The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming

Most kids probably don't know how important secret codes were during World War II. Germans, Japanese, and Allied forces had to send radio messages around the world, and it was vitally important to each side that their messages were not intercepted, and thus each country went to great lengths to disguise their messages and to decode the communications coming from their enemies. This gem of a nonfiction book explains how British citizens spent years of their lives working to break the codes that Germans created using the Enigma machine. The Enigma was a kind of typewriter, but with lots of wheels and almost unlimited combinations of letters that changed daily. The British military took over a large house in the countryside near London called Bletchley Park and they recruited the most brilliant mathematicians and code breakers they could find. They also assigned thousands of young women, many of them still teenagers, to Bletchley Park to help in the work of code breaking. As you will see from this book, those girls did repetitive, very specific jobs day in and day out, never knowing exactly what contributions their work was making to the larger effort of saving lives, stopping the Nazis, and ending the war. 

Candace Fleming has taken this huge topic involving thousands of people, and focused in on 10 teenage girls who left their homes and families to help break the Enigma's codes. The result is this brilliant book, full of flesh and blood young girls away from home, doing important work, while at the same time growing up during wartime. These amazing women went on to live ordinary lives, unable to talk about the work they did for many years (they signed wartime secrecy papers and they all kept their silence). When their stories got out, the world was shocked to discover the brilliant work they did and the lives they saved thanks to their incredible sacrifices. As is frequently the case with Candace Fleming's work, there is much here for teenagers as well as adults. I highly recommend this award-winning book for readers ages 13-up with an interest in World War II, math, secret codes, and women's history. 

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge

 

I missed reading this book when it first came out in 2022 but I am here to say this should be required reading for Americans of all ages. An excellent children't nonfiction book is a treasure for kids and adults, and this is an absolutely astounding take on the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II through the lens (literally) of three photographers who documented the atrocity from different angles. Dorthea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Toyo Mitatake were all taking photos for different reasons and many of their photos remained hidden for many years. The combination of the illustrations and the photographs make for an engaging read and brilliantly show the things that could and could not be photographed. Because this book is the shape of a picture book, middle school students may not pick it up, but it is absolutely perfect for visual learners and gives them exactly the right amount of information they need to understand what happened and empathize with the American citizens whose constitutional rights were stripped from them during a time of war. Educators should read this book and work it into history, ELA, and even art classes. Don't miss this treasure!

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

This Newbery-winning novel is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s narrated by a dog who lives on an island and roams freely, patrolling with the birds, talking with the bison, and generally keeping his eyes on the whole island, which is a public park. Johannes loves to run, and exaggerates just about everything about his speed and prowess. Humans are building something new and intriguing on the island, and he longs to see what is inside the new building. He and his friends (a seagull, raccoons, squirrels, and a new pack of goats) know that humans are to be avoided—but they are encroaching on the animals’ space and it may be necessary to plan a great escape. This book, with its first-person dog narration, has the tone of an old classic of children’s literature. However the story is original, and full of humor and sadness and relationships in which to invest. I can imagine this being an unforgettable read-aloud for elementary children. It may be on the young side for middle schoolers, but it is a delightful book and I will absolutely put it in my library and recommend it to animal lovers. 

 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

This year's Newbery Medal winner is a fantasy about a witch, an abandoned child, and a village under the power of an evil influence. Each year a baby is left in the forest. The people of the Protectorate think that they must sacrifice a child to a witch. The witch, Xan, wonders why the people heartlessly abandon their children. You, the reader, aren't quite sure why the people are forced to sacrifice a baby each year. In this particular year, Xan falls in love with the abandoned baby girl and accidentally/on purpose feeds her moonlight, which fills the baby with magic. This is the story of how that girl, Luna, grows up in the forest with Xan and a couple of other magical creatures as her family. There is much going on in the Protectorate and in the forest, and it all comes together in the end of this charming yet complex story. Fantasy readers from 4th-7th grades will enjoy this book.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

This book won the Newbery Medal last year and I finally read it one year later. It's a historical fiction book about a girl named Abilene who is sent to Manifest, Kansas by her father who spent some of his childhood there. While her father is off working a railroad job, Abilene moves in with Shady, a local character who is a minister and appears to be a moonshiner. When she finds a box of mementos and letters she and two new friends set off on a quest to find a spy known as the "rattler." Along the way they discover stories about two long-gone local boys, one of whom went off to fight in World War I while the other stayed back in Manifest. They also discover how the town full of immigrants once stood up to the owner of a local mine and demanded better conditions for the local workers. Abilene's journey is one of self-discovery and along the way she helps the town of Manifest remember its past and look to the future. The story is a little bit complicated so I would recommend it to good readers who like historical fiction and appreciate a more complex plot.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

If you want to live (or re-live) the joy and pain of first love, read this book. Essentially, it's a very long break-up letter from a girl named Min to her ex-boyfriend, Ed. She's dumping a box of items on his doorstep along with this letter and each item means something in the history of their relationship. Min loves old movies and good coffee and is in the "artsy" crowd. Ed plays basketball, dates cheerleaders, and secretly loves math. None of their friends understand why they fell in love but they did. Handler's brilliant writing captures all those small moments of wonder at the beginning of a relationship. I enjoyed this as an adult (even though I got bogged down by the many allusions to old movies referenced by Min) and I think it will find it's niche with smart, artsy teenage readers. Like many other YA books, it contains sexual situations and other mature content, so I recommend it for older teens and adults who enjoy savoring good writing. I admire the way Daniel Handler, also known as Lemony Snicket, was able to understand and convey how it feels to be a heartbroken young woman. This book was just named a Michael Printz award honor book.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

This book is hard to classify—it's a historical romance about a 15-year-old girl growing up in the wake of World War II. It's also a mystery and a courtroom drama. Evie grows up quickly when she travels to Palm Beach with her beautiful mother and her stepfather, Joe. While there Evie meets Peter, a young soldier who just happened to know Joe from his days in the war. Evie is smitten with Peter and doesn't see what is going on between Peter and her mother. She also is not aware of the hostility between Joe and Peter and she doesn't understand why the Graysons, a Jewish couple they become friends with, are run out of Palm Springs because of their religion. Most importantly, Evie is not on the sailboat when three people go out boating and only two return. When one person goes on trial for murder Evie must decide how to proceed. Should she protect her family or tell all that she knows? This is a book to curl up with and enjoy the 1940s setting as well as the mystery as it unfolds. Best for high school readers.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

This unique story is kind of a fantasy, but more of an adventure/survival book. It does take place in an alternate reality, but it's a world much like ours without magical creatures or fantasy elements. Mau is a boy living on a small island and his people call themselves The Nation. He is in a canoe on the ocean when a tsunami devastates his island and kills everyone he has ever known. That same tsunami shipwrecks a young British girl on Mau's island and the two strangers slowly grow to be friends, allies, and creators of a new Nation. Both young characters question everything they have ever known—Mau must ask if his Nation's Gods are real and why they would destroy their own Nation. Daphne questions everything she has learned about what it means to be a proper young lady. Both children find they are more capable leaders than they could have ever imagined and together they unearth a secret about the Nation that changes world history. It's a deep story that is both adventurous and moving and will leave readers thinking for a long time. Recommended for both kids and adults.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This book has it all. For those who like horror and suspense it's dark and creepy, and the book begins and ends with an attempted murder. But at the same time it's also got humor and heartwarming family moments, a sweet friendship between a boy and a girl, and it becomes a tearjerker on the final page. It's hard to believe that an author could take such a ridiculous sounding plot and put so much substance to it, but Neil Gaiman did it. Nobody Owens (Bod for short) survives the murder of his entire family when as a toddler he wandered into a nearby graveyard. Now he is being lovingly raised by the dead residents of the graveyard and the mysterious Silas who is neither alive nor dead. Bod is human but has been given some special powers in the graveyard. His early adventures are within the graveyard, but as he gets older he longs to see a little more of the world and even go to school. Eventually he finds out that the man Jack who killed his family is still after him and he will not ever be safe until he confronts this enemy. It's really a story of growing up, moving away from the "family" that raised you, confronting your fears, and moving into the wider world. It will be a popular middle school book and would be a great read-aloud. And of course, it won the Newbery Medal for 2009.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

