November 1, 2017
Gr 4-8-Interest-piquing trivia weaves history and fun facts with career information on the four branches of military service. Readers will learn why marines are called "leathernecks," how Navy ships have their own zip codes, and that the army has entomologists who study ways to keep insects away from soldiers. Lesser-known aspects include the huge amount of humanitarian relief that the military provides and the number of specialty jobs available, such as mechanics, musicians, and cyber warriors (to prevent security breaches). Text boxes tie closely to captioned photos, and other sidebars explain terms like mayday and "gaining your sea legs." Readers may be surprised to learn about the "no tattoo on face or hands" rule, or that cellphones are not allowed during basic training, and that up to five friends can enlist and be stationed together. VERDICT The balance of humdrum with behind-the-scenes information makes this a high-interest winner.
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