Veterans Day on November 11 offers a chance to honor and thank American military personnel past and present for their service to our country and for safeguarding the freedoms we enjoy. To show appreciation, kids might express gratitude directly to a veteran in their family, school or neighborhood and learn more about the people in and work of the armed forces – the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force and Coast Guard.
Tots – age 7
Lil’ Air Force Pilot, Lil’ Army Soldier and others
By Editorial Team
Illustrated by Lisa Engler
Running Press Kids, 2021, $8.99 each
Each of the four board books in the mini military series acquaints youngsters with the uniform and domain of a branch of the armed forces. For example, Lil’ Navy Sailor features stylized pictures of ships such as cruisers, aircraft carriers and submarines. Lil’ Air Force Pilot describes flying a plane with a control stick and notes the mechanics who “can help fix the planes if something is broken,” and Lil’ Army Soldier lists the canteens, binoculars and tents used by soldiers. Lil’ Marine depicts Marines flying helicopters, transporting troops and equipment with special boats and parachuting out of planes, with the Marine Corps band – which often gives free concerts in the Washington area – mentioned at the end.
Why Do We Celebrate Veterans Day?
By Grace Houser
PowerKids/Rosen Publishing, 2019, $9.25
Do your little ones have questions about the national holiday known as Veterans Day? This book provides key information in language accessible to youngsters ages 3 to 7. One important fact: we celebrate Veterans Day every year on the same date – November 11 – because that marks the end of World War I, in 1918. Full-color photographs throughout depict soldiers hugging their families in peacetime, marching in parades and laying wreaths to commemorate fallen comrades. Also available in Spanish.
Preteens
Twenty-one Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
By Jeff Gottesfeld
Illustrated by Matt Tavares
Candlewick, 2021, $18.99
Every year on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11 at 11 a.m.), special tribute is paid to fallen soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. This beautifully written book tells the story behind those memorialized in this solemn spot and those who guard their final resting place. With precisely measured steps, in all weather, day and night, the sentinels march before these tombs. Their watch expresses the country’s gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice made by these unknown soldiers.
Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers?
By James Buckley Jr.
Illustrated by Gregory Copeland
Penguin Workshop, 2021, $6.99
The opening scene in this compelling true story plunges young readers into the dangerous mission of specially trained Navajo soldiers during World War II. Using their Diné language, they developed an unbreakable code so that the U.S. military could communicate without its messages and plans being understood by the enemy, and then were the ones to relay those messages on the battlefield. Author James Buckley Jr. also explores what happened to these brave men after the war. For 25 years, they could tell no one about their work, as it was top secret. Only more recently have they begun to get the recognition they deserve.
Teens
Women Heroes of the US Army
By Ann McCallum Staats
Chicago Review Press, 2019, $26.99
Virginia author Ann McCallum Staats shares the fascinating history of women in the Army during various eras and provides the more detailed story of 14 remarkable soldiers, including the courageous Margaret Cochran Corbin, who took her husband’s place when he was killed in battle during the Revolutionary War; the resourceful Margaret KC Yang, a member of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II; and the heroic Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to receive the Silver Star for combat action, awarded for her valor in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2005. Through personal interviews, primary research, photos and quotes, Staats brings these women to vivid life on the page.
Mary Quattlebaum lives in Washington, D.C. and is the author of 30 award-winning children’s books, most recently Queen Elizabeth II, an early reader biography. She teaches in the graduate program in writing for children at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, writes frequently for The Washington Post and is a popular school and conference speaker.
