Projekt 1065

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

"Sometimes we have to sacrifice good people to win the war."

"Sometimes you do what you have to do, even if it means doing something wrong."

These phrases test our characters throughout this historical fiction novel set in Berlin during the heat of World War 2. Michael and his parents are living in Berlin as ambassadors from neutral Ireland, but are really serving as spies for the Allies.  There are some plot lines intertwined in this dangerous world of espionage.

 - Michael needs to conquer his fear of heights to pass the Hitler Youth test to become an SD, and help his friend Fritz, a weaker bullied teenager, do the same.  Michael needs to get closer to Fritz to steal his father's plan for a top-secret airplane being planning by the Nazis named Projekt 1065.  Will Michael's trust in Fritz pay off, or will it cost him everything?

 - Simon, a British pilot, crashed down into enemy lines, and Michael and his parents are harboring this fugitive.  They need to find a way for him to escape along with the Projekt 1065 plans, but at what costs and at what sacrifices.

 - An assassination attempt is being planned to take out a scientist working on the Manhattan Project for the atomic bomb. Can Michael find a way to stop this assassination attempt that will be taking place in Switzerland?


This historical fiction novel is filled with interesting historical facts about life in Berlin during World War 2 from bombing raids, anti-aircraft guns, Kristallnacht, and even the Eidelwise pirates.  The larger theme of this novel involves sacrifice.  Michael continually struggles with the decisions he needs to make and what is the greater good.  Is it worth it to sacrifice one life to continue to fight against the Nazis and win the war which could save thousands?  Readers will be able to make many connections to what would they do if they were in Michael's shoes.

Overall, this novel is filled with suspense as our characters' lives are faced with many dangers which makes this book hard to put down.

AUTHOR: Alan Gratz

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

GRADES 6-8

Dead End in Norvelt

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

What is the longest period of time that you have been grounded?  In this realistic fiction novel set in rural America during the 1960's, Jack has been grounded for the entire summer.  One night as he was playing with his father's Japanese WW2 gun, it accidentally went off and shot through their neighbor's window.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, and his grounding would not affect the events of his summer.  One major character in this story is an elderly lady named Miss Volker who needs Jack's help in writing obituaries for all of the original inhabitants of Norvelt, but something is amiss as many of the inhabitants continue to die off from supposed natural causes.  There is also Hell's Angels threatening the town, a best friend whose father works at the morgue, parents who never seem to agree, a bomb shelter and an airplane being built in their backyard, and a police officer who rides a tricycle,

This novel follows a historical feel with humor mixed throughout the story line similar to A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO by Richard Peck.  There are interesting history facts sprinkled throughout the story that ties to the main characters love of history and the history of the town.  There are also humorous moments like the time the main character passed gas while hunting with his father, so he wouldn't have to kill a deer, or when it appeared Miss Volker's hand were "melting."  Finally, I really enjoyed that many of the events and the setting tie to the author's childhood, so it has a real-world feel which makes it more enjoyable to ponder what really happened and what was exaggerated.

One reason that I picked this book to read was due to the comment by another author.  Dave Barry is an author that I really enjoy.  If he liked this book, there is a good chance I would like it to.  This can be helpful in picking out your next book to see what books your favorite authors recommend.

AUTHOR:  Jack Gantos

GENRE:  Realistic/Historical Fiction

GRADE:  5-8

A Whole New World

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

After looking at the title, did you break out into the title song from the Disney movie, Aladdin, like I do every time I hear those words?  This fantasy novel has an interesting concept in connection to the Aladdin story.  In our "Twisted Tale," this story take an intricate part of the plot and changes it.  The premice - What if Aladdin never held onto the magic lamp and never received his wished from the Genie; and instead, Jaffar used the genie and his wishes to take control of Agrabah.  But the story does not end there - Aladdin and Jasmine team up with the street rats and those oppose the evil rule of Jaffar to lead a rebellion.  Can they do it without the help of the magic lamp and the genie?

The start of the novel reads just like the classic Disney movie.  It feels like the same story until the pivotal twist.  There are many new characters introduced to create Aladdin's back story and will help with the rebellion.  There are also the classic characters from the movie, but some of them will not survive this new twist.  I am curious to see if there will be a series that could form from these types of novels that change the beloved Disney movies to tell a new story.

If you are a purist of Aladdin, you may have a hard time reading this novel, but I found it fascinating to see how the author worked with the well-known characters, and how will the ending change from the original movie.

AUTHOR:  Liz Braswell

GENRE: Fantasy, Disney

GRADES: 6-8

Above

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

DISCLAIMER - This book talk is for the second book in a series.  If you have not read the first book, I highly recommend you do not read this book talk as it will reveal what may have happened to characters from the first book.  The first book is entitled BENEATH by Roland Smith.




Alright, everyone, our main characters are back, Pat, Coop, and Kate, but they are still on the run from the Shadows.  After telling their story to the FBI, Alex, sends them off to different parts of the country to shake off any of the Shadows that might be following them.  The plot picks up when they all meet together in Oregon to fill everyone in on what has been happening, but it doesn't take long for the Shadows to find them and Kate is taken captive.  Coop, Pat, and Alex are on the hunt down the western coast to try and find Kate before Lod follows through with his new master plan.  That's right, the Lord of the Deep is back, and he has a new diabolical plan.

The main part of the book is the chase, but the author leaves many clues and questions for the reader to try and figure out and let's just say not everyone should be trusted.  This book should also answer any questions that you had from the first book in the series, BENEATH.  If you liked the first book, you should definitely read the second book to see if Pat and Coop can make it in time, will Kate survive after her betrayal, who will betray them this time, and can they stop Lod in time.

Author:  Roland Smith

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure

Grade Level - 5th-8th grade

The Bicycle Spy

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

We have another edition to the continually growing genre of historical fiction that takes place during World War 2.  The setting for this selection is in Nazi-controlled France where our main character, Marcel, has a love of biking with the dream to some day in the Tour de France.  But there are two events that will alter his semi-normal life.  One is the discovery that the bread he is delivering for his parents each day holds more than just flour and water, but secrets and information for the better of France.  The second is a friendship that grows with the new girl in town, Delphine, who seems to be a bit different from what Marcel expected.  There are many tense and suspenseful moments where one wrong move, the slightest move, the incorrect turn, or a misguided statement can lead to ruin and hardship not only for Marcel but for his friends and family as well.

Author: Yona Zeldis McDonough

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 5th-8th Grade

Lincoln's Spymaster

Kids, students, and life-long readers,

Allan Pinkerton - Does the name ring a bell?  Unless you are a historian or just a lover of American history you probably don't recognize this name.  Started the secret service, stopped an assassination plot against Lincoln on his way to his inauguration, led a network of espionage to aid the Union during the Civil War, are a small sample of his accomplishments.  This non-fiction book tells the tale of one of America's most fascinating men during the 19th and 20th century.  The first part of this selection will highlight his espionage work during the Civil War and the start of his private investigation firm that eventually became a national program. The second half focuses his work as an outlaw hunter.  The use of trains was exploding during this era, along with the rise of outlaws that tried to rob these trains. Pinkerton Detective Agency hunted down some of the most notorious criminals including the Reno gang and Jesse James.

I had a hard time putting this book down once I started.  There wasn't much down time or dullness in the life of Allan Pinkerton.  If you've been looking for a non-fiction book to try out, I would highly recommend this book.

This Side of Wild

Alright kids, students, and readers for life,

Our beloved adventure/survivalist author of Hatchet and Dogsong is back with this nonfiction novel to share how his interactions with animals changed his life.  This short 118-page book has only five chapters, but each one has a very different narrative in the life of Paulsen.  There are unique stories like one of a poodle that became his protector when he decided to move to Alaska and was always watching his back even when bears happen to be present.  Or a dog that became his listener during his time at atomic bomb school. My personal favorite was his recollection of the birds and the bees attacking an over-crowded rest stop. This Side of the Wild shares a look into his uncommon interactions with animals and helps the reader find and rekindle a love of animals.

Author: Gary Paulsen

Genre: Non-Fiction / Animals

Grade Level: 5th-8th grade