"If I ever have kids, I think I won't tell them much about what I did here, or what I've seen. I'll tell them something because I'll want them to know about war. But are there really enough words to make them understand?" (Walter Dean Myers, page 282)
"The thing was that killing was taking on a different meaning to me. To take a human life had always been so heavy a deal. It had always meant that some terrible thing had happened, some horrible wrong had occurred that brought people to the far ends of sanity. But now I was willing to kill because I was afraid of being killed, willing to kill people I had never met, had never argued with, and who, perhaps, had never wanted to hurt me, but I was afraid and so I would kill." (Walter Dean Myers, page 212-213)
Summary
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a gripping story about what it means to be a hero. The protagonist, Robin “Birdy” Perry, feels that he must stand up for his country after the tragedy of 9-11.On his way to the War in Iraq, he has no idea of what war is like, except from what his uncle has told him. Robin has no idea that he is about to enter a conflict, country, and a culture he does not understand. From the desolate desert of Fallujah, to the marshes Al Amarah, and to the Green Zone in Baghdad, Robin joins the Civil Affairs Unit (CA), trying to bring a peaceful connection between the Iraqis and the Americans. Birdy makes life-long friends and plays soccer with young Iraqi children, and learns the devotion to the Islamic religion in Baghdad mosques. Birdy does not expect he will have to even fire a gun, but he learns that looks can be deceiving, and that when in war it is always good to have a gun. However, when things go horribly wrong, Robin learns what it truly means to be a hero.
Reviews
"A five star gripping novel that truly enlightens today's youth about the true meanings of being a hero. Walter Dean Myers has weaved an action-packed plot that grabs hold of the reader and takes them on a roller coaster ride." -Braden
"An amazing factual experience that holds the reader riveted until the very last page." -Tyler
"When you turn the first page, the story of a lifetime truly begins." - Mackenzie
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