Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/09/back-to-bataan-blog-tour-indie-book....

Our main character Jack just lost his father and he wants to go to war even though he is 11 years old. He is obsessed with war and history. He even already has his fiancee planned out. But after losing her to a rich spoiled kid and feeling like he has lost everything, he makes a big mistake. Jack ends up meeting a man and his group who he thought were good people, but he soon finds out that he must become a soldier of a different war.

You know the saying, “Don't judge a book by its cover”? Well that couldn't be more true than Back to Bataan. You look at the cover and you think you will get a YA read, but that is not the case. Our main character is 11 years old, not a teenager. Not to mention, this isn't a real "romance" (they are eleven afterall), which again, you would think it would be from the cover. This is a childrens' book, but even as a childrens' book it is a book for a real world. It is a war book through the eyes of a child. Jack was definitely a peculiar eleven year old. He was very smart, but his obsession with the war definitely drove him to fight. But I loved Jack. He was always there for the “little guy”. People who are usually judged whether by nationality or wealth (or lack there of), he quickly tried to become friends with. It made me like him a lot. I love that no matter how difficult his life was, he never took it out on anyone especially those less fortunate than him. His mom and him are struggling, but his mom does what she can.

I like the journey Charyn takes us. Seeing the life of a boy in World War II. The story was pretty fast, only 80 pages. I like how that in such a short amount of time, Jack learns a lot. His world gets turned upside down because of the Leader and how he takes advantage of him. This book definitely showcases what It was like back in WWII and the struggles some families had to face. Jack may be eleven and living on ration stamps, but he keeps his head up. The speech he made at the very end of the story was definitely from a boy way more mature than his age. Hell, most adults don't think like that.

Overall, this was a good read. I have never read a book quite like this or told like this. I won't lie, it was difficult for me to read because of how different it was for me, but it grew on me. The romance portion wasn't really needed, but doesn't take away from the book. It isn't along the lines of the regular "Young Adult" reads I am use to, but it is worth the read. It is a unique story full of history, tragedy, inspiration and courage. I guarantee you will be smiling when you get to the end. ( )

This is one of those stories that stays with the reader long after they have read it. It is very well written. We get to look through the eyes of a young man who has lost his father to the war. He is like many who lose their way only to find it in a strange turn of events. I look forward to putting this on my shelves at school. It will give my students a look at life during the 1940’s for children of that time. There are so many lessons to be learned through this book. There is so much they can compare to today and the war we fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The book was a look at one life in particular, Jack Dalton. However, we see that not only is he affected by decisions he makes, but his decisions affect others as well. This is a must read for anyone interested in life during this period in time. This is a book for old a young alike. ( )

Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn is a young adult story that takes place in New York 1943 where an 11 year old boy has lost his father in the war. A sneak peek if you will in the life of a young boy who desperately wants to join the army but he is too young to do so. We learn about his peers at the school, the bullying he takes at times, and his experiences when he runs away for a week and lives with the hobos along the railroads, and how he redeems himself not only to his girlfriend, his peers but also to himself. This is a short read that gives us an insight into the mind of a boy in a time when children should have been children but instead they had to adapt to the war. A delightful cast of characters rounds out the story. This book is a re release that was originally published in 1993. ( )