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Shattered: Stories of Children and War
As bullets ring and bombs are dropped, children watch—mostly from the sidelines, but occasionally in the direct line of fire. Unaware of the political issues or power struggles behind the battle, all they know are the human, emotional consequences of this thing called war. This collection examines all of war’s implications for young people—from those caught in the line of fire to the children of the veterans of wars long past.
Critically acclaimed author Jennifer Armstrong brings together 12 powerful voices in young people's literature to explore the realities of war from a child's perspective. The settings vary widely—the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an attempted coup in Venezuela, the American Civil War, crisis in the Middle East—but the effects are largely the same. In war, no life is ever left untouched. In war, lives are shattered.
Critically acclaimed author Jennifer Armstrong brings together 12 powerful voices in young people's literature to explore the realities of war from a child's perspective. The settings vary widely—the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an attempted coup in Venezuela, the American Civil War, crisis in the Middle East—but the effects are largely the same. In war, no life is ever left untouched. In war, lives are shattered.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 12, 2002
3 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Armstrong
96 books71 followersJennifer Armstrong learned to read and write in Switzerland, in a small school for English speaking children on the shores of Lake Zurich. The school library had no librarian and no catalog – just shelves of interesting books. She selected books on her own, read what she could, and made up the rest. It was perfect. As a result, she made her career choice – to become an author – in first grade. When she and her family returned to the U.S. she discovered that not all children wrote stories and read books, and that not all teachers thought reading real books was important. Nevertheless, she was undaunted. Within a year of leaving college she was a free-lance ghost writer for a popular juvenile book series, and before long published her first trade novel, Steal Away, which won her a Golden Kite Honor for fiction.
More than fifty additional novels and picture books followed, and before long she also tried her hand at nonfiction, winning an Orbis Pictus Award and a Horn Book Honor for her first nonfiction book, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. In late 2003 she will travel to the South Pole with the National Science Foundation to do research for a book on ice.
More than fifty additional novels and picture books followed, and before long she also tried her hand at nonfiction, winning an Orbis Pictus Award and a Horn Book Honor for her first nonfiction book, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. In late 2003 she will travel to the South Pole with the National Science Foundation to do research for a book on ice.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 5, 2013
Name: Kim Deniker
APA Citation: Armstrong, J. (2002). Shattered: Stories of children and war. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Genre: Short Stories
Literary Prizes and Awards include: Book Links, 3/1/2004; Publisher’s Weekly, 1/21/2002; Booklist, 12/15/2001; School Library Journal, 1/1/2002; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 5/1/2002; Teacher Librarian, 4/1/2003; Horn Book, 5/1/2002; Wilson's Junior High School, 1/9/2010; Wilson's Senior High School, 10/30/2003 and 10/1/2011; Kirkus Reviews 12/1/2001; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2004
Format: Print
Selection Process: ALA Book Picks 2003 (2003) chose "Shattered: Stories of children and war" as one of the best short story collection books for young adults and is required for school curriculum. Common Core State Standards provides this title on their list of approved short story collections. Follett Library Resources indicate a Grade 5-8 interest level.
Review: Gr 7 Up, 6.7 Reading Level - This is a young adult story collection by twelve different authors whose theme provided twelve different views or scenarios from various wars or military conflicts from the Civil War, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II, the Vietnam Conflict, the Cold War, war with Afghanistan, and the conflict of the Contras in Nicaragua which are all truly thought provoking. These individual stories share the realistic experiences about how surviving families and children are forever touched by wars cruel hand in some way. In the signature story, Shattered, the delayed effect of Agent Orange on a Vietnam Vet becomes apparent with the birth defects experienced by his emotionally traumatized children and how they deal with this on a personal level. In several of the other stories, the children themselves are the young, inexperienced soldiers in the war without any basis of politics or understanding of why they are even fighting. One story shares how a twelve year old girl named Jacket, aids in hiding a friend’s older brother, Edward, in her Dad’s junkyard while dodging the draft in the 1960’s during the Vietnam Conflict. Lois Metzger shares the story that occurred during the McCarthy era and the Cold War in which a young boy’s librarian mother is accused of being a communist supporter in her past life. She tried to assert her right to privacy by refusing to answer questions about her past and ends up in jail. Another one of the stories shares the viewpoint from an American businessman’s son and his experience while in Caracas, Venezuela when there is an attempted coup. These stories are in random order with no particular thought given to historical sequence. These diverse stories are fictional but come from very real experiences which provide the sense that with hope, they can survive no matter the ethnic background.
Each story has a line of text at the bottom providing factual and statistical information to set the scene and provide insight for the story itself. An example of the text on the bottom of the page and that which sets the context for the book states “on any given day, twenty or more armed conflicts are being fought around the world, most in poor countries. In the past decade alone, because of war, two million children were killed, six million were seriously injured or permanently disabled, and twelve million children were left homeless. It is estimated that between eighty and ninety percent of people who die or are injured in conflicts are civilians, mostly children and their mothers” (The State of the World’s Children, 2001). This collection of stories will invoke sadness, anger and tears in young readers and is an emotionally difficult book to read while allowing you to see the true reality of war from a child's perspective. It supports the idea that during wartime, no one is untouched by these brutal experiences while sharing the consequences and realities of these conflicts across history. The book comes with bibliographical references, author notes, and resources for additional information. Recommend.
Works Cited
ALA Book Picks 2003. (2003). School Library Journal, 49(3), 62-70.
Farish, T. (2004). Children of War. School Library Journal, 50(1), 38-39.
Roback, D., Brown, J. M., Britton, J., & Zaleski, J. (2002). Shattered (Book). Publishers Weekly, 249(3), 90.
Sieruta, P. D. (2002). Shattered: Stories of Children and War. Horn Book Magazine, 78(3), 323-324.
The state of the world's children. (2001). In UNICEF. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from http://www.unicef.org/sowc01/
APA Citation: Armstrong, J. (2002). Shattered: Stories of children and war. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Genre: Short Stories
Literary Prizes and Awards include: Book Links, 3/1/2004; Publisher’s Weekly, 1/21/2002; Booklist, 12/15/2001; School Library Journal, 1/1/2002; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 5/1/2002; Teacher Librarian, 4/1/2003; Horn Book, 5/1/2002; Wilson's Junior High School, 1/9/2010; Wilson's Senior High School, 10/30/2003 and 10/1/2011; Kirkus Reviews 12/1/2001; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2004
Format: Print
Selection Process: ALA Book Picks 2003 (2003) chose "Shattered: Stories of children and war" as one of the best short story collection books for young adults and is required for school curriculum. Common Core State Standards provides this title on their list of approved short story collections. Follett Library Resources indicate a Grade 5-8 interest level.
Review: Gr 7 Up, 6.7 Reading Level - This is a young adult story collection by twelve different authors whose theme provided twelve different views or scenarios from various wars or military conflicts from the Civil War, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II, the Vietnam Conflict, the Cold War, war with Afghanistan, and the conflict of the Contras in Nicaragua which are all truly thought provoking. These individual stories share the realistic experiences about how surviving families and children are forever touched by wars cruel hand in some way. In the signature story, Shattered, the delayed effect of Agent Orange on a Vietnam Vet becomes apparent with the birth defects experienced by his emotionally traumatized children and how they deal with this on a personal level. In several of the other stories, the children themselves are the young, inexperienced soldiers in the war without any basis of politics or understanding of why they are even fighting. One story shares how a twelve year old girl named Jacket, aids in hiding a friend’s older brother, Edward, in her Dad’s junkyard while dodging the draft in the 1960’s during the Vietnam Conflict. Lois Metzger shares the story that occurred during the McCarthy era and the Cold War in which a young boy’s librarian mother is accused of being a communist supporter in her past life. She tried to assert her right to privacy by refusing to answer questions about her past and ends up in jail. Another one of the stories shares the viewpoint from an American businessman’s son and his experience while in Caracas, Venezuela when there is an attempted coup. These stories are in random order with no particular thought given to historical sequence. These diverse stories are fictional but come from very real experiences which provide the sense that with hope, they can survive no matter the ethnic background.
Each story has a line of text at the bottom providing factual and statistical information to set the scene and provide insight for the story itself. An example of the text on the bottom of the page and that which sets the context for the book states “on any given day, twenty or more armed conflicts are being fought around the world, most in poor countries. In the past decade alone, because of war, two million children were killed, six million were seriously injured or permanently disabled, and twelve million children were left homeless. It is estimated that between eighty and ninety percent of people who die or are injured in conflicts are civilians, mostly children and their mothers” (The State of the World’s Children, 2001). This collection of stories will invoke sadness, anger and tears in young readers and is an emotionally difficult book to read while allowing you to see the true reality of war from a child's perspective. It supports the idea that during wartime, no one is untouched by these brutal experiences while sharing the consequences and realities of these conflicts across history. The book comes with bibliographical references, author notes, and resources for additional information. Recommend.
