Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans

"Honor Flight" is a deeply moving nonfiction picture book that introduces young readers to the Honor Flight program, which brings aging veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their service. Told from the perspective of an anonymous veteran, the narrative beautifully conveys the emotional impact of seeing these monuments and receiving the heartfelt thanks of a grateful nation, often for the first time. The book respectfully reminds children of the sacrifices made by service members in past wars, fostering a sense of gratitude and civic understanding. With striking illustrations by Matt Tavares, it's an excellent resource for discussing history, patriotism, and the importance of honoring those who served. An afterword provides additional context for curious readers.

"A solemn and respectful reminder to younger readers of what was paid and what is owed." —School Library Journal (starred review) The team behind Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier join forces to create a touching companion book honoring military veterans and the program that keeps their contribution alive. Located in our nation’s capital are monuments dedicated to the service members who fought in the last century’s wars. Visitors line up to gaze at the Iwo Jima Memorial, stark against the sky; the solemn Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; the national World War II Memorial with its circle of unity; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, engraved with tens of thousands of names. It is here that the Honor Flight program has brought some 300,000 aging veterans, all of them deserving a chance to see their commitment and sacrifice honored and commemorated. Told in the voice of an anonymous veteran, Jeff Gottesfeld’s first-person narrative conveys the emotional impact of a visit that not only encompasses a tour of the monuments but also includes moving tributes from friends and schoolchildren and ends with the kind of welcome home that some of the veterans had never received. Matt Tavares’s striking illustrations bring readers close to both Washington’s timeless monuments and the veterans whose role in history will never be forgotten. An afterword and notes from the author provide more information for curious readers.