It has been 100 years since the United States entered “The Great War” or the “War to End All Wars” and Connecticut played a role in the war effort with her residents serving in the armed forces and with Connecticut’s manufacturing might which supplied the military with provisions of all kinds. (More can be found here.)

The Connecticut State Library has a year-long initiative underway to commemorate those who fought in World War I and to digitize materials from this era before they are lost to us forever. A good example is the information surrounding Stubby the War Dog, Mascot of the 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division. It was luck that brought the author of a book about Stubby to a collection of newspaper clippings housed at the New Britain Public Library and those materials led her to a descendent of Stubby’s owners. Without those materials and the careful conservation of those materials, it’s not likely she would have found or been able to conduct an interview with the descendent so collection conservation is a fortunate thing!

There are many books devoted to the years of World War I and its aftermath including the classics All Quiet on the Western Front and A Farewell to Arms. Barnes & Noble has done a very good job of pinpointing historical fiction written about World War I. That collection can be found here.

The Connecticut State Library, Division of Library Development has also put together a fabulous list of literature regarding World War I that is appropriate for children. That list can be downloaded here.