Popular authors bring the past to life through historical fiction. The following middle-grade books touch on D-Day, the rise of the Nazi regime and a Civil War Britain.
THREAT OF THE SPIDER, Book 2 of 2: The Web of the Spider, by Michael P. Spradlin, Margaret K. McElderry Books, June 24, 2025, Paperback, $7.99 (ages 8-12)
A twelve-year-old boy searches for his father and fights for free press amid the chilling rise of Hitler’s Germany in this second book in the action-packed middle grade series Web of the Spider.
Ansel has never been afraid to say what’s on his mind. He’s always the first among his friends to speak up when something doesn’t feel right. When the Hitler Youth first set up shop in Heroldsberg the year before, Ansel quickly made enemies of the chapter’s arrogant leader, Hans. Of course, Ansel is also twelve years old, so he spends much of his time reading his favorite Dirk Goodly, Boy Detective novels and trying to make his friends laugh.
But more and more of his classmates have been swayed by Hans’s tactics and the Youth organization is growing throughout the city. Ansel knows that Hans and his group are spreading false information—after all, Ansel’s father is a journalist for the local paper and has been going toe to toe with Nazi propaganda for a long time.
Then Ansel’s father goes missing right before a prominent Nazi leader comes to town. With the local police in the Nazi’s pocket, can Ansel and his friends use their detective skills to find his father and thwart the Nazi’s plans to suppress the truth? —Synopsis provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books
I AM REBEL, by Ross Montgomery, Candlewick, May 27, 2025, Paperback, $9.99 (ages 9-12)
I’m Tom’s dog, and he’s my human. We belong to each other.
Rebel is a good dog. He loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom—until one day, when the war comes too close. Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men, but Rebel knows that war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save his beloved human. How can he bring Tom home before it’s too late? A heartwarming adventure told from a dog’s perspective as he travels across a pseudo-Civil War Britain on his loyal mission. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
RESIST: A STORY OF D-DAY, by Alan Gratz, Scholastic Press, March 4, 2025, Hardcover, $9.99 (ages 11 and up)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz comes a gripping, 80-page bonus story about D-Day that can be read alongside the novel Allies, or on its own.
Samira Zidane lives in Nazi-occupied France during World War II…and she has a secret. She and her mother are spies for the underground resistance. They crack codes and trade messages that will help sabotage the Nazis’ plans.
When her mother is captured by enemy soldiers, Samira must travel through the war-torn countryside on a desperate and daring rescue mission.
And today just happens to be D-Day: the pivotal moment when Allied soldiers are landing in France. Battles rage all around her, and Samira only has a small dog named Cyrano for company. Can she find a way to save her mother before time runs out? —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
*This post is part of a larger summer reading list, which consists of recommendations but not individual book reviews.
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