★★★★★ 5
Read for yourself. Then book talk and get in the hands of students.
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
The kind of book you don’t want to put down. For sophisticated YA and adult readers. I thought I knew about D-Day, but as I began to read this book, I realized I had no idea what a complex operation this was--the covert planning and the freaking size of this plan. 13,000 U.S. paratroopers jumped out of planes. Some 57,000 stormed the beaches at Normandy. Others were brought in on "horsas" --airplane "gliders" made of balsa wood that were pulled by bigger planes and then let go to glide into enemy territory - with hundreds of men and equipment including jeeps aboard. Even though they'd planned and planned, the implementation was a debacle. Paratroopers and gliders landed off course. Amphibious vehicles, loaded with men, beached in the wrong spot or were hit by German weaponry and sank, leaving soldiers to drown or swim to shore, loaded down with 75 pounds of equipment. The Germans had lined the coast with explosives and were nested in to bunkers, ready to attack. The U.S. attempted to destroy some of this before men landed but were not successful. The men landing did not know this until they came upon well-fortified, heavily armored and waiting Germans (especially at Omaha Beach). It was a mess. And yet, they got a "toehold" onto the German occupied territory. A toehold that allowed the Allied forces to start moving against Hitler's army.
I’m writing all of this to say that Hopkinson expertly conveys the gravity and enormity of the situation. She does not pretend to know the feelings or thoughts of individuals involved in this experience. Instead she uses well-established facts and primary sources including many quotes from oral histories to tell the story of this day. Honestly, I finished this book thinking, “OMG” and feeling incredibly indebted to these soldiers and any other person who has served our country.
IN A CLASSROOM – My first thought is “Why do we still rely on textbooks in any kind of high school history class?” Book talk this. And then recruit a group of students to read, engage in student-led conversations, learn from additional sources, and then share their learning (and even their gratitude). Questions that might serve as a guide:
• “What made this endeavor enormous?” This kind of question includes the literal numbers, but also thinking critically about the emotional and mental weight of this plan on key individuals that Hopkinson alludes to and thinking beyond the text to the planning that Hopkinson does not describe, but that must have had to happen to get the troops ready.
• “How does Hopkinson weave complex details together in a way that makes the enormity of what happened accessible to the reader?” This could include a discussion of how she includes statistics, but also oral histories. What is the role of each of these types of details?
• “What does Hopkinson leave out?” or “What choices did Hopkinson clearly make about what to include and what not to include?” or “How does Hopkinson establish accuracy and authority throughout the text?”
IF YOU BOOK TALK THIS, a couple of tips:
• I would not take for granted the value of students previewing this text before reading, of students thinking through the design of the text (looking carefully at the table of contents) and the PURPOSE of special features (e.g., sidebars like “reader’s invasion briefing” and “dispatch”). This will help them navigate and make sense of the information. Even sophisticated readers could benefit from this.
• Also, for me, the narrative really picked up in Part 2 after Hopkinson develops the context for D-Day and describes initial planning. Keep an eye on (striving) readers during Part 1 or until you feel like they are on a roll. It wouldn't hurt to provide extra scaffolds like a current map of Europe, readers can reference as they move through the book or a chance to explore the topic (with video, etc) before they read.
• The technical language that Hopkinson includes early on related to service members' rank, division, etc. may bog some readers down. Do not let this deter them. You may need to think aloud in front of students about how you make sense of these terms as a reader and continue moving forward. This lightens up and becomes easier to navigate a little bit into the book.
The courage it took to face that day (and many others that we have asked service members to face since then) is stunning. As a reader of this book, YOU FEEL THIS. Towards the end of reading this book, I went to lunch with family and as we entered the restaurant, I saw a group of service members eating at a table nearby. I couldn't help it...I quietly paid for their lunch. I asked to be anonymous, but the wait staff gave me away. When the service members came over to say thank you and shake my hand, I nearly wept. I live in a freaking silo—I know no one serving in the military. This book strengthened by gratitude to anyone who has served our country. Thank you, Deborah Hopkinson.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2018
