The Nazi Hunters, by Neal Bascomb

To date, only one criminal has ever been sentenced to death in Israel. The Nazi Hunters tells the story of the capture and trial of this sole recipient of the death penalty - a World War II SS officer named Adolf Eichmann.

The Nazi Hunters is a fast-moving piece of narrative nonfiction, chronicling Eichmann's tracking and ultimate seizure outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The book explains that Argentina was a sort of safe-haven for lots of Nazis following the war, as the country generally sympathized with anti-Semitism, and allowed Nazis to assimilate into their culture.

That's what Eichmann and his family had done for several years, until his son Nick brings home a girl. Upon meeting Nick's father (who he says is his uncle), the girl - Sylvia - grows suspicious. She alerts her father of her concerns and they communicate the Israeli intelligence office. This tip leads to a lengthy investigation and covert operation by the Mossad, eventually landing in Eichmann's capture and conviction.

I loved that this book took place after World War II, examining what happened to the Nazis as they attempted to carry on with their lives. I think that's a part of the Holocaust that often gets overlooked - the focus is on the horrific events of concentration camps, but what happens to the war criminals is left untouched. This is a really interesting part of history to read and learn about.

I loved the way the book was written; it was very factual but at the same time read almost like a thriller. I know it will appeal to lots of my make students, and I always love having a new, great nonfiction title to recommend!

Side Note: I LOVE the cover - the colors and the images...awesome!

Also Try: Warriors in the Crossfire, by Nancy Bo Flood; Between Shades of Grey, by Ruta Sepetys; Maus, by Art Spiegelman

Into That Forest, by Louis Nowra

It's crazy to think how quickly we can lose what makes us 'human' - things like speech - but that's exactly what happens to two girls in Into that Forest. Hannah and Becky live simple, rural lives, but find their worlds turned upside down when Hannah's parents are killed in a boating accident in the Tasmanian bush. A pair of tigers - a male and female - approaches the girls and leads them to their shelter. At first, Becky is resistant, holding out hope that they will be rescued, but it's not long before the two girls have abandoned all of their human ways. They sleep with the lions, hunt with the lions, walk on all fours, and communicate with grunts and growls; they completely lose their ability to make words.

Years later, Becky's father discovers the girls after hearing reports that two humans were spotted hunting with tigers. He seemingly brutally captures the girls and attempts to assimilate them back into society. But after all they've been through, everyone involved discovers that this re-assimilation will be nearly impossible - they can't fully recoup their lost ways. One thing the girls will never lose, though, is their tragic bond.

I thought the idea behind this novel was incredibly interesting, but I found it a little too graphic for my taste. The descriptions of eating raw meat while with the tigers was a little too much for me to handle. My students do like survival stories, but I tend to think this might be a little much for them as well.

Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I read I'll Be There, by Sloan, last year and enjoyed it, so I was really looking forward to Counting by 7s to come out. I also really enjoyed it, but think I liked IBT just a little bit better.

Counting by 7s is about a girl named Willow Chance who's a little different. First there's the fact that she's adopted, and then there's the fact that she's somewhat of a genius - her mind works differently than others and she excels at nearly everything she tries. She's particularly obsessed with science, especially diseases and medical disorders. Her favorite number (as you might discern from the title) is 7. Despite her oddities, Willow feels perfectly blessed for her adopted parents, and they let her pursue all of her various interests. All that changes, though, when her parents are killed in a tragic car accident. Since her parents had no other family and didn't have any close friends, Willow's future suddenly becomes incredibly uncertain. However, she's able to buy some time by living with her new friend Mai's family. Through living with Mai's family, she learns to rediscover and accept herself after her parents' death, although the fear of permanent foster placement is always threatening. Willow does have a happy ending, but I'll let you find out how!

I truly loved Willow's voice and the deep reflection with which she viewed the world. After reading this and Sloan's other book, I would definitely say that her most noticeable gift in writing is character development. Both novels had characters with lifestyles/experiences completely different from my own, but by the end of the novel, I found myself able to predict how they would think and act. I also loved how the novel wound so many different characters' lives - Dell Duke, the school counselor; the Nguyens, the only Vietnamese family in town; Jairo, the taxi driver; and of course Willow - together seamlessly and through alternating viewpoints. It really kept things moving and propelled me to read more.

I love Sloan's writing, and there were lots of quotes that I truly loved - here are a few:

"It said I was 'highly gifted'. Are people 'lowly gifted'? Or 'medium gifted'? Or just 'gifted'? It's possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products. Because in my opinion it's not really a great idea to see people as one thing." As a teacher, I just loved this quote. 

"It has been my experience that rewarding and heartbreaking often go hand in hand."

"All reality, I decide, is a blender where hopes and dreams are mixed with fear and despair. Only in cartoons and fairy tales and greeting cards do endings have glitter."

Given this beautiful language and the plot of the story, I think this novel will really appeal to girls in my class who are already strong, self-motivated readers. 

Also Try: Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine; Wonder, by RJ Palacio

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

"It's like being in love, discovering your best friend."

At it's heart, that's what Code Name Verity is about: the bonds of friendship and the courage to do anything for your friends. 

The novel is set in England and France during World War II, and the two main characters - Julie and Maddie (who go by various different names, real and code throughout the novel) - are members of the WAAF, or Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They work mainly as wireless operators, until they are shot down over German-occupied France. Maddie is able to get away, but Julie, who goes by Queenie for much of her narrative, is captured and interrogated by the Nazis. 

Julie is told that she can redeem herself and buy time preventing her death by disclosing secrets about the British war effort. That is how much of the novel manifests itself - through her written confession to the SS officers while imprisoned. I found much of this part of the novel confusing, and sometimes had to re-read to get things straight. A little more than half of the way through the novel, though, the narrative switches to Maddie's point of view, and the reader realizes just how tricky Julie really was. 

The ending was a little abrupt and upsetting, but the bond between the two friends is really what compelled me to keep reading this novel. One of my favorite parts of the novel was when Julie and Maddie shared the ten things they're most afraid of in the world. As events unfolded and new things came to light, they both revised their "Top Ten" list, and I found this very interesting. One of my favorite lines in the story is when Maddie is revising her list, while imprisoned, writing her confession. She says:

"9)Not being able to finish my story.

10) Also of finishing it. 

I am no longer afraid of getting old. Indeed I can't believe I ever said anything so stupid. So childish. So offensive and arrogant. 

But mainly, so very. very stupid. I desperately want to grow old," (114). 

I think that this is the type of expertly crafted, heartbreaking novel that will grab readers until they finish it. 

Also Try: Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith; Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys; Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein