Front Lines

Grant, Michael. Front Lines, Katherine Tegan Books, 2016.

The world is on the brink of a second world war, but something has changed from the history we know: the United States has extended the draft to include both male and female people over 18. This book follows three different girls who all enlist for various reasons and end up running into each other during the course of the war.

Told in alternating chapters among the three characters, this is a fairly standard war story with a small twist. It's still about training and fighting and killing people and questioning your motives, etc. etc. But the difference is that the three characters we follow are female, so in addition to typical soldier issues, they are also dealing with quite a bit of sexism (and racism, and classism, etc.). The three girls are from three very different parts of the country and each have their reasons for enlisting. This story is action-packed, fast-paced, and an easy book to recommend to teens.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: sexist, racist, homophobic slurs - all fitting with the time period depicted; violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: All Quiet on the Western Front, Wolf by Wolf,Rose Under Fire

Wolf by Wolf

Graudin, Ryan. Wolf by Wolf. Little, Brown BYR, 2015.

WWII is over. Hitler won and has taken over all of Europe and Africa. He has split Asia with Japanese emperor Hirohito, who controls the Pacific. North and South America are so insignificant that they are not mentioned in this story. Each year there is a motorcycle race across Europe, Africa, and Asia, starting at Berlin and ending at Tokyo. Ten youths from Hitler's empire and ten from the Japanese empire compete for the trophy. Yael is a concentration camp survivor who has the ability to skin-shift; she can change her appearance so she looks like anyone else. Yael is determined to enter the race, win it, and earn a dance with Hitler at the Victor's Ball, where she will assassinate him.

Wow. That's about all I can say. It was so frustrating to have to put this book down so that I could work, sleep, eat, etc. The story is compelling and switches back and forth between Yael's past in the concentration camp and her current story as she attempts to survive a grueling international race. There's sabotage, back-stabbing, more sabotage, kidnapping, and of course the ultimate goal of Yael being able to get close enough to Hitler to kill him. I should have anticipated the ending, but I didn't, and I loved the surprise.

My only small objection to this story is that it falls into the category of "books about a girl who has special powers and is the only one who can save her society from falling into ruin" a la The Hunger Games or Divergent. The alternate history angle is a good one, though, and it was well worth reading. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens, tweens
Red Flags: German and Japanese profanity (mild), riders sabotage each other by drugging food/drink and by breaking their motorcycles, the main character is attempting to kill Hitler
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Hunger Games, Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways to Fly, The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi

Paper Wishes

Sepahban, Lois. Paper Wishes. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2016.

Manami and her family are sent to an internment camp during World War 2. Manami is sad because she tried to sneak her grandfather's dog into the camp and was not able to. She is hoping she can find the dog again, or that the dog can find her.

The writing in this book is very simplistic. A 2nd or 3rd grade student could easily read and understand what was going on. Manami's feelings were real, her mutism was frustrating both to her and those around her, and she experienced a serious amount of guilt over the loss of her grandfather's dog. Woven around this simple plot is the story of the internment camps, again told in a way that is simple enough for even young children to understand.

Recommended for: lower elementary as a read-aloud, middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Red Pencil, Rain Reign, The War that Saved My Life

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.

The War that Saved My Life

Bradley, Kimberly. The War that Saved My Life. Dial Books, 2015.

Ada has never left her apartment. Her abusive mother refused to have Ada's clubfoot treated when Ada was an infant, so now Ada crawls about their apartment and cares for her younger brother. With the second world war on the horizon, many parents choose to send their children out of London to keep them safe, and Ada escapes with her brother and ends up living with an older single woman who never wanted children. Ada is safer now than she's ever been, but will she ever learn to trust?

Wow, this was a hard book to read. There will be spoilers in this paragraph, so consider yourself warned. Ada's mother locks Ada in a cupboard to punish her or her brother. I spend the first part of the book wanting to slap the woman for treating her children like that. When she escapes, Ada exhibits all the typical symptoms of a person with PTSD: she gets irrationally angry, has nightmares, and sometimes experiences panic attacks that are only abated when she is wrapped tightly in a blanket. Until she escapes London, Ada has never seen grass or trees, has never been educated, hasn't ever eaten a peach or a Brussels sprout. In the country she learns and grows and recovers and is well-fed. The book has a bit of a sad ending, but it's better than I had initially expected.

I highly recommend this book to fans of WWII historical books as well as those who wish to add more books about differently abled characters to their collections.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: Ada's mother slaps her and her brother, locks her in a cupboard, and calls her horrible things. There is a mild amount of British cussing involved. Ada herself is violent toward her brother until she learns not to react that way. Survivors of childhood physical abuse and neglect may need to take special care.
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways to Fly

Wesselhoeft, Conrad. Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways to Fly. HMH BFYR, 2014.

Arlo is a daredevil.  He rides his dirtbike down the highway, racing semi-trucks and leaping over hills.  He is also the #1 ranked player in the game Drone Pilot, where he flies planes to complete various missions.  His international ranking has gotten the attention of the military, who want to use him to fly real drones in war zones. Arlo doesn't want to be responsible for anyone's death, but his sister's medical bills are piling up, and he knows his family could use the money.  Arlo has to choose between what is right and what is easy.

I really enjoyed this book. Arlo is a likable character, and his stunts are never boring. Also, the descriptions of New Mexico were beautiful, and I was glad that while Arlo's sister had Huntington's, the book wasn't trying to teach everyone exactly what Huntington's is like.  I thought his decision at the end was ... interesting, to say the least.  I can't say I'd have done the same thing in his place, but I respected the journey he went on to make that decision.  All in all, this is a great book, and although I don't like to gender stereotype, I know that many of the boys in my library would LOVE to read it.

Recommended for: teens, fans of adventure/stunts
Red Flags: minor violence, minor language, Arlo's dad drinks a lot
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: The Eye of Minds for video game aspect, Killer of Enemies for adventure, The Green Glass Sea for setting in White Sands, NM.

The Tyrant's Daughter

Carleson, J.C. The Tyrant's Daughter. Knopf BFYR, 2014.

Laila is the daughter of a middle eastern ruler, and when he is assassinated, she and her family flee to the United States while her evil uncle takes over the country. Now Laila is straddling two worlds: at home she has to take care of her brother and her mother, all the while wondering if they'll ever return to their country. At school, she's looked at as just another international student and has to adjust to American customs.

I liked the concept of this book - a family from another place that is living here has as much of a back story as anyone else, and sometimes it's easy to forget that other people might have more things on their mind than we can imagine. I didn't find Laila to be very likable, though, and I didn't want her family to go back to her wreck of a country where her life might very well be in danger, just so her little brother can be king. Overall, a good read and worth the time invested.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: violence, alcohol use
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

The Impossible Knife of Memory

Anderson, Laurie. The Impossible Knife of Memory. 2014.

Haylee and her dad have been moving about the country to avoid dealing with the dad's PTSD, but he decides to settle down in his hometown so Haylee can go to a real school. While there, he starts to battle the PTSD demons more than he had before. Haylee is trying to live a normal life, adjust to high school, and take care of her father all at once.

I really, truly wanted to love this book. It's by one of my favorite authors, and the idea sounded great. It is a good book, and I think it's a good picture of living with someone with PTSD. But it's also very slow-paced, which is going to make it a hard sell to my students, and I had to force myself to keep reading even though the only thing that was going on was that Haylee had a hard life. Some of my students who like to read "books about kids with BIG problems" might enjoy this book.

Recommended for: older teens
Red Flags: language, violence, alcohol and drug use
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

The Boy on the Wooden Box

Leyson, Leon. The Boy on the Wooden Box. Atheneum BFYR, 2013.

This is the memoir of Leon Leyson, a Jewish boy who survived the Holocaust because he was on Schindler's list and was spared on several occasions.

This book reads very similarly to other Holocaust stories, but it has the added bonus of being nonfiction. I have many patrons who are interested in the Holocaust, and this book is a great addition to our collection.

Recommended for: tweens, young adults
Red Flags: concentration camps - violence, starvation, death, etc.
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Branded by the Pink Triangle

Setterington, Ken. Branded by the Pink Triangle. Second Story Press, 2013.

This book tells the story of the persecution of gay men in Germany and throughout Europe during the Second World War, and their difficulties in receiving reparations and recognition at the conclusion of the war.

It's common knowledge that Hitler caused the deaths of millions of Jews through his "final solution" program of concentration camps, but it's easy to forget that homosexual men, Jehovah's Witnesses, persons with disabilities, the Roma, and political prisoners also received harsh treatment at the hands of the Nazis. This is a great resource for students who wish to study the second world war or who want to understand the heritage of the LGBT+ community.

Recommended for: young adults, adults,
Red Flags: since this discusses concentration camps, there are lots of mentions of death, beatings, torture, rape, starvation, etc.
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-alike: Rose Under Fire

War Brothers

McKay, Sharon. War Brothers: The Graphic Novel. Annick Press, 2013.

This book tells the story of child soldiers in Uganda who were forced to join the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The problem of child soldiers and their recovery is an issue in many African countries, and this book tells the story in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

I can see why this book won an award this year. The art is appropriate for the story, and the book depicts the horrors of child soldiers without being overly graphic. When I find that money-tree, I'm going to purchase a copy of this book for my library.

Recommended for: teens and adults
Red Flags: lots of violence, mentions of rape
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alike: Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton

War Brothers

McKay, Sharon. War Brothers: The Graphic Novel. Annick Press, 2013.

This book tells the story of child soldiers in Uganda who were forced to join the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The problem of child soldiers and their recovery is an issue in many African countries, and this book tells the story in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

I can see why this book won an award this year. The art is appropriate for the story, and the book depicts the horrors of child soldiers without being overly graphic. When I find that money-tree, I'm going to purchase a copy of this book for my library.

Recommended for: teens and adults
Red Flags: lots of violence, mentions of rape
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alike: Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton

The Nazi Hunters

Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013.

This book details the search for and arrest of Adolf Eichmann, the man who was responsible for creating the Nazi's "final solution" and sending millions to extermination camps. The narrative follows Eichmann as he escapes to Argentina under an assumed name and as Mossad officers form a team, capture him, and bring him to justice.

I enjoy reading about WWII, but I was not as interested in the details about chasing down Eichmann.  I don't remember hearing anything about him in history class, so it may have been different if I had grown up knowing him as one of the big names of WWII.  But this book has lots of good details and includes photographs of Eichmann as well as the men who eventually caught him, and I believe this book would be very popular among teens who enjoy reading about WWII.

Recommended for: teens, adults
Red Flags: brief discussion of the Holocaust
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Fallout

Strasser, Todd.  Fallout. Candlewick Press, 2013.

What if the cold war had turned hot?  This book is an alternate history which follows Scott's family in 1962 as his dad builds a fallout shelter below their home, a bomb is dropped, and Scott's family and a few other people are inside the shelter and must try to survive until it's save to go above ground again.

What I liked: the 1960s setting was appropriate, and I could see this book being a good read-alike to The Wednesday Wars and other books about this era of history. The details as the characters ran out of food and had to deal with a lack of personal space and a possible lack of water as they were underground for two weeks.  Also, the "chapter in the present, then chapter in the past leading up to the present" format worked well for this story.

What I didn't like: The dad collected supplies for himself and his family, but when the bomb happened somehow other people made it out of their own houses, into Scott's house, into the room where the shelter door was, and they managed to get inside without getting hit by radiation.  Those same people - a dad and his daughter and another family of three - joined Scott, his brother, his parents, and their babysitter - in a shelter built for four people.  One of the men - who left his wife and his other child outside - was a jerk and I wanted to punch his face all the time.  He complained about there not being enough food, even though this wasn't his shelter.  He suggested killing Scott's mom, who was injured, and the babysitter, who was Black, so that there would be more food/water/air for the rest of them.  But unlike other characters I've hated (Professor Umbridge, anyone?), he didn't get his comeuppance at the end, and he didn't change.  If this character had been deleted, I probably would have really enjoyed this book.

Recommended for: teens, tweens
Red Flags: nudity (when they're in the shelter they start using their clothes for rags and TP), some mild language
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Courage Has No Color

Stone, Tanya. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickels, America's First Black Paratroopers. Candlewick Press, 2013.

This book describes the formation, training, and work of the first group of African-American paratroopers in the U.S. Army. In addition to detailing the training and missions of this group, the book also focuses on the discrimination faced by the paratroopers in spite of their status as servicemen.

I think this is an excellent book to round out a library's collection of WWII materials, as it tells a story that not many people know. I know the students at my school would be very interested to read about this particular group of paratroopers, as well as the discrimination they dealt with even after returning from the war as decorated veterans.

Recommended for: teens, tweens, adults
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Imprisoned

Sandler, Martin. Imprisoned: the Betrayal of Japanese Americans during WWII. Walker Childrens, 2013.

This book details the U.S. internment of its Japanese citizens after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during the second world war. The narrative is accompanied by numerous photographs and interviews with detainees who describe leaving all of their belongings behind and having to start over again after being released.

This isn't a topic that is often covered in history classes or lessons on WWII, so I am glad that such a detailed book exists and that it paints a picture, albeit not a pretty one, of the actions of the U.S. during the war. The photographs and factual information, as well as numerous maps, make this book interesting and eye-catching.  I would love to have a copy in my library, as I'm sure it would be popular among my patrons, both those who enjoy nonfiction and those who enjoy reading about war.

Recommended for: teens, tweens, adults
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

A Bag of Marbles

Joffo, Joseph.  A Bag of Marbles. Graphic Universe, 2013.

Maurice and Joseph live in WWII France (the occupied portion), and throughout this book they must travel to other locations to escape the Nazies, each time being reunited with their family and then being forced to separate again. This is a great book to balance the myriad books about the Holocaust, as it tells the story of a family that hid and ran and hid again and managed to avoid being sent to the concentration camps. The artwork is appropriate for the story and I'm certain this book will be popular with my students.

Recommended for: teens, tweens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

Winters, Cat. In the Shadow of Blackbirds. Amulet Books, 2013.

The Spanish flu has taken the lives of countless numbers of people, and the Great War in Europe is taking the lives of many as well.  People hurry about wearing masks to prevent the spread of the flu, and fear is rampant. Mary Shelley Black is sent to live with an aunt while her father is on trial for treason. While there, Mary tries to solve the mystery of the "ghost photographs," as well as the disappearance of a boy she loved, a boy she was told died in battle but whose spirit has been haunting her.  Will she be able to solve the mystery before it kills her?

I enjoyed this book more than I expected.  The "ghost photographs" thing didn't interest me, but the setting and the flu epidemic definitely did.  The ending of this book was satisfying, although it seemed to take a long time to get there.  As paranormal fiction is very popular in my library at the moment, this one will be hard to keep on the shelves.

Recommended for: teens, fans of paranormal fiction and/or historical fiction
Red Flags: some mild violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust

Lieberman, Leanne. Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust. Orca Book Publishers, 2013.

Lauren Yanofsky has decided not to be Jewish anymore. She does not want to participate in any religious activities with her family, does not attend the Jewish youth group with her friends, and especially doesn't want to hear any more about the Holocaust. Lauren has decided to ignore her Jewish heritage and try to be normal, when one day some of her friends decide to play a war game involving water guns and swastika armbands, and suddenly Lauren has to decide what really matters to her.

I didn't like this book particularly, but I didn't think it would be my kind of book from the beginning. Lauren is a pretty typical mixed-up teenager who questions her heritage and also defends it from her peers. Not much changes by the end of the book, although Lauren does decide that it's okay to question her beliefs and decide what's important to her. I could definitely see this book being popular with my patrons who are fans of chick lit.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: underage drinking, language, Lauren has several panic attacks due to her excessive study of the Holocaust
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Navigating Early

Vanderpool, Clare. Navigating Early. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013. 

After Jack's mother dies, his father places him in a boarding school in Maine. Jack befriends Early, a strange boy who lives in a custodian closet and makes up stories about the number Pi. Early's brother was killed in World War Two just a couple of years ago, and Early is convinced that his brother is just missing, so if Pi ends, then his brother will die, too. One holiday break, Jack and Early go on an adventure to find the great black bear along the Appalachian Trail.

This was an okay book. Vanderpool has a beautiful writing style, so I am sure there are people who love her work, but I found it difficult to believe that no one at the school was bothered by the fact that Jack and Early just disappeared for the entire break, with no mention of them signing out or any adults checking in on them, etc. And Early's story about Pi got a bit annoying to me. I started skimming the chapters where it was Pi's story, just so I could get back to the actual story. Supposedly this book is a Newbery contender this year, probably because of the author's award-winning work, Moon over Manifest. Since the Newbery is chosen for beautiful writing and not for kid-appeal, I could see this happening.

Recommended for: tweens, historical fiction fans

Red Flags: some minor violence during their adventure

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Maggot Moon

Gardner, Sally. Maggot Moon. Candlewick, 2013.

Standish Treadwell lives in the Motherland, where everything is very tightly controlled. People live on the edge of poverty, and access to information is very limited.  Everyone is preparing for the lunar landing, when Standish and his friend find one of the moon men. What if everything they've been told their entire lives is a lie?

The narrative style and lack of background information in this book frustrated me.  I wanted to enjoy it and understand it better, but it was hard to get into.  I did enjoy the plot twists and the climax of the story, even if they were both pretty predictable.  I think it would have helped, with a setting so different from ours, if the author had spent more time world-building and introducing the characters before launching into the plot.  An interesting read, nonetheless.

Recommended for: teens, especially strong readers

Red Flags: none

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars