Son of an artilleryman. Poems and epics

Konstantin Mikhailovich Simonov (1915 - 1979) was a Soviet writer, war correspondent, and public figure. As a war correspondent, he visited all fronts of the Great Patriotic War, traveled through the lands of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Germany.
His poem "The Son of an Artilleryman" (1941) tells the story of the friendship between two comrades-in-arms, Deev and Petrov. When one of them dies, the son of the deceased, Lyenka Petrov, comes under the command of the other, Deev, to whom he becomes attached as if he were his own son.
The poem was written by Simonov on a special assignment from the command with the aim of boosting the soldiers' morale. The plot is based on a real story heard by the poet from an acquaintance officer.
"I wrote 'The Son of an Artilleryman' in one sitting, literally within one day, in Arkhangelsk in November of forty-one..."
The collection also includes poems such as "The Ice Battle," "Suvorov," and the poet's military lyrics. Suitable for middle school age.