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Engage--Entertain--Educate Let Anna's Boys ignite your class as students journey with seven friends through the most dramatic events of modern-day America. The tumultuous 1960s unfold in a way that resonates both emotionally and intellectually with teens, as they try to make sense of our recent history and today's complex current events. This compelling story is a non-partisan look at the way all things political may ultimately become personal. History was never so relevant.
In my forty years of teaching I have never had students react more favorably or
bond more emotionally to a novel. They devoured the story, as well as the historical
setting that provided its backdrop. Anna’s Boys is a must read for the high school social studies/Englishclassroom.
…a must read for young people…
This is a must read for young people, for it realistically portrays what played out in thousands and thousands
of families and communities during the sixties and early seventies. Although the Vietnam War is a central theme, I believe
Anna’s Boys contains much, much more. It is a story of unconditional love and unconditional friendships, of families, of
relationships, of commitments, of patriotism, of strength of character, and of passion. It is a story you cannot read without
being touched at your very soul, because it is a story that is told with the heart.
Pezza’s writing is that of a great story-telling teacher.
Anna’s Boys is a great way for high school students to explore the changing kaleidoscope of beliefs and emotions that were
reflected in the coming of age of young people during the Vietnam era. Students today are given a unique opportunity to
understand and relate to the everyday experience, the loyalties, conflicts, and growth experienced by the Bill Pezza’s “home
town” characters as they move from the idealism, patriotism, conflict and tensions of the 1960s to their adulthood in the
post-9-11 world. Pezza’s writing is that of a great story-telling teacher.
…honest…humorous…poignant…boys become men… Anna’s Boys is an honest, often humorous, and always poignant tale that reflects the personal joys, disappointments, and heartbreak of friends as they leave the peaceful world of high school to face the tumultuous and often painful ‘60s. These boys become men and follow their destinies, still finding fulfillment and comfort in their relationships with each other. …recaptures the major historical events…
Anna’s Boy’s realistically and adeptly recaptures the major historical events that so impacted the lives
of these men and their families. The characters are genuine and appealing. Anna’s Boys is a comfortable, pleasing read for all who enjoy a great story.
This book superbly displays the effects of war on ALL of the population. I would highly recommend it for high school students.
An appropriate book for a variety of social studies and popular culture electives
Anna’s boys is not just for those of us who grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, it is an appropriate book for today’s high school students
taking a variety of social studies and popular culture electives. Bill Pezza’s statement regarding the plight of our veterans is especially
poignant in light of today’s events.
A must read…even more relevant for high school age readers.
The story is extremely relevant to any reader who enjoys the camaraderie that develops between friends and the unifying
or divisive effect that world events can have on these friendships. The book is a must read for boomers, but I think it
is even more relevant for high school-aged readers. I loved how Pezza traces the lives of these boys from high school
to Vietnam and all the way up to the present day. The boys in this novel were the progeny of the generation that guided
us through the horror and challenge of World War II. They held fast to a belief of what America was and what it should be.
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