My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen

From Goodreads,

"Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter, he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie."

Goodreads - My Life in Dog Years

Most people can think back to a pet they had in their life that was a huge part of their life.  Most pets, especially dogs, are forgiving creatures that love unconditionally.  My Life in Dog Years is Gary Paulsen's stories from his life with his favorite and most memorable dogs.  Some of the dogs were only in his life for a short time and some were there for an extended period.  This nonfiction book was a perfect collection of feel-good stories about dogs. 

While I was reading this book it really made me think about dogs that have been in my life and the impact that they have had.  Shiloh and George both stood out while I was thinking about my life in dog years.  Shiloh came into my life when I was 4 or 5.  A guy my dad worked with said he was trying to find a home for a beagle that had been abused and was kind of aggressive.  My dad being the big-hearted person he is said he would take the dog.  He picked up the dog and brought him to our house.  I immediately told my mom that he looked like the dog off the VHS cover of Shiloh.  I referred to him as Shiloh from that day on and it stuck.  Shiloh was very scared for a short period after arriving at our house.  He was never aggressive and he was showered with love.  He lived a happy life with us and enjoyed the freedom when we moved to a new house with plenty of land to roam on.  He lived to be eleven or twelve years old.  Shiloh really taught me that even though you can have a bad start in life, your situation can change for the better.  The other dog that came to mind was George.  George was an AKC registered English Bulldog.  We got him as a puppy and he was really mine and my dad's dog.  I have so many memories with George.  I remember the day I moved into the dorms at college.  I cried while I was leaving because I was going to miss him so much.  George was always there when I needed someone to talk to or when I didn't feel good.  I remember being checked out of school early one day because I had a severe sinus infection.  After going to a clinic and getting a prescription I went home and crawled in the recliner.  George promptly crawled in the recliner and laid with me for hours while I rested.  He always knew when you needed him, and he was there for me and my dad more times than we can count.  George taught me that dogs have souls and emotions and can understand what we need.  George taught me, unconditional love.  This book was Gary Paulsen's story of his life and dogs that have been a part of it.  It was a book of reflection and it made me reflect on my life and how fortunate I have been to have such wonderful pets in it.

I really enjoyed this book, and my only complaint is that I wish there had been pictures of the dogs included.  I give this book 3 stars.  It was really good, but of course, there was no plot since it is nonfiction.  This is a great book if you like dogs or books by Gary Paulsen.  I think Gary Paulsen fans would really enjoy getting to know the background of some of the dogs he writes into his fictional books. 

Resist by Alan Gratz

From Goodreads,

"An exclusive, action-packed story about one girl's daring rescue mission during World War II.

Can Samira survive the dangers of D-Day and find her mother in time?"

Goodreads - Resist

I posted my review of Allies last week, which told the story of D-Day.  One of the characters in the book was named Samira.  Her piece of the story was very short and straightforward, and unfortunately, I felt it was incomplete.  Scholastic partnered with Alan Gratz to publish and release the special edition story of Samira.  I am so glad that I was able to get the entire 5th-grade class as well as myself a copy to read because it really concluded Samira's story for me.

Samira's story really starts in the book Allies.  Samira's mother is part of the French Resistance.  The morning of D-Day Samira's mother is taken by Nazi's after she is caught trying to help a family escape through a window.  Resist picks up with Samira trying to hide from the Nazis and find her mother at the same time.  It is a short story that flies by with brief chapters full of history.

After reading Allies I felt that Samira and James did not get their complete story told.  Luckily Samira's story is told in this book.  I hate that it wasn't included in the original story, but I'm also really glad that this was written so that her story would come full circle and be complete.  I felt that this book really showed more of the dark side of the Nazis that in Allies.  Allies is completely told from the perspective of those with the Allies.  There is very minimal interaction with the Nazis.  Resist however takes us to the middle of the woods where Nazis force people from the town of Bayeux to dig their own graves.  I think this really put it in perspective the mindset that they had.  I also liked the innocence that a child had when he asked why they were having to dig.  He was a child caught in the middle of a war and he didn't understand that he was digging his own grave.  That was the purest form of innocence.  Gratz really did a great job of telling the rest of Samira's story.  My only complaint is that I wish it had just been included in Allies. 

This is an absolute companion story to Allies.  I do think you need to read Allies before reading Resist.  I give this 3 stars.  I really wish that this entire thing had been in the original story instead of being a side story. 

Allies by Alan Gratz

From Goodreads,

"Alan Gratz, the bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny -- and how just one day can change the world.
June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. The only way to stop them? The biggest, most top-secret operation ever, with the Allied nations coming together to storm German-occupied France.

Welcome to D-Day.

