Phantoms in the Snow, by Kathleen Benner Duble
Much of the action in this somewhat implausible story takes place at Camp Hale, Colorado’s World War II training ground for the 10th Mountain Division’s skiing warriors.
In the story, set in 1944 and borrowing its title from a line in a song the soldiers sang, an orphaned pacifist, age 15, is sent to live with his ruffian uncle at Camp Hale. The uncle puts him right into training for maneuvers, giving readers a glimpse of the demands of carrying an 80-pound backpack and weapons while skiing.
Although other military branches mocked the 10th for having it easy, the skiing soldiers were responsible for capturing Riva Ridge in Italy, a critical turning point in the war. The glimpses into the rigors (and romps) of military life make up for the stiff narrative and wooden dialogue. Ages 12 and up.
Black Radishes, by Susan Lynn Meyer
This is another World War II story, set on the demarcation line between occupied and unoccupied France. Gustave and his Jewish family escape from Nazi-controlled Paris to join relatives in Saint-Georges, nominally controlled by Marechal Petain’s Vichy government.
Initially, Gustave is encouraged as he finds subtle signs of Nazi opposition in small Saint- Georges, but anti-Semitism eventually catches up. Then he encounters a family cooperating with the French Resistance, operating as a sort of underground railroad for Jews fleeing their oppressors.
The engaging story offers a new view on a well-worn topic, illustrating the nuances of life in Vichy France. Ages 12 and up.
My Havana, by Rosemary Wells, with Secundino Fernandez, illustrated by Peter Ferguson
The story, based on the co-author’s youth, offers a short peek into the Cuban society that existed before Fidel Castro’s 1959 takeover. