Bloodlines Blood Brotherhood

On December 1, 1950, during the heart of the Korean War, Lieutenant Everett Donovan awakens in a mortar crater behind enemy lines. During the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, a mine explosion has killed his entire platoon of U.S. Marines. Shaken and shivering from the subzero temps, the lieutenant struggles to his feet and stands among the bodies of his fellow Devil Dogs. Suddenly, a shot rings out! Donovan falls to his knees and when he looks up, he's face to face with his Korean counterpart. Both men know the standoff will end in brotherhood or blood . . . and neither choice will come easy.

“The Bloodlines series from Capstone Publishing by Zachary M. Sherman is more about format than plot, although there is enough meat in these 80 page books that students who have forgotten for the last two months to get a book about war for language arts that they need for the test next week will find enough to discuss. The interesting thing is how they are formatted to reel in reluctant readers. Pages are occasionally illustrated with graphic novel style illustrations, and chapters end with "debriefings" that discuss causes of the war, equipment used, or events of specific days. This will please my students who like nonfiction tremendously. The writing is fine and the reading levels for Accelerated Reader unusually high (over 5.0 is high!), probably because of the technical terms. My only complaint is the use of large font in the middle of text to add things like "kablamo!, "fwooosh", and "ratatat", which was distractingly Batman- like. Just because we can play with text doesn't mean we have to. All in all, this series (even at $17.49 each) was a good investment. All descriptions from publisher. A Time For War "When his plane is shot down on June 6, 1944, D-Day, paratrooper Private Michael Donovan must find a way to survive and locate his platoon." Blood Brotherhood On December 1, 1950, Marine Captain Everett Donovan wakes up in a mortar crater behind enemy lines and is confronted by his Korean counterpart. Fighting Phantoms Shot down over Viet Nam in 1968, Marine Lieutenant "Candy Man" Donovan must leave his seriously injured best friend behind in enemy territory while he tries to reach their rendezvous point. Control Under Fire Lieutenant Commander Donovan has a chance to prove to himself and his elite SEAL team that he has what it takes to lead when their helicopter is shot down and some of his men captured by terrorists in the mountains of Kandahar, Afghanistan. html”

One of titles in the "Bloodlines" series, this book presents the information in an engaging format that is part comic book, part novel, and part textbook. This series introduces readers to the life of a specific soldier in wartime--all members of the Donovan family tree--as they face the realistic conditions of war, including the deaths of fellow soldiers. This particular book launches readers into Captain Everett Donovan's world as he wakes up on the edge of a mortar crater in North Korea during the Korean War. He is the lone survivor of a battle with no knowledge of what he had been through--and he is surrounded by bodies of fellow soldiers. Readers will immediately be thrown into the emotion of Donovan's story as he heads back to the Toktong pass and the Marine Forward Observation Base. The subsequent chapters are thick with tension as Donovan gets shot and comes face to face with the Korean sniper. Donovan passes out from the pain and wakes up to see the sniper standing over him with a bloody bayonet. The sniper--who had removed the bullet--helps him escape after other Korean soldiers arrive. The book ends with the sniper learning that the path where he sent Donovan to escape is unfortunately laced with land mines. He hears the explosion and is himself arrested for having helped Donovan in a tragic case where nobody wins. Sherman successfully uses the emotion from this soldier's personal story to bring the history behind it to life, providing a great springboard for young readers wanting to learn about the Korean War.-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Databaase Newsletter"
-- "Ms. Yingling Reads blog"

M. ZACHARY SHERMAN is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He has written comics for Marvel, Radical, Image, and Dark Horse. His recent work includes America's Army: The Graphic Novel, Earp: Saint for Sinners, and the second book in the SOCOM: SEAL Team Seven trilogy.

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