WAR GAMES, By Alan Gratz, Scholastic Press, Oct. 7, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 9-12)
An American gymnast experiences Nazi Germany firsthand during the 1936 Berlin Olympics in War Games, by Alan Gratz.
In 1936 Berlin, nothing is what it seems…
Evie Harris can’t believe her luck: She’s competing in the Olympics, along with fellow American athletes like Jesse Owens. True, there’s something creepy about Germany’s leader, Adolf Hitler, who watches over the games with his Nazi henchmen. But Evie’s just here to win a gold medal in gymnastics.
Until she discovers a horrible secret.
Behind all the Olympic fanfare, the Nazis have Berlin in an iron grip of terror and violence–and war is brewing. When Evie becomes embroiled in a mysterious plot to help steal Nazi gold, she must navigate the city’s darkest corners and hidden passageways, never knowing who she can trust.
With lives on the line and her family’s future at stake, Evie has to choose between following her Olympic dreams and standing up to evil… before it’s too late. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
There are so many draws to Alan Gratz’s War Games — historical fiction, Olympics, WWII, bank heist, racial discrimination, adventure and mystery. There’s practically something for everyone. And in true Gratz style, War Games is a book some unexpected twists that make you think about the world around you in different ways.
At the center of the story is Evie, an American gymnast who is desperate to win a gold medal and save her family, which has been left destitute by the Dust Bowl. Evie is smart and determined and just the right amount of daring. Through her, readers are introduced to a time and place where nothing was quite as it seemed.
Gratz is excellent and setting a scene and getting you emotionally involved. He makes you invested and provides parallels to modern-day life. His writing is accessible and his pacing spot-on. If you’re looking for a gift or just a good read, you can’t go wrong with War Games.
