Michael at the Invasion of France, 1943

Gr 5–8—The invasion of France and arrest of his brother make 13-year-old French American Michael keen to join the Resistance. The movement and activities of French citizens are immediately restricted once the Nazis take over, with crueler treatment extended to the Jewish population. A young Jewish child is hidden and smuggled to safety, while a respected teacher who speaks out against the Nazi regime disappears. Michael and a friend form a resisters club; eventually he joins the official Resistance movement, delivering forged identification papers for Allied soldiers and assisting an injured American pilot to safety. The story is short on characterization and long on action, which should draw in reluctant readers of historical fiction. The fear French citizens feel is palpable, and Michael's shock at discovering friends in the Nazi youth unit and the Resistance is realistically portrayed. The action is intense, particularly in scenes involving a near-disastrous encounter with a Nazi during a rescue attempt and Michael encountering an interloper while attempting to deliver Resistance materials. While Calkhoven's research is apparent, it never threatens to overtake the story line and action. Extensive back matter includes a detailed time line and brief biographies of key historical figures.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA