Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Today I get to share a series of books about World War II. It is historical fiction and the series is really interesting and fun. It is written by Adam Gidwitz. The series is called Operation Kinderspion. The series is for middle grades or ages 8 to 12. The first book is Max in the House of Spies.
About the Book:
An acclaimed Best Book of 2024!Instant New York Times bestseller • Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year • Booklist Editors’ Choice • Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year • School Library Journal Best Books of the Year • Common Sense Best Books of the Year • Imagination Soup Best Books of the Year • Tablet Magazine Best Books of the Year
“Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book,” -R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony
“Espionage! Secrets! Suspense! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, this book is for you.” -Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Projekt 1065
Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London.
Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.
Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.
The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.
From Me:
In this book the reader sees what life is like for Max and his Jewish family in Nazi Germany. Max's parents decide to send him away England. He gets put on a boat and discovers two immortal creatures on his shoulders. This introduces the reader to a bit of the German and the Jewish cultures. These two creatures traditionally cause trouble with whomever they haunt. However, they seem to like Max and actually begin to help him at times. He is picked up and brought to a large house on Kensington Square. The Montague Family takes him in. They have two sons near Max's age, and the two uncles are also there to greet Max. One of the uncles even gifts Max with a radio. Max loves radios and had built his own in Germany for his family. Throughout this book the reader learns a bit about life for Jewish families in England during this time period as well as gets to know the family members and Max. Max's main goal is to get back to Berlin to be with his parents. He manages to talk the uncle who works for the British Navy Secret Service and the British Secret Service into training him to be a spy and send him to Berlin.
This book is powerful. It goes through a lot of the political climate and culture that was happening during the war as well as the lead up to it. It also shares a lot of real-life characters. At the end of the book Adam Gidwitz shares what is truth in the story. He actually shares real people and real things that were happening. It gives a piece of history even though he admits the British would not and did not send a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy into Germany as a spy. The book ends with him landing in Germany.
About the Book:
Instant New York Times bestseller! USA Today bestseller!“A heartrending masterpiece of middle-grade historical fiction.″ –Booklist, starred review
“The whip-smart combination of intrigue and adventure along with thought-provoking reflection makes for a nail-biting, laugh-out loud, stop-and-think read.” –School Library Journal, starred review
“A headlong thriller laced with provocative and topical historical truths.” –Kirkus, starred review
Max Bretzfeld is back in Berlin where his most dangerous mission is about to begin! The thrilling conclusion to the World War II spy duology that began with Max in the House of Spies.
Max is on a mission.
Well, two missions.
One has been assigned by his British spymasters: Infiltrate the Funkhaus, the center of Nazi radio and propaganda.
The other they have forbidden: Find his parents.
Max Bretzfeld was willing to do anything to return to Germany, even become a British spy. Training complete and forged papers in hand, the radio wunderkind’s missions have begun. But nothing is as he expected. His parents are missing. Nazi intelligence is watching him. And the lines between lies and truth are becoming more blurred every day. Max will need every tool at his disposal, from his radio expertise and spy training to the help of Berg and Stein, the immortal creatures living on his shoulders. Even so, there’s no guarantee he’ll make it out of Berlin alive.
From Me:
This book picks up where the first ended. He landed in Germany, and his escort is dead. He has to find his way to Berlin and his old apartment building to meet up with the pastor who is willing to keep him. He has his British mission but also his own mission in Berlin. He wants to find his parents and know what has happened to them. There is a new family living in his family's apartment and a new watchmaker's business in his father's shop. No one knows what happened to them. Plus, he needs to find a way into the Funkhaus. Now getting to see the Funkhaus has always been his dream but now he needs to get in there and find out what he can for the British. Through the story he realizes how the Nazis got in power and why the German people went along with it all. It is informative and interesting. And of course, the entire mission is dangerous for Max. Will he find his parents, and will he make it out of Germany alive?
Again, at the end of the book Gidwitz shares what is true in the book. He has shared real people and real stories within the story. It is interesting to read and learn even more. It is almost like having an inside look at Nazi Germany. In our current society one can see parallels to our own political state.
These two books give an inside look at World War II while be a work of fiction and interesting read. Kids will enjoy the story and all of Max's adventures. Max is a strong and intelligent character. He is often seen as the underdog throughout his life. These books are perfect for a unit on World War II. It shares a view of what it might have been like to be Jewish as well as many of the actual events that happened and people who lived during this war. I learned more than I have ever known about the war.