Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity.
15 May 2012, Egmont USA
From the Publisher: "A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane."
I am always looking for books on various aspects of WWII and Nazi Germany for our 8th grade students, and this was certainly an edge-of-the-seat read. I loved that Maddie is a pilot, and that the idea of women flying and being mechanics during the war is addressed. For middle grades, though, I found this to be a little confusing and long (452 pages). A definite purchase for a high school, however.
I love love love this book, but agree that it is too complex for a middle schooler. In fact, it needs the right high school audience--ideally one that has recently studied WWII so that the details of the British war effort don't frustrate a young reader. Well worth the effort to get through the confusing parts though :-)
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