Reviews by Tag: world war II

Teen Review
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain

By John Boyne
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Victoria O.
Mar 15, 2024

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is a historical fiction book that takes place during World War II. After his mother’s death in 1935, Pierrot is now an orphan. He feels alone until he discovers that his Aunt Beatrix is arranging for him to live with her. Aunt Beatrix works as a servant in Aldolf Hitler’s home located on top of a German mountain. As Pierrot begins to adapt to his new life, he and Hitler form an unusual relationship.

Teen Review
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By John Boyne

Rated by
Victoria O.
Mar 7, 2024

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is a historical fiction book that takes place during World War II. In this book, Bruno and his family leave their home in Berlin and move near a concentration camp where his father is now a commandant. In Berlin, Bruno had several close friends and loved exploring his house. After moving, he misses his friends and longs for his days of exploring to return.

Teen Review
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See

By Anthony Doerr
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Dec 13, 2023

This historical fiction novel by Anthony Doerr is a novel set against the backdrop of World War II and primarily follows two main characters, Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig. Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, flees Paris with her father when the Germans invade. They seek refuge in Saint-Malo, carrying with them a precious jewel from the Museum of Natural History, where her father worked. As they navigate the challenges of the war, Marie-Laure's father constructs a miniature model of the city to help her memorize its layout.

Teen Review
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Dec 13, 2023

Summary: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel set in Nazi Germany, narrated by Death. The story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, during World War II. Despite the grim backdrop, Liesel finds solace in stealing books and sharing them with her neighbors and the Jewish man hidden in her basement. The novel explores themes of the power of words, the impact of human connections, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Teen Review
All the Light We Cannot See book cover

All the Light We Cannot See

By Anthony Doerr
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Dec 8, 2023

Set during World War II, All the Light We Cannot See focuses on the lives of Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig. Marie-Laure is a young girl from France who becomes blind early in her childhood. Werner is a boy in Germany who, raising his little sister, finds interest in radios after an encounter with one early in life. When Marie and Werner become older teenagers, World War II is on the brink. Marie-Laure’s father leaves and leaves his daughter with her uncle, Etienne.

Teen Review
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas movie cover

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By Mark Herman
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Isabella
Nov 20, 2023

During WWII 8-year-old Bruno and his family had to move to a new house, and his father had to relocate for work. Bruno was bored with the new house and he missed his friends. Bruno noticed a “farm” as he called it, while looking out of his window. Bruno was always exploring new things. He was told not to explore in the backyard but he wanted to explore the “farm”. He met a boy named Shmuel. Shmuel is a Jew in a camp but Bruno doesn’t fully understand what that means. The story gets more intense and surprising as you watch. 

Teen Review
White Rose

White Rose

By Kip Wilson
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Mahad Z.
Nov 3, 2023

Summary: White Rose by Kip Wilson is a young adult historical novel in verse that tells the gripping true story of Sophie Scholl, a courageous anti-Nazi activist in Nazi Germany during World War II. Through beautifully crafted poems, the book portrays Sophie's transformation from a young and idealistic student to a fearless resistor who, along with her brother Hans and their friends, forms the White Rose resistance group.

Teen Review
Prisoner B-3087

Prisoner B-3087

By Alan Gratz

Rated by
Anonymous
Sep 29, 2023

Prisoner B-3087 is a historical novel based on the life of Jack Gruener, also known as Yanek. Yanek lived in Poland during World War II and was 10 when his hometown of Krakow fell to the Germans. He quickly becomes separated from his family and has to endure the unbearable  conditions of numerous concentration camps that include the infamous Auschwitz and Dachau. Yanek is finally liberated at Dachau as a young adult when the Americans take control.

Teen Review
The Book Thief

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Sep 29, 2023

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a historical fiction novel based on Nazi Germany during World War II. The book has a unique approach to storytelling as the narrator of the story is actually Death. The character Death narrates the story of a girl named Liesel, who early on was placed into a foster care home. Instead of the usual perspective of a Jewish person in Germany for a book like this, the book actually focuses on the viewpoint of a German which I found quite interesting.

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