When I Was A Soldier by Valerie Zenatti (4 books) (235 pages) #25, #26, #27, #28

Zenatti, Valerie. (2002). When I Was a Soldier. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Grades: 9th and up

Book Type: Biography

Curriculum Links: Social Studies

Author Credibility: This is Valerie Zenatti`s own story of becoming an adult in the Israeli Defense Force as a soldier. She tells of her experiences and how life changed for her after serving in the army.

Awards: 2006 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book

Summary:
This book is about Valerie Zenatti`s life and how it changed after being required to serve in the Israeli army for at least two years after turning 18. From her experiences, we can see how life was different living in Israel. Her family moved when she was 13 to Beersheva, a part of Israel that didn`t have much to offer her. It was difficult for her moving not knowing the Hebrew language. But, as she got older her friends and others were always asking her to speak in French, because they liked her accent. After enlisting in the army, she realizes that she is changing. She faces a difficult time when she is hospitalized after suffering from a breakdown. Her story really shares the emotional aspect of serving in an army that is not even in her homeland. Being away from family and friends was very difficult for her and especially dealing with questions about why she was even having to serve.

Standards: Culture; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity

Illustrations: This book contains no illustrations.

Access Features: The only access features this book contains is headings for each new section of the book and an author`s note at the end.

Classroom Use: I would use this book in older grades to discuss how life is different in other parts of the world. For example, young adults being required to serve in the army for two years after finishing school. We could discuss the changes a young adult would go through having to face such grown-up responsibilities at such a young age.

Response: I have to admit that when I first got this book, I was not really looking forward to reading it. But, then after I started I realized it was a very different read than I had expected. I thought it was going to be about politics and bloodshed. It was nothing like that at all. It was about a young girl facing the army at such a young age and how she faced emotional struggles like missing her family and questioning her life throughout her two years in the army. This book really told the story of Valerie Zenatti growing up in a very different land.