Dee, a young U.S. soldier, is on a boat racing toward the French coast. And Dee -- along with his brothers-in-arms -- is terrified. He feels the weight of World War II on his shoulders.

But Dee is not alone. Behind enemy lines in France, a girl named Samira works as a spy, trying to sabotage the German army. Meanwhile, paratrooper James leaps from his plane to join a daring midnight raid. And in the thick of battle, Henry, a medic, searches for lives to save.

In a breathtaking race against time, they all must fight to complete their high-stakes missions. But with betrayals and deadly risks at every turn, can the Allies do what it takes to win?"

Goodreads - Allies

War stories have always fascinated me to some extent because I am from a military family with my brother, my dad, and my grandfather all having served.  My paternal grandparents have a very interesting story considering during WWII my grandfather was fighting for the Allies, while my grandmother was born and living in Nazi Germany.  They met and the rest is pretty much history.  I have been told by my grandmother that my grandfather stormed the beaches on D-Day.  While I don't know the truth in this (I am searching historical records to try to find out), this book definitely felt like a personal connection nonetheless. 

Allies is the story of D-Day told from various perspectives.  The stories vary from young boys seeing war for the first time to paratroopers being dropped in the middle of nowhere to a girl who was just trying to get her bathing suit off of the beach.  The stories are pieced together to give a complete view of D-Day.

I sat down and tore through this book as quickly as I could.  I started it a few minutes after midnight and read until 3:30 in the morning.  I forced myself to go to sleep and ended up waking up at 8:00 the next morning and finished reading it.  This book was absolutely amazing.  I loved the different perspectives from D-Day and feeling their pain and struggles on that day.  I also loved the history and time that went into making this book.  Most of this I already knew just from being in school and coming from a military family.  However, I was really intrigued by the If Day that James spoke about in his section of the book.   I thought it was the strangest thing to include in this book until I stopped and researched it.  I had no idea that in Winnipeg, Manitoba there was a thing called If Day where the entire town basically pretended that they were under Nazi regime.  The entire thing was to bring awareness to the war and to encourage people to purchase Victory Bonds.  While I was researching this my boyfriend came in to share something with me.  I told him about If Day and even he had no knowledge of it.  This book was packed with information and it was pieced together in a way that kept the story action-packed and interesting. 

The only things I didn't like were that I didn't feel Samira and James got a fair share of their story.  Samira's story was at the beginning and she was never mentioned again until the very end of the book.  James had his story, but I don't recall him being present in the final chapters when everyone was in Bayeux.  I will say that Gratz did write a short story for Samira and it was published through Scholastic.  I was able to get copies for all of my students.  I have yet to read it but I plan to drop a review once I finish.  I'm hoping that Samira's story will be filled in and completed. 

This book was absolutely amazing.  It was packed with adventure and suspense.  I literally could not put it down.  I give this an easy 5 stars.  Anyone interested in WWII books or books about D-Day will absolutely love this.

Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick

From Goodreads,

"Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive?
Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there's only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die.
Lungs burning, Sam's only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unlikely friendship grows as they join forces to find civilization.
The pace never slows, and eventually, flames surround Sam and Delphy on all sides. A powerful bond is forged that can only grow out of true hardship-as two true friends beat all odds and outwit one of the deadliest fires ever.

At the end of the novel, information about wildfires and useful safety tips add to the reader's understanding of one of the US's most dangerous natural disasters."

Goodreads - Wildfire

I'm a little slow getting around to reading books.  I received this book as an advanced reader's copy last school year.  I decided it was time to read it since I've had so many students ask about getting this book in my classroom library.

Wildfire is a survival story told by Sam who was at summer camp when the fire started.  His camp was being evacuated, but when he ran back to get his phone a wall of fire was between him and the bus.  Sam had to fight through the night to survive and eventually finds a girl named Delphy who is also lost in the burning woods.  The two team up in hopes they can continue to outrun the fire and survive.

This book was definitely a page-turner.  It has been a while since I have powered through a book the way I went through this one.  The entire time I was reading, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they were going to survive.  This book is packed with adventure and thrills.  I really liked that there were small pieces that came together that reminded Sam of his late dad.  It felt like fate that he found a Jeep that helped save his life, and throughout the early days of trying to survive he kept referring back to things his dad had taught him.  It felt like it was a type of closer for Sam as his father's advice helped him and Delphy survive.

My copy was an ARC and it did have a few grammatical errors.  There was also a small continuity error at the beginning of the book, but it didn't impact the overall storyline.  The book had appropriate language and events for a young adult book.

This book was so good and I am very excited to put it into my library.  I expect that some of my adventure-seeking boys will enjoy this book.  I give it 4 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling adventure read.