Works Cited
ALA Book Picks 2003. (2003). School Library Journal, 49(3), 62-70.
Farish, T. (2004). Children of War. School Library Journal, 50(1), 38-39.
Roback, D., Brown, J. M., Britton, J., & Zaleski, J. (2002). Shattered (Book). Publishers Weekly, 249(3), 90.
Sieruta, P. D. (2002). Shattered: Stories of Children and War. Horn Book Magazine, 78(3), 323-324.
The state of the world's children. (2001). In UNICEF. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from http://www.unicef.org/sowc01/
March 9, 2012
I've said it once and I'll say it again: there are simply just not enough people who care about people, people, living every day of their lives as a battle for survival.
I don't begrudge everyone; there are also some who are just as hopeless on their own. But it's the well-off society that doesn't even turn on the news station that infuriates me.
Anyone that can do at least something, should do it. My family donates regularly to charities because we have the means to. Would your thoughts change if it was your backyard that a bomb dropped on?
Sorry about the rant but it's these types of books that bring out the anger as well as the tears too.
The stories, in my opinion, are perfectly arranged. It's like an excerpt from their lives. Spending a day in their footsteps.
Each one is as shattering as the next. That brother that didn't come home, a librarian falsely accused of being a traitor, or entire families fleeing their country in terror.
I don't think there will ever come any regret from reading this so be sure to pick it from the library for a night read!
Best words in the whole book by Jennifer Armstrong: "The juxtaposition of youth and war haunts me. They say war isn't an appropriate subject for young people, and you know what? I agree. But war doesn't care. That's why I decided to put this book together."
Indeed, never be under the assumption that war will only effect the people it was meant for and the soldiers who are fighting it. It has never discriminated based on color, religion, nationality, language, or culture. Just like Mother Nature will never care for your social status when she sends an earthquake after you.
I don't begrudge everyone; there are also some who are just as hopeless on their own. But it's the well-off society that doesn't even turn on the news station that infuriates me.
Anyone that can do at least something, should do it. My family donates regularly to charities because we have the means to. Would your thoughts change if it was your backyard that a bomb dropped on?
Sorry about the rant but it's these types of books that bring out the anger as well as the tears too.
The stories, in my opinion, are perfectly arranged. It's like an excerpt from their lives. Spending a day in their footsteps.
Each one is as shattering as the next. That brother that didn't come home, a librarian falsely accused of being a traitor, or entire families fleeing their country in terror.
I don't think there will ever come any regret from reading this so be sure to pick it from the library for a night read!
Best words in the whole book by Jennifer Armstrong: "The juxtaposition of youth and war haunts me. They say war isn't an appropriate subject for young people, and you know what? I agree. But war doesn't care. That's why I decided to put this book together."
Indeed, never be under the assumption that war will only effect the people it was meant for and the soldiers who are fighting it. It has never discriminated based on color, religion, nationality, language, or culture. Just like Mother Nature will never care for your social status when she sends an earthquake after you.
July 1, 2012
I really wanted to like this, but the stories were so badly written. I had a very hard time getting into any of them because I had no idea what was really going on. The writer should have written a little history on the person before each story, like how old they were,where they live, and what war was going on.
January 19, 2023
Title: Shattered- Stories of Children and War
Edited by: Jennifer Armstrong
Twelve stories written about war. Many different perspectives. Some based on true stories, some fictional. I enjoyed the varying settings and circumstances. But I was disappointed because I thought they would be true stories told by children who have personally been affected by war. That was not the case. It’s an interesting book and quite sad how war can shatter lives.
Edited by: Jennifer Armstrong
Twelve stories written about war. Many different perspectives. Some based on true stories, some fictional. I enjoyed the varying settings and circumstances. But I was disappointed because I thought they would be true stories told by children who have personally been affected by war. That was not the case. It’s an interesting book and quite sad how war can shatter lives.
May 24, 2020
A collection of stories involving various different cultures and war time periods. Some have potential to spark middle school discussions related to global citizenship and equality. Some are too dark and depressing for whole class use. For interested students, they may enjoy these mature stories that present them with much to ponder about our humanity.
May 14, 2022
A difficult book but well worth the read. Bullets, bombs, snipers, gases and dust all effect children. These are some of those stories... What happens to a child taught not to speak as a toddler for fear of being found? A child walking through the carnage aftermath of a street fight? What is the long lasting impact?
August 5, 2021
A great book of short stories about children caught in conflict from around the world. Even though there is violence, no death is depected so students can get the feeling, but not the blood. I thought it was very well done.
March 16, 2025
Not the best book to read before bed (learned that the hard way) but overall pretty good book. Very dark but I mean that’s what war is dark. Overall a pretty good read.
January 17, 2012
A diverse collection of short stories about war and the effects and interpretations kids pull from current events of their time period. Between what parents think is best for their children's safety and best for their beliefs, children are usually in the middle. It was a nice, solid collection of stories from both the United States and abroad, touching on the most widely known or understood. I enjoyed the scrolling statistic at the bottom and read it before reading the selection in order to get grounding in the story. Nice touch.
"The lives of all of us are stories. If enough of these stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to see that our lives are the same story. The differences are merely in the details." Julius Lester
"The lives of all of us are stories. If enough of these stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to see that our lives are the same story. The differences are merely in the details." Julius Lester
April 25, 2016
I read this for our book club this month. I started reading another one and just couldn't handle it. This one grabbed me from the first page. Each story is about children and how they face an aspect of war. Running a long the bottom of each page is a bold line of text connecting the story to a historical fact about the war. I always had to shuffle through all the pages to read the fact before I started the story. What a clever idea. I really enjoyed this book. I read a lot of this book while I was waiting for my husband as he was having "fun."
These stories certainly put war in a different perspective and were food for thought. I highly recommend it.
These stories certainly put war in a different perspective and were food for thought. I highly recommend it.
April 29, 2009
Lots of different stories about war told from a variety of perspectives. Some of the authors are writing from ideas they got from family that experiences these wars. They don't all have happy endings, but they do a great job of showing perspective. The author wanted to do this book because she says that people avoid talking about war with children, but even though they won't talk about it, it still affects children in a serious way.
May 4, 2008
They are not children anymore but their recollections are vivid. However there is a lot out there to read now and I think this will not be one that sticks out in my mind as poignant as each testimony is. Sad to say with this genre, that a great many people also have conned the public in this wave of publishing. I'm not saying these people have...but one has to be wary of the sources.
February 21, 2008
this is another sad book. it's a bunch of short stories about children's true experiences in war piled together in one book. reading all these accounts made me feel sometimes angry that they had to go through what they went through and sometimes sad and pitiful of the losses they suffered. if you care about that, read it.
May 20, 2016
this was a really hard read, even though it is for young adults. whenever I read something concerning war, it stays with me for a very long time afterwards. I had to take this book in fits and starts, as it was extremely upsetting. If you have a faint stomach, don't read this. It is upsetting. I did enjoy it, however, it upset me greatly.
November 21, 2008
Armstrong presents a collection of short stories about war and the effects of war on the family. I am not so much a fan of the stories. The stories are a little long for my taste without a whole lot of climax or drama in the ones I read.
July 23, 2012
In my class last year we had to read a historical fiction book and I chose this one. I barley finished this book. At the time I was in 6th grade so maybe it's an adult book. I just couldn't find the plot, I couldn't relate to any characters, and there was no action.
October 23, 2016
This is a collection of short stories that reflect on the experiences of war. There are some great stories in this collection that really make you consider an alternative perspective. There are also some great literary techniques being used to help portray messages and themes.
February 14, 2017
3.5/5 - absolutely heartbreaking stories, no doubt, really helped me get a better perspective on the effects warfare can have on children. the only flaw was the writing. it just wasn't good and had the potential to be a lot better.
December 21, 2020
War doesn't care. Man, woman, or child; innocent or guilty. War affects effects everyone and no one comes out better. These stories focus on kids and their experiences and at least one of them had me struggling to turn the page. My only wish is that each story was longer.
October 7, 2008
Piercing short stories from a variety of outstanding authors all around the topic of war and its effects on individuals.
Classroom Uses: Shared reading
Various reading levels
Classroom Uses: Shared reading
Various reading levels
November 29, 2008
wonderful, heart-breaking collection of stories. children and war don't go together and that is why everyone should read this- maybe more people will realize the true cost
January 15, 2010
Top YA authors. Each story with an historical fact actross the bottom of the pages. Many different takes on many different wars.
November 12, 2015
LOVED IT!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews