Postcards from a War

Postcards from a War by Vanita Oelschlager is a must read for any family who has a loved one away in the service. Matthew, the narrator, is like many children; however, his mom is in the Air Force and has recently been deployed. He was strong and didn't cry when his mom left but he is secretly very scared and sad that his mom had to go to war. He confides in his grandpa. To help ease the pain felt by a child's mother away at war, the grandfather shares with Matthew his memories being a young boy while his father was away in World War II. Although as a young boy he wished his dad would be home with him, he found comfort in the postcards he sent. Matthews grandfather shares the postcards with him just as he had shared with his mother when she was younger. It wasn't long until Matthew received a "postcard" from his mother via the computer. Although being away from his mom is hard, he is glad to have the postcards.

The illustrations beautifully accompany this story as the grandpas flashbacks are in black and
white while Matthew's story is in color. Although this book presents some difficult topics such as why we have wars, it will ease the pain any child is facing by having a family member in the service. Who knows, maybe this book will inspire a new tradition; drawing and writing postcards to your loved ones.

~Erica, Elementary teacher