Sunrise over Fallujah

Robin Perry is the 18-year-old nephew of Richie Perry, main character of Myers' classic Vietnam war novel, Fallen Angels. Robin joins the army after September 11, and is placed in a Civil Affairs unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His group is supposed to be working to earn the trust of the Iraqi

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people. In reality, his group is usually put into dangerous situations to "test" things out with the local Iraqis and see how much force is required. Robin, nicknamed "Birdy" in his unit is confused by the fact that most of what he sees in Iraq doesn't make the news, and the brutality and bloodiness and unfairness of war make it difficult for him to be hopeful. Even more difficult, he feels that he cannot let his family at home know how much the war is changing him, except for Uncle Richie, who knows... really knows about war. The letters to his mother and the letters to his uncle are an amazing contrast. Excellent realistic modern war fiction, for 8th grade and up.

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By far the most impressive read this week was Sunrise over Fallujah, by Walter Dean Myers, who is a formidable author with much less formidable subject matter than Iraq. It's YA fiction that reads with the same compelling first-person-memoir feel as Jarhead, but without the English-major,

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I'll-be-a-writer-someday self-consciousness. It felt real -- like an 18-year-old kid tossed in over his head, trying to be tough, liking some of it, hating more of it, and fearing what he's becoming, not to mention gradually growing to believe that those in charge are not necessarily the good guys, at least not all the time. Another book I'm going to press on every kid I see.

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Hand this to teens considering serving in the armed forces or who have an interest in that subject. The writing's straightforward and the audio recording is nicely read, but I don't know that it's a story that's going to particularly stick with me. Myers does a nice job of presenting different

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sides to the war and to the various conflicts between and with Iraqi peoples.

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Robin "Birdy" is a new army recruit from Harlem in Iraq. He is in Civilian affairs and is supposed to help secure and stabilise Iraq and successfully interact with the Iraqi people. He doesnt understand the conflict, the country or the culture, just fear, close connections with his unit and

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surviving.

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This was a book that had to be written, and Mr. Myers does a pretty good job. Having said that, I somehow knew the ending from a few pages in. Certainly, it was obvious that nothing good was going to happen to these young people. Still, the characters seemed pretty real, the dialog is well written,

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and the horrors of both war in general and this particular war were realistically created without being so obscene that one couldn't read the book.

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This war story tells us about eighteen-year-old Birdy's experience over in Iraq. Assigned to Civilian Affairs, Birdy struggles with his father's disapproval about enlisting, bonding with his new team mates, and understanding what they're doing in Iraq.
While this book appears to be a sequel to

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Fallen Angels, I don't think I missed anything by reading this one first, and I would like to go back and read the first to see what other insight it adds to Birdy's family.
I don't pick up war stories to read by choice, and I found the subject very uncomfortable. Meyers writes very well, and Birdy and his companions sprang quickly to life. a few of the minor characters confused me, everyone is referred to by last name or ran which was a little confusing, but the main characters were clear,
Someone dies in the end, and I am not sure if it added much to the character's emotional growth, it seemed a little tacked on as if someone had to die because it was a war story. It was heavily foreshadowed, which too away from the feeling that death is random which came across so clearly the rest of the story.
I'd give this to readers interested in war stories, or in the Iraq war.

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Birdy is straight out of high school and Harlem, and into the Civil Affairs branch of the US Army in Iraq. He goes from excited and sure of his mission there through the horrors of war into not being sure who the enemy is or how a just God could allow such things to happen. Graphic war violence, an

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almost-rape, medium explicit language, and mentions of prostitution and gangs. Ages 12+.

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Birdy wasn't sure what he wanted to do after 9/11 but he was sure he wanted to do something. Action needed to be taken, that he knew, so he joined the army. Now Birdy has arrived in Iraq as part of a civilian affiars unit. His job is to make the Iraqis like the Americans and help everyone get

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along. Birdy thinks this sounds like a noble cause where he will be out of the thick of the fighting. But the better his squad does the more dangerous situations they are put in. Pretty soon Birdy finds himself doing things he wouldn't dare tell his mother about and contemplating the purpose of the war and of life and god. Although this was a critically acclaimed novel I was not all that impressed. It is kind of a sequel to Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, Birdy is the nephew of Richie. Not to much dying or swearing but enough to keep it out of middle school libraries. I just wasn't gripped by the characters, Birdy is the only one you really know, despite how much time they spend together. Most of the book is action and riding in humvees.

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Although I didn't like this as much as I enjoyed Fallen Angels, this was an interesting look at what it was like to be part of the American military on the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Robin Perry is part of a Civil Affairs unit, part of the group working to win the hearts and minds of

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the Iraqi people. He talks about the confusion of the war and knowing who and what the soldiers are fighting in a situation where the roles of engagement shift on a daily basis.
The book follows Robin aka Birdy around through his time in the war and the various experiences he and the rest of his team are sent on.

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A black man in the armed forces is sent to Iraq in the second gulf war. He tells about his unit and the different environments they are from. He also tells about experiences he has in Iraq and surrounding area, what really went on during these “missions” and the difference in what civilians

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heard and what really happened.

I had a little trouble starting this book because I am not very military oriented. However, after a little time it was very interesting because I remember news reports of things that happened in Iraq and the book gives accounts of them.

