A Norwegian spy in WWII

Did you know that during World War II, the Nazis invaded Norway?  It's true, and you'll learn about how some Norwegians reacted to the invasion in Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus.  Espen is 14, and life is rough as the Nazis place more and more restrictions on the lives of him and his friends, even taking over their beloved soccer team.  Espen joins the resistance movement: first, delivering illegal newspapers; then, passing messages; and finally, becoming a spy.  Two of his classmates join up with the Nazis, and soon Espen is real danger, trying to escape to Sweden by skiing through the mountains.  Will he make it?   The book includes a helpful map and glossary, and it's based on the real-life adventures of Norwegian Erling Storrusten.  

Navajo Marines of World War II

It's November, the month of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving - what an odd coincidence that I would choose this month to pick up Code Talker by Native American author Joseph Bruchac. Told in first person, like a grandfather talking to his grandchildren, this book is about Ned Begay, a Navajo who is sent to a boarding school with other young Navajos to learn the English language and the ways of the white people.  It was a miserable experience, and the children were expected to completely give up their cultural identity.  How incredibly ironic that these Najavos were then actually recruited to join the Marine Corps during World War II to become code talkers, using their native language to create a code that the Japanese couldn't break.  A fascinating look at a part of American history that was kept secret for decades.