This past week was the 79th anniversary of VE Day (Victory Europe) that celebrated the end of WWII in Europe. So for today’s Brainstorm I thought it would be fitting to feature some stories of WWII from Europe. To narrow things down I’m going to highlight WWII stories from the Scandinavian region of Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland). It’s a region of Europe that isn’t featured quite as often in WWII stories. Click on the titles to see my full review for each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.
Bomb: the Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon: the graphic novel by Steve Sheinkin, ill. by Nick Bertozzi
A graphic novel adaption of Sheinkin's award-winning history of the Manhattan Project and other countries' race to also build an atomic bomb during WWII. It's a very engaging way to learn the history of what went on to start the Manhattan Project, who the main people were in the project and their roles, why other countries were so intent on spying on that work, why a small group of undercover operatives in Norway were so vital to the success of the Manhattan Project (which is the reason I'm including this book in this Brainstorm), and what went into the decision to use the bomb. The book also looks at Oppenheimer and other scientists' efforts to dissuade the nuclear arms race before it started, having a vision for how awful the Cold War could get. It's a sobering look at what drove the creation of the bomb and how devastating nuclear arms can be. The original book this is adapted from is also excellent, but obviously takes a little bit longer to read.
Target Readers: History Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Nonfiction Fans, WWII Secret Mission Story Fans, Young Adult Readers
The Boys who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose
During WWII when Germany "invaded" Denmark, they were welcomed in peacefully by the Danes. Some Danes were happy that their country was not devastated by fighting, others, however, felt like the Danes should have stood up to the Nazis and not just let them walk into the country. These people looked to their neighboring Norwegians who were fighting the Nazis with admiration. One group of Danes that admired the Norwegians and felt the Danes should fight to get rid of the German occupiers was a group of school boys led by brothers Knud and Jens Pedersen. The boys, most in middle school and early high school, did things like destroy the engines of Nazi cars, steal Nazi weapons, and start fires at Nazi buildings. Eventually, the boys, who called themselves the Churchill Club, were caught and sentenced to varying lengths of time in prison. The publicity the Churchill Club saw was later defined as a turning point in Danish resistance. The bravery of the teen boys roused their countrymen to take action against the Nazis.
Hoose was able to work extensively with Knud Pedersen on this book, adding extra first-hand accounts to the story.
Target Readers: Biography Fans, History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Award Winner Readers, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Denmark Setting Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade)
Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis by Susan Hood
A biography in verse of Henny Sindig, a member of the Danish Resistance during WWII who, along with the rest of the crew of the Gerda III helped get Jews and Resistance workers to safety in Sweden as well as working on sabotaging missions.
The percentage of Danish Jews saved during WWII as compared to other places in Europe is astounding and such a legacy for the Danes who helped them. I appreciated that Susan Hood provided a guide to the different types of poetry she used in this biography in verse. It helps you better appreciate the level of artistry that went into writing this book (and also makes it useful for poetry units).
Target Readers: Biography Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Novels in Verse Fans, Poetry Fans/Studiers, Nonfiction Fans, Denmark Setting Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus
The story of a teenager in Norway who starts working for the Norwegian Resistance in small ways and then takes on more serious jobs as the occupation goes on more years.
This is biographical fiction in that a lot of it is based on the life of a real person, Erling Storrusten, and his experiences as a teenager in WWII Norway. Preus just reimagined some of the dialogue and people and places names. There are several pages of notes in the back of the book about what is true and what is fictional, which I highly recommend diving into because they are fascinating.
Target Readers: Biographical Fiction Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Suspense Fiction Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Norway Setting Fans, Skiing Story Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers
The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin
Dr. Else Jensen is a Danish American physicist trying to make her mark in the field, but even though she found a spot at Niels Bohr's department, she's still struggling to find her place and earn her colleague's respect as a woman in the field. It's very hard when her supervisor has her making copies in the basement instead of troubleshooting physics problems in the lab. One of her fellow boarders hears her complaining to her best friend, Jewess mathematician Laila, and challenges Else to stand up to her supervisor. While she gathers her courage to stand up for herself without being rude, Else also realizes that her skills running the machine that makes copies could be of use to the Danish Resistance. The Nazis have started to take over from the Danish government and enact the harsher regulations they put in place other places in Europe, and Else can't just stand by, especially when her best friend is in serious danger.
That fellow boarder may put across a persona as a slow and dimwitted dockworker, but he's actually the legendary Havmand of the Danish resistance who rows documents to Sweden and back on a regular basis. The Danish resistance wants him to do more, and Henrik has to carefully balance all his undercover roles so no one will realize he's actually the Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt. Henrik never expected to survive the war. He's been doing his work out of a sense of obligation and penance for a wasted life and not living up to his father's exacting standards. What he didn't expect was to fall in love with his kind, compassionate fellow boarder Else. But could she love the real him, or does she just love dockworker Hemming? And does he dare put her in serious danger with the Gestapo and tell her his true identity?
This fictional story weaves in many parts of real history, like some of Henny Sendig’s Resistance group’s work (told about in Harboring Hope) as well as Niels Bohr’s life during the war (he was eventually involved in the Manhattan Project and also appears in the first book listed here, Bomb).
Target Readers: Historical Fiction Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Suspense Fiction Fans, Love Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)
The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marissa Moss
A biography of physicist Lise Meitner outlining the challenges she faced as a woman and Jew in the physics field in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 20th century. The book also shares how she escaped the Nazis (a path which involved Sweden), her major discoveries and contributions to the field of nuclear physics, and how she reacted when one of her discoveries led to the making of the atom bomb.
This was a fascinating biography of a woman who really was an unsung genius of physics during her time. The text is written in a very engaging style, and I liked the mini graphic novel sections at the beginning of each chapter that help you picture the people involved (since photos are limited in the book).
Target Readers: Biography Fans, Scientist Story Fans, STEM Book Fans, History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers
