Hi Guys,
Here's an interesting book title to help educate your grand children on some of the mystries of World War II. We're beginning to see more and more authors now, who write books for children and teens, focus on WW II. This book is about the code breakers at Bletchley Park who broke the German Enigma Code. Remember it was that group that provided our 319th B.G. information on German shipping that aided our North Africa based skip bombers to locate their targets.The book title and source is noted as follows:
Legacy of Bletchley Park $6.99
http://www.onstagebooks.com/bletchley.html
I have written a book review for your interest:
Book Review:
Annie Laura Smith’s new novel, Bletchley Park, is a middle grade historical novel set in 1940 wartime England before the United States entered World II. Smith adroitly brings to light the mysterious activities surrounding the Bletchley Park code breakers through the actions of Gretchen Seabrook, a twelve-year-old girl. Gretchen, who is of German descent and speaks fluent German, arrives at Bletchley to stay with her Aunt Jeanne as one in a mass evacuation of children from the London blitz. She tries to hide her German heritage from her friends and avoids speaking the language for fear she will be thought a subversive. Nonetheless, while chasing her cat into Bletchley Park, she accidentally stumbles upon an Enigma code machine and Brian Lockwood, the caretaker’s son. This event leads to much intrigue and the use of her language skills to benefit England’s war effort.
One of the most exciting scenes is when Winston Churchill visits St. Mary’s rectory, where Gretchen attends school, to cheer up the evacuees and compliment them on their vegetable gardens and bandage rolling war support activities. Readers will gasp, when just after Churchill says, “You’re joining everyone in England to help bring an end to the war.” Gretchen’s best friend, Heather, whom she had sworn to secrecy, blurts out, “Not everyone, Gretchen thinks there are German spies at Bletchley Park.” Gretchen and Brian had done some sleuthing of her translations that indicated some at the highest levels at Bletchley Park, namely Dr. Wheatly, a boarder at her aunt’s home, and Dr. Aldridge the director were spies. How Gretchen survived this embarrassment and went on to make a significant contribution to thwarting Operation Sealion, the invasion of England by Germany, is a fetching tale.
Annie Laura Smith’s thorough research and use of jargon of the times brings to life the young folks of that day and the impact the war had on their lives. Readers will marvel at the courage even those youngsters showed when only England stood against the tyranny of Nazi Germany.