This book could teach students a bout our soldiers overseas and what they go through. The students could then write a letter or design a cared for the soldiers. Also a gift box could be set up for the soldiers for the holidays.

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I haven't read one of his books in some time, but this one makes me realize what a great author he is. This is not a book I would normally pick up, but I'm working on reading all the Tayshas books for '09-'10. However, I did read Tamarfrom this last year's Tayshas list and I liked it, too. The

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story follows a Civilian Affairs squad in the beginning of the Iraq war. In particular, you get to know the main character, Robin. The story really gave me some insight into what our soldiers continue to experience in this war. It provides a glimpse into that experience, and perhaps a better understanding of why things have drawn out as they have. I appreciate that Meyers didn't attempt to give a particular opinion of the conflict or cast judgment on the right or wrong of it, but rather has given us a story of things being what they are. I would highly recommend this book both as a good read and a good war story.

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good book didnt see the ending coming tho

This book is an army recrut from Harlem. This book is about the war in the Middle east.I like this book because it is about the war in the Middle east. This book is about a kid named Robin and he doesent know why he joined the army but he know that he was vary mad about 9/11. I would recomend this

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book to any one that likes the war in the Middle east. My favorite part about this book is when he writes in his jurnal when we hear the mareens bomb something it scares the crap out of me.

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It was sort of your tipical war book, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the writing style.

The novel, Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers illustrates war in the view of a Civil affairs unit. In the beginning Robbin Perry struggles with wanting to see some action in the war but cant because all civil affairs unit do is help the need in war zones and villages. Throughout the middle

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of the story his unit split apart and assigned to a new unit. I have yet to complete the book.
136/281

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Several students I know, perhaps because of the desperate state of Michigan’s economy, have enlisted in the military in the past year. More students have entered military service than I can ever remember from our small, rural area. Consequently, books that deal with the contemporary reality of

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military service are of greater interest. Sunrise Over Fallujah is especially popular with teens I know because it describes the adventures of an enlisted soldier shipped to Iraq. Of special interest is the interconnection between this book and Myers’ (much more violent) book describing the Viet Nam War (Fallen Angels). Richie is Birdy’s uncle to whom Richie pens letters. Birdy, like the teens I know, isn’t quite sure why he enlisted. He understands that college is important, but he wants to do something important, something patriotic. Serving his country and helping the Iraqi people secure their freedom seems like the only way for Birdy to do something big and something for which he can feel proud. The Twin Towers have been toppled and Birdy needs to do something to prove that he is a man. The strength of this book is the even-handed way that Myers treats the war. Myers steers clear of the political arguments for and against the war (for the most part) and, instead, allows Birdy to come to the realization that slogans and good intentions do not really prepare one for the bloody reality of bullets and bombs. Along the way, Birdy finally understands why his Uncle Richie has such an impossible time speaking of his experiences in Viet Nam. While the ending is a bit heavy-handed, the daily descriptions of a place that enlisted teens (and other family members and friends) may visit makes this book an essential purchase for libraries serving teens.

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A boy named Robin goes into iraq for war.While he's there he feels really bad that he is doing this.

Robin decides to join the military after the disasterous events of 9/11. He then goes off to Iraq to fight. A very gritty look at the violence and blood shed of war.

Listened to audiobook version. It was hard to follow because there was so much dialog between so many different characters. Typical war story, kind of hard to follow and didn't really keep my attention. It was what I expected of a story about soldiers at war.

A really amazing story, Based on the gulf war.

This book is amazing. It brings you into a world in which average American people would not understand. I give this book a solid four on rating due to its' amazing detail and description of war. The hardships the men and women go through in this book will blow you're mind. In my opinion I would not

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want anyone to go through the mental and physical pain the characters went through. The main character Robin is a African American man who joins the military to prove his to his father that he can make it in the army. When many people die Robin has to cope with the grief and pain of seeing the dead on the streets of Iraq. Overall this book is wonderful for young adults, as it may be too graphic and hard to read for younger children. But i sure know that this book is amazing and if i could i would read it again.

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Acclaimed YA author Walter Dean Myers turns his gaze to Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2011) the American-Iraqi war. He captures the daily monotony, lack of knowledge, and the confusion of war and shows the inner dialogue of a soldier (Robin aka Birdy) as he struggles to make sense of his mission

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there. Unlike a 'traditional' war there is no Front and the enemy is hard to identify (and ever-changing). Not as gripping as his companion piece on Vietnam, Fallen Angels, Sunrise will still appeal to readers --especially boys-- who want a taste of the current military situation.

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This book describes the experiences of Robin “Birdy” Perry in the Iraq war. The reader gets to meet the people assigned to his Civilian Affairs unit and experience what they experienced on the front lines of this war. Throughout the story, Birdy sends letters home to his uncle, a Vietnam vet.

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In them he details some of his experiences and expresses understanding for how his uncle did not want to talk about his experiences. They now share a bond based on these experiences in two different wars. Excellent historic fiction.

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Narrated by JD Jackson. Early in the Iraq war, "Birdy" is part of a unit of soldiers basically charged with "winning the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people. But bridging the cultural divide is difficult. How do you win over people whose family members have been killed in the conflict or those

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who are trying to kill you? This book reveals the many sides of war--boredom, fear, disappointment, frustration, grief, anger--and how they affect one's life perspective forever. I found the audio version rather slow going but I may have to give this one another chance.

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