Burgan, Michael. Turning Point: Story of D-Day Landings.

Burgan, Michael.  Turning Point: Story of D-Day Landings.  Capstone Publishers      2017  112p  $31.99. ISBN 978-1-5157-3607-3  elem/ms  nonfiction. Series:  Tangled History (Capstone)  nonfiction  VG-BN

The use of eyewitness reports for conveying the history of the D-Day invasion on Normandy's beaches in 1944, a turning point in World War II, makes the action riveting. Both German and Allied commanders and soldiers provide the narrative, as do villagers who were near the military action. The bravery of the Allied Forces provides riveting narrative as assaults occur at a number of beaches.  The book provides an easily accessible retelling of the D-Day invasion.  With glossary, timeline, suggestions for further reading, critical-thinking questions and index, this book would be a perfect choice for language-arts classes to show the difference between primary and secondary sources, as well as for history report-writing. The only thing missing is a map of the beaches and villages, which would allow readers to follow the action visually.     

The series Tangled History provides five new titles that use eyewitness accounts to relay the details of historic events, from natural disasters to wars. Taut suspense and action will keep readers riveted. Grades 3-8.

Summary: Through eyewitness reports, by both Allied and German forces as well as by villagers, the D-Day invasion on Normandy beaches in 1944 comes alive for upper-elementary and middle-school readers.

D-Day Invasion, Personal Narratives                         --Lois McNicol

D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944.

Atkinson, Rick.  D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944.     Macmillan/Henry Holt    2014  202p  $18.99  ISBN 978-1-62779-111-3 jr/sr  Nonfiction  VG  

A concise but information-dense and compelling account of D-Day adapted for a younger audience from the author's bestselling The Guns at Last Light, this book is not well suited to readers below the high-school level, but it is an excellent choice for readers at or above it.  The text's adaptation from a book intended for adult readers does not mean that the language has been "dumbed down," and in fact there are even instances where some of the soldiers' more colorful language is included unaltered.  Despite being nonfiction, the work is not completely without pathos, and it makes it easy to imagine the horror the landing parties experienced.  There is a good deal of information about the planning that lead up to the attack, which makes it more interesting for war buffs, but other readers may find that the statistics portion lags a bit.  The major downside to this volume is that the illustrations are entirely in black and white, and this saps some of its visual appeal while lending it a certain gravitas.  Confusingly, there is also a page labeled “Map Legend” that does not seem to correspond to any map in the text, although it helpfully lists the kinds of groups in an army, so that readers can tell the difference between a corps and a company, a brigade and a battalion.         

Summary: A concise but information-dense and compelling account of D-Day adapted for a younger audience from the author's bestselling The Guns at Last Light.

World War II, D-Day                                   --Bethany Geleskie

Sherman, Zachary. A Time for War (Bloodlines)

Sherman, Zachary.  A Time for War (Bloodlines)    

Stone Arch see Capstone 2011

      p88    6.95  978-1-4342-2558-0  

ms/hs Grades 6-10.  Graphic novel           VG-BN  

The fear,exhilaration, and apprehension of a paratrooper being dropped behind enemy lines in order to take out Germans in advance of the D-Day operation are powerful.This graphic novel provides a grim, but not gory, look at what D-Day was like.

      

 Private Donovan is a paratrooper taking his first drop behind

enemy lines in preparation for the D-Day invasion. His unit’s goal is to take

out German positions so the D-Day assault could be successful.  As high winds

scatter the paratroopers, Private Donovan is on his own without anything except his flashlight as protection. He hides in an abandoned farm house, is found by Germans and ultimately rescued by Americans. As a Sergeant whips him into shape and calms the Private’s fears, Donovan is given the duty of taking out a German stronghold when the Sergeant dies. Throughout, the emotions  of fear, apprehension, and ultimately courage are keenly felt by the reader. The graphic illustrations are well executed including the large print for gun and other ammunition fire. Interspersed are fact boxes about the various weapons and facts about World War II. A genealogy of the Donovan family show four generations fighting in various wars featured in the Bloodlines series. Based on fact, these books take fictional liberties but read like nonfiction.  The map could have been more detailed listing the cities of Angoville-Au-Plain and Sainte-Maie-du-Mont. Grades 6-8 but good hi/lo reading for high school students.  

Bloodlines is a fictional series about men serving in combat situations in four different wars. The graphics are grim without being gory. The emotions experienced by the servicemen are keenly felt by the reader. Great historical fiction. Grades 6-10.

      McNicol,Lois