- A 2010 Notable Book for a Global Society
- An Editor’s Choice, Kirkus Reviews
- An ALA Notable Book for Children
- An ALA’s BBYA Best Book for Young Adults
- A NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Title
- Junior Literary Guild Selection
- Booklist Best Books of 2009
- SLJ Best Books of 2009
- A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
“Opening with a cogent recap of the state of Europe….that focuses on those moments when war might have been averted,… the author gracefully moves to the horrific conditions of battle…. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, Murphy takes readers through to the exhausting endgame that spawned the next war, but also he leaves kids with the provocative thought that war need not be inevitable, that the truce “offered reassurance that a kinder, humane spirit could prevail….” Spectacular.”
—Kirkus (starred)
“Murphy’s excellent telling of this unusual war story begins with an account of the events that led to WWI and follows the shift in the soldiers’ mind-sets from the feverish rush to join before the war ended to the painful realization that no end was in sight. Printed in tones of sepia, the illustrations in this handsome… vividly portrays the context and events of the Christmas Truce.”
—Booklist (starred)
“World War I was notable for the incredible carnage, the complete senselessness of which was noted by both foot soldiers and…saavy statesmen…. Anyone who has ever felt confused by the connection between the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the conflagration that followed will be vastly enlightened by Murphy’s explanation, extended in a comparison drawn in the epilogue [between] Europe in 1914 and the United States just prior to attacking Iraq. Murphy’s research is impeccable, and his use of primary sources is both seamless and effective. An excellent addition to …libraries, this affecting book has a place in history curriculum as well.”
—School Library Journal (starred)
“The historical background Murphy provides gives the truce emotional resonance; his subsequent, concise summary of the next four years of carnage is all the more sobering in contrast. Plentiful photographs and period illustrations convey the paradoxes well. r.s.”
—Hornbook
“Jim Murphy has done it again. An amazing non-fiction book….”
—http://naomibates.blogspot.com
“This impressive book deserves a place in every …school library collection.”
—www.myshelf.com