Medal of Honor: Leo Thorsness by Michael P. Spradlin, 100 pages. NON-FICTION. Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), 2019. $16.
Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
The war in Vietnam shifted over the years of its duration, but one enduring value was the importance of resisting communism. Leo Thorsness was invested in this mission and became a pilot of powerful jets during the war. During one mission he risked his own safety to protect airmen who had ejected out of their own plane by providing air support despite dwindling gas in his own plane. After this courageous battle, he was shot down in another one and became a prisoner of war for six years.
I am embarrassed how much I learned about the Vietnam war from this book. I really appreciated that this book took on some complicated ideas, terms, and locations which will leave readers with a relatively robust knowledge of the war and Leo Thorsness’s role. This could be a barrier for some readers, but I think the value of pushing kids to understand more is worth that risk.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
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