpacks were still considered counter-cultural, though it's possible she would have been permitted to wear 'dungarees,' but not to school. 'Tennies' would have been casual shoe wear, but also not at school. A one-strap bookbag would have been normal. Knapsacks and military surplus backpacks would have been hippie gear.
These were minor glitches though. It was a very thoughtful story and I'll probably look for more by the author.
There were a
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couple of jarring references that seemed anachronistic, so I called my sister and invited her to travel with me in the Wayback Machine to the early 70s.The pre-teen Jaimee wore blue jeans and carried a backpack and wore 'sneakers' and put a seat belt on automatically when getting into a car. From our recollections, blue jeans and backpacks were still considered counter-cultural, though it's possible she would have been permitted to wear 'dungarees,' but not to school. 'Tennies' would have been casual shoe wear, but also not at school. A one-strap bookbag would have been normal. Knapsacks and military surplus backpacks would have been hippie gear.
These were minor glitches though. It was a very thoughtful story and I'll probably look for more by the author.
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