Children's Book Review

Chips: A Hometown Hero
by Nancy M. West
ISBN-10: 0974365912
Review by Heather Froeschl

I imagine it must be difficult to bring history to life for school children. What better way to introduce an important time in our nation’s past than to capture a child’s attention with a unique, but mostly true story? In Nancy West’s book, “CHIPS a Hometown Hero,” readers will come to adore a rambunctious and lovable pup, and cheer him on as he becomes the most highly decorated K9 hero of World War II.

Chips meets his family and begins his puppyhood getting into all sorts of trouble. He has a nose for investigations and he follows it everywhere. During his time with Nan, Gail, baby John, mother and father, Chips shreds his share of line drying laundry, chews on father’s shoes, saves the baby from drowning, and grows to be a very large dog. He is a husky/collie/shepherd mix and he pays tribute to each breed in his actions. When World War II enters every American home with the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the family wants to help in whatever way they can. It becomes clear that Chips is in need of a mission and he becomes one of the first enlisted canines in the Dogs for Defense program. Thinking he would be staying in the states, patrolling and providing whatever service he can, his family willingly sends him off to K9 training camp. His actions at camp lead to him being one of the first dogs sent overseas. His actions on the front prove to be heroic. Chips and his handler save lives and truly make a difference. He even gets to meet President Eisenhower…although that doesn’t go quite so well.

This book is based on the real life story of Chips the World War II K9 hero, from Pleasantville, NY. It is a tale that captures the young reader’s attention, making the war something that can begin to be understood. Seeing the story from Chips’ perspective adds to the innocent feel of learning this information for the first time. Throughout the book certain words are italicized and these can easily be looked up in the glossary at the back of the book. Unfamiliar terms like Axis Powers, and Allied Forces, civilian, mascot, and medic become things the reader can understand. Certainly this book should be used in classrooms but for any child aged nine and up who has an interest in dogs, the military, our nation’s wars, or history, Nancy West’s “Chips a Hometown Hero” is a must have.
An exciting, interesting (and fact based!) story that will delight all dog lovers as a special canine tale, I highly recommend this book!

World War II Book Review

The Cielo: A Novel of Wartime Tuscany
By Paul Salsini
ISBN-10: 0595406971
Review by Heather Froeschl

What people can get through when standing together, is sometimes unbelievable. When you couldn't imagine going on for another second, and a friend assures you that you can, you suddenly know that you will. In Paul Salsini's novel, "The Cielo," a group of villagers will come through horrific circumstances, very much different from how they were before, but ultimately, closer.

World War II reached into the hills of Tuscany, causing many farmers and young men to become partisans, fighting against the Germans in their own ways, often defending the most helpless right at the doorsteps. The villagers of Sant'Antonio are forced to leave by Hitler's SS troops. Fearing boarding a train to Germany, the 100 or so people flee to the hills where previously farmers had eked out an existence growing olive trees and making wine. In five abandoned farmhouses, broken into groups of nearly 20, the villagers gathered in fear of what would happen next. Shortage of food was the least of their worries, with German soldiers threatening to kill ten Italians for every German that the partisans kill. The woods are filled with dangers, mine fields, and desperate men, from escaped war prisoners to army deserters. Virtually trapped in the farmhouse, the souls gathered there, some knowing each other all their lives, and some not known in the least, must learn to reach out to one another, for if they do not, then even their sanity will be lost.

Sickness, desperation, bravery, betrayal, heartbreak and love all find the farmhouse to be home for months. Confronted by Nazis, bonded by terror, the villagers of Sant'Antonio find a family amongst themselves. Salsini's work brings history to life in rare form. Obviously, "The Diary of Anne Frank" comes to mind. The tale is told through the honest lives of the characters, through the human emotions of living. The beauty of this book is the raw humanity of it. Examining the terrible, atrocious actions of war, and balancing that with the heartbreaking compassion and outreach of one soul to another, "The Cielo" is an unforgettable read. You won't be able to put it down, through tears and smiles, until you reach the very end.