The setting is Norway in 1940. Although Norway is a neutral country, the Germans invade and take control under the guise of protecting it from invasion by the British or Russians. This book tells the story of Espen, his family and friends, as they join the resistance movement. Espen becomes a skiing courier who delivers food, secret documents, guns, illegal radio parts, and more to resistance workers in hiding. The story has elements of a spy thriller, a coming-of-age story, and is a tale of bravery against difficult odds. It is based on real events, and a real young man, Erling Storrusten, who was a teenager in Lillihammer during the years 1940-1945. This is excellent historical fiction for middle school students, and could be used as a classroom resource when studying World War II. Written by Margi Preus, it was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 2013 (young people's literature category); and was selected for the Notable Books for a Global Society list (IRA) in 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment