Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a story about Jamie Dexter and how she is so excited that her brother is fighting in Vietnam; she even wishes that at the age of almost thirteen that she could join. She can't wait to start getting letters from her brother, describing the wonders of wartime. When the first message from her brother arrives though, it's not the letter she had wished for, but a roll of undeveloped film instead. Once she figures out how to develop the film, she wonders why her brother takes the pictures he does and as more rolls of film arrive, the beauty of the war fades and Jamie begins to see the terror of it. Then, Private Hollister, her friend at the rec center who plays endless gin rummy with her, may go overseas too, Jamie is determined to not let it happen. This is a story about growing up and seeing things for what they really are-- remember, things are not always as they seem.Dowell, Frances O'Roark. Shooting the Moon. New York: Atheneum, 2009. Print.
This book is recommended for students ages 10 and up.
Before Reading: Talk about what interests the students have, what people, places, or things do they hold most dear to them? Relate this to how Jamie feels about the Army. Inquire to students how they would feel if the thing that they treasured was not longer as good as they thought. What types of emotions would occur?
Writing: Have students write 2 journal entries: one as Jamie before the film was developed and one after. How does her mood change? What would she sound like? What emotions would she be feeling?
Also, you could find kid-friendly pictures from Vietnam and have students write captions to them, just as if they were putting words to the pictures Jamie got.
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