All the Broken Pieces

BOOK NAME: All the Broken Pieces
AUTHOR: Ann E. Burg

This book is historical fiction about a 10 year old boy who was airlifted out of Vietnam during the war. Now twelve years old, Matt has to adjust to American culture, his adoptive family, and his schoolmates. It is even harder for him because of the terrible memories that came with him to America. He has many feelings of loss, pain, and the horrors of war. He tries to deny them, but he must accept them so he can forgive himself. It takes him a long time to be able to experience the pain of the events again. To pretend that he are not scarred just makes it worse for Matt. At one point, Matt goes to a group where veterans who went to Vietnam come and share their experiences. I thought the veterans would not like Matt because of the bad memories he represents. Instead, they saw him as a symbol of why they fought that war and were very supportive of him. It really gave Matt a chance to accept what had happened in his homeland.

I hadn’t known much about the war before I read this book, but I understand more about it now. It isn’t really about the war itself but about the effect it had on the people who lived there. While reading, you see some of the fears that kids who are adopted in a new country can face. The book is written verse, or poetry style, so it goes by quickly. It is a slight tear jerker but is very well worth the read. If you don’t like sad stories, then just get a tissue box and bear through it because it is an amazing book. It’s another Rebecca Caudill nominee, so it’s guaranteed good reading!