COME ON IN, AMERICA by Linda Barrett Osborne is a work of nonfiction focusing on the the role of the United States in World War I.

This well-researched history explores the reasons why the United States became part of World War I along with key events and themes. The first three chapters examine how and why the US shifted from a neutral to an active role. The book then explores weapons, the home front, and the role of African Americans and women. It concludes with peace and the war’s legacy. A timeline, notes, and additional resources are also included.

Librarians will find students like the well-organized, short chapters and timeline for research reports. The visuals including posters, photos, and maps are likely to engage younger readers.

Published by Harry N. Abrams on March 14, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Anyone interested in WW I should find this book interesting. Taken from several different views, it gives lots of insight into why government is the way it is today. While a few middle school history buffs may enjoy it, I'm thinking more high school and even adult. WWI really isn't covered much in school these days... maybe it should be.

Come On In, America: The United States in World War I, by Linda Barrett Osborne, is a wide-ranging, clear and concise examination of the United States’ entry into WWI and how that entry changed the war, as well as a clear-eyed look at how the US’s involvement also changed the country itself. Aimed at young adults, it’s an excellent book for its target audience thanks to the clarity of its language and organization and a liberal use of images and photographs. It would also make an excellent introduction for adults, offering up a nice framework for more in-depth exploration.

Osborne begins with a chronological introduction into the war’s beginnings and the slow move of the US from neutral to leaning to one side to fully involved, and then later chapters focus on particular aspects of the war, such as the innovations in weaponry, the role and treatment of African-American soldiers (both abroad during the war and on their return), the use of propaganda, the impact on women (their direct role in warfare, effect on their work, on the right to vote), and the short and long-term legacy of the war. Osborne hits all the expected highlights (sinking of the Lusitania for instance), but really excels at what will probably be unfamiliar to most students, such as her excellent depiction of how our government used propaganda, something often taught as being done by “the other side.” She’s also not afraid to point to some of the warts on the side of the “good guys,” noting for instance that the “war study courses” for young students tended to “ignore the fact that Britain and France has huge colonial empires in Africa and Asia,” something directly contrary to President Wilson’s stated goal of governments that truly represented their people. Less substantive, but no less informative and also nicely entertaining, she digs into the tiny details of how sauerkraut became “liberty cabbage” and German measles turned into “liberty measles.”

The segment on African-American soldiers doesn’t simply observe that they served, which puts a nice gloss on things, but more precisely (and painfully) points out that only 20 percent did so in combat, while most “perhaps because of the fear of arming them . . . were placed in labor battalions [where they] built roads, dug trenches . . .” Osborne also follows these men home from being “treated well in France” back to the often harshly racist and segregated US. She also does a nice job of placing this in context, expanding discussion to include the Great Migration of African-Americans from the South to the North in the early part of the 21st Century.

Come On In, America would be a great addition to any home, as it wonderfully covers an important time period in American history in a fashion well suited for young readers. Even better, it should be on every school’s library shelves.

Disclaimer: I read this book as an advance copy from Netgalley. My thanks go to them, ABRAMS Kids and to the author, Linda Barrett Osborne, for this opportunity. The opinions stated in the review are my own.

This is a very interesting look at the events surrounding the United States involvement with World War I. I studied some US history several years ago, both at school and at University, and was fascinated by how the different US political approach to conflict contrasted to that of the European history that I also studied. This book focuses on the build up to and the fighting of World War I from a US perspective and gives an interesting and detailed account of this time in American history. The information is presented with clarity and insight that make it a illuminating read. The text is augmented by photographs which portray both military and civilian life as well as propaganda posters. The text never veers into stuffy fact recounting but gives a human look at the political decisions, the character of the decision makers involved, the prevailing attitudes and concerns to American citizens and the experience of fighting the markedly different form of warfare to any that preceded it.

I enjoyed the details that were included such as the victory garden grown in the White House, complete with sheep to trim the lawn. They certainly would wreak havoc with the security sensors of the modern day White House!
This book has a wide scope but it doesn't feel messy in any way, it balances the importance of the war, the impact it had in both human and social terms and is an excellent text. From reading this there are now areas I wish to learn about in greater details. As a text aimed at young people studying this period in history for the first time I think this would be very suitable.

World War I doesn't get as much attention as other conflicts. This book seeks to explain the reasons for the war and how America came to be involved. The book also has chapters on immigrants, women, and African Americans both in the war itself and on the homefront. A solid piece about the war.

As I continue to rebuild what was a rather old non-fiction collection this book is a good example of what I will be adding. Come On In, America is filled with interesting facts and stories that can be used for research or just a good read for those with an interest World War One. I especially love the inclusion of so many primary sources that will allow students to hear the voices of those who were there. Will be recommending this to students and teachers alike.

I really wanted to like this non-fiction book about World War One. The writing was simple enough to work in upper elementary but I found the organization confusing-it starts with an overview of the timeline of the war and the subsequent chapters delve into different parts of the war in more detail, like the experiences of women and minorities. I liked the graphical elements but I wished there were more of them, I think it would have made the book more engaging.