Samira cleverly makes it past German soldiers to tell the Resistance fighters that the Allies have begun invasion of France. Samira, an Algerian refugee, bravely takes over her mother’s mission when she is captured by the Nazis. Eleven-year-old Samira Zidane’s mother is part of the French Resistance. Henry Allen is a black battlefield medic, who is called “boy” and “coon,” by Lieutenant Hoyte, until Henry saves his life and finally sees him as a human being. Even Sid faces anti-Semitism from other soldiers in his unit. forces because there were many foreign nationals and immigrants fighting for the same cause. I shouldn’t be surprised, but racism, and anti-Semitism ran high among the U.S. He hides it from his best buddy, Sid Jacobstein, who is Jewish and anxious to shoot some “krauts.” My favorite moment, is when Dee realizes that he may have been the enemy he’s shooting at if he hadn’t fled Germany, and that the enemy is also a human being. He’s advised to change his name in case he’s captured by the Nazis. His real name Dietrich Zimmermann, a German immigrant who fled Nazi Germany with his parents when he was five. soldier headed toward Omah Beach in a Higgins boat. The characters represent many nationalities and are realistically portrayed. Readers will find themselves deeply engrossed in this fast-paced and powerfully penned novel. Packed with danger, adventure and a cast of really memorable characters that make this novel unforgettable. But with betrayals and deadly risks at every turn, can the Allies do what it takes to win?Ī brilliant new novel by Alan Gratz that shows the horrific faces of WW II. In a breathtaking race against time, they all must fight to complete their high-stakes missions.

And in the thick of battle, Henry, a medic, searches for lives to save. Meanwhile, paratrooper James leaps from his plane to join a daring midnight raid. Behind enemy lines in France, a girl named Samira works as a spy, trying to sabotage the German army.

He feels the weight of World War II on his shoulders.īut Dee is not alone. And Dee - along with his brothers-in-arms - is terrified. soldier, is on a boat racing toward the French coast. The only way to stop them? The biggest, most top-secret operation ever, with the Allied nations coming together to storm German-occupied France.ĭee, a young U.S. June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. Themes: Allies, Nazi Germany, WW II, D-Day, Omaha Beach, France, Liberation

Scholastic Press, Historical Fiction, Oct.

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