This book, told in simple free verse, has stayed on my mind since reading it last week. It's the well-written and accessible story of a 13-year-old girl from Nepal who is sold into prostitution in India. It's a tough subject that we in America hate to even think about, but since it is a reality for many girls we need to know more about it. McCormick handles the topic as delicately as possible without understating the horror and desperation of Lakshmi and the other girls in the brothel. The relationships between these girls are what makes the story so interesting and heartbreaking. Their search for joy and hope in the smallest details of life is what keeps them alive. I'm not doing it justice here, but if it sounds intriguing, try it out. I would highly recommend this to mature teenagers (8th grade or older) who are ready to learn more about the harsh reality of the world.

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel by Siena Cherson Siegel

This beautiful book is a memoir (an autobiography) of a girl who dreamed of being a ballerina. The author, from Puerto Rico, moved to New York City as a girl to attend the School of American Ballet. She spent years there learning, performing, and working incredibly hard. The artwork in this graphic novel shows the freedom and joy of dance as seen through young Siena's eyes. I learned a lot about the life of a dancer from reading this book. Girls who like to dance (or who dream of dancing) will love it!

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Imagine having a brother who constantly embarrasses you and being stuck babysitting that brother a lot of the time. And then imagine that your parents give all their attention to your brother and never seem to give you credit for putting up with him and helping out with him. That's the story of Catherine's life, and since her brother has autism, things aren't going to change. David doesn't understand how to behave in public, so Catherine is always writing down rules for him to remember (like no toys in the fish tank and keep your pants on in public). It's summertime and with her best friend away Catherine really hopes that the new girl in the neighborhood will be a good friend. But strangely enough, the real friend that she meets that summer is a paralyzed boy who communicates by pointing at cards. Catherine is an artist, a compassionate spirit, and a very believable narrator. She's the kind of friend I would have wanted to have when I was 12 years old. It's more than a book about kids with disabilities—it's about being true to yourself.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

I will admit that I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but I had to read this one since it won all kinds of awards this year, including the Printz Award and it was a National Book Award Finalist. I was surprised at how easy this was to read, because I have not found manga or some other kinds of comics easy to follow. The art is simple and expressive and perfectly matches the tone of the stories. I say stories because the book is made up of three story lines—one about a monkey king that doesn't want to be a monkey, one about an immigrant boy who has trouble fitting in at his school in the U.S., and one about an American boy with a Chinese cousin who embodies every stereotype imaginable and humiliates him year after year. Anyway, the stories come together at the end, and ultimately it's a story of how to take what life gives you and make something of it. It will be appreciated by anyone who struggles to be true to themselves.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

This is the Newbery Award winner for 2007, and it's a book that no one had heard of before it won the award. It's actually written more for upper elementary students, but it is in our library and well worth reading. I saw it as a quiet story about a smart, observant 10-year-old girl's need for security in her life. Lucky lives with Brigitte, her guardian, but Brigitte is just the first wife of Lucky's irresponsible father, and Lucky fears that at any moment Brigitte might just move back to France and leave her in an orphanage. Lucky is funny—she eavesdrops on support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and hears them talk about things she doesn't quite understand. One of those things is finding your higher power. She decides she needs to find hers—and she runs away rather than face her fear of losing Brigitte. In a predictible but fitting ending, Lucky gets what she is looking for. It's a nice book. Not one that I will read again or recommend to everyone, but smart, sensitive readers will want to curl up with Lucky (and her dog HMS Beagle).

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

It seems like nothing to us that astronauts have been to the moon, but back in 1969 it was miraculous. The whole world watched, and it was not guaranteed that the astronauts would make it back alive. Lots of books tell about the three astronauts and their experience, but no other book tells about the 400,000 other people who made it happen. This book has big, beautiful photographs of the voyage, and interviews and information about all kinds of workers--the people who sewed the space suits, designed the parachutes, created the lunar module, and programmed the computers. One really interesting part of this book is that it describes all the points when things almost went wrong. Several times they almost gave up and didn't make the landing. This is a book that's fun to browse or to read all the way through.