For kids who are 15, the Vietnam War happened 20 years before they were born--ancient history. But for many adults over 40, that conflict is seared into their memories as a crucial turning point in their lives. In Sonny's War Valerie Hobbs has mostly got the home-front picture right--the initial patriotic enthusiasm, the tense waiting for letters, the growing confusion and revulsion toward the war, the passion of the peace movement, the bitterness of the returning soldiers.

The story of the young man who goes off to Vietnam and returns forever emotionally damaged has become part of literary folklore, but is still a terrible reality in our society. Here Hobbs tells it through the voice of 14-year-old Corin, who loves and admires her strong big brother, Sonny. When he is drafted, Corin and her recently widowed mother wave him off to war as bravely as they can. But then Lawrence arrives to substitute for Corin's history teacher. Lawrence is young, tall, with long blonde hair, blue work shirts, and Jesus sandals. He is strongly opposed to the war, but lets his students read and debate about it. During the noon hour he stands silently outside the cafeteria windows beside a sign that reads "War is not the answer." It's not long before Corin is head over heels in impossible love, until one night she follows Lawrence to a peace rally that changes her feelings toward him. Those feelings grow even more troubling when Sonny comes home unbearably changed, in this historical novel that is newly relevant for today's young people. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell