The majority of the staff at Bletchley Park were actually women, and more incredible still the vast majority of them were between the ages of 17 and 21.
Tag: wwii
Hidden Yellow Stars – WWII Belgian Resistance
Hidden Yellow Stars is the inspiring account of the efforts of the WWII Belgian Resistance movement to hide Jewish children from the Gestapo, in plain sight.
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter by Laurie Wallmark
The Friedman code breaker story is absolutely compelling and worthy of our attention. They lived storied lives and changed the course of two world wars.
So Far From The Sea by Eve Bunting
So Far From the Sea is a gorgeous and brilliant picture book about the difficult topic of the WWII Japanese Internment camps.
The Last Bookshop in London
I was wrong.
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin is not cheesy.
It is, in fact, quite lovely. This time, I was quite taken with it.
The Silver Sword
When the Nazis came to Poland, they did not close Joseph’s school. Instead, they removed the Polish textbooks and banished the Polish language from the school. They also hung portraits of Hitler in all of the classrooms. When, during a Scripture lesson, Joseph turned Hitler’s picture to the wall, someone reported him. A few nights later, the Nazi stormtroopers came for Joseph and took him to Zakyna. Margrit and the children were left to fend for themselves. After many trials and failed escape attempts, Joseph finally escaped out of the prison camp. It was then that the Nazis came for Margrit.
The Avion My Uncle Flew
Then follows Nazi plots, new friends, language mixups, and last but not least, l’avion, built by oncle Paul, which is a central part of the story. Even if, like me, you’re not a plane enthusiast, you will become personally invested into this avion.
On the Edge of the Fjord
This story is fictional, but it feels as if it were true. Living in the U.S., Alta Halverson Seymour published this book in 1944. Because of that, there is no resolution on how the war ends for the Engeland family. By the end of the book, the war is still raging. We know that the family is reunited and as safe as they can be doing the dangerous work that needs to be done. The fact that there is no resolution does not, in my opinion, lessen the book in any way. As a matter of fact, I think that it makes it more incredible.
Resistance
“Defense in the ghetto has become a fact. Armed Jewish resistance and revenge are actually happening. I have witnessed the glorious and heroic combat of the Jewish fighters.” -Excerpt from the last letter of Mordecai Anielewicz, April 23, 1943
The Tangled Skein
The Tangled Skein by Alta Halverson Seymour is as wonderful as the Purple House Press cover is beautiful! Originally published in 1946, it was written on the heels of WWII, and captures the challenges of that very moment in Norway beautifully.
The Winged Watchman
A Plumfield Kids Book Review by Jack Masarik, age 11 “The Watchman . . .The Watchman . . . Joris looked at it in despair. Winged Watchman . . . guardian angel . . . his breath came in wheezy gasps. He heard footsteps coming closer. Soon he would not be able to run anymore;…
Combat Nurses of WWII (Landmark Book)
A Plumfield Kids Book Review by Greta Masarik, age 13 “To all of them–these heroic women who had voluntarily endangered themselves to heal broken bodies and broken spirits as well–the entire nation would owe an eternal debt of gratitude.” When we think of the heroes of WWII, more often than not, it’s the generals and…
The Mitchells: Canadian Summer & Friendly Gables
As always, however, little troubles happen. Despite their scrapes and scares, the family make some important friends, and end the summer with a beautiful home to move into. This is a delightful story about childhood at its most idyllic. My children think it is their favorite of the three books.
Hanna’s Cold Winter
Hanna’s Cold Winter by Trish Marx has the most perfectly written cadence for reading aloud! I read this lovely 32-page picture book as part of Morning Basket with my fifteen, thirteen, and eleven-year-olds. I wasn’t worried at all about whether or not they would find it “too young” because I knew the story was stimulating…
The Avion My Uncle Flew
I am a boy mama. I love boys. I especially love middle school and teenage boys. I love their curiosity, their creativity, their love of humor, and their sense of adventure. Finding books that speak to the virtues of boyhood is hard these days – but it wasn’t always so. In the golden age of…