Soldier Boy

Soldier Boy is an adolescent novel written by Australian author Anthony Hill. It is quite a historical book with many of the story being fiction as Anthony researched much of the main characters papers in order to write it. The story is about a 14 year old boy named ‘Jim Martin’ who joined the army to fight the war in Gallipoli with a false age so he could be in on the adventure and be an Australian hero.  Jim makes several friends while he is going through his adventure; he learns the harshness of the war, and the many complications that it realistically brings.

The structure of the book is in chronological order with the orientation, complication resolution occurring in their appropriate places. There are constant smaller versions of these throughout the book, but with a climax and a resolution (death and naming Jim a war hero) right at the end.

The language used is fitting for the age group it is aimed at, with it not being overly complicated, but still descriptive enough to drive the appealing storyline. In saying this, there are some war terms that I did not even know and had to look up so I could understand the storyline. This would allow for some investigation by the reader.

The themes presented within the book include Australia being a patriotic society, mateship and friendship, and themes based around war. Such themes would make for a great discussion in a classroom.

Young readers, especially boys will enjoy reading such a book as it is quite relatable in terms of how Jim thinks, acts and reacts to certain situations. There is action, comedy and enough drama to keep students engaged and wanting to keep reading. It would be suitable for high school students, possibly for an engagement activity in History with cross curriculum to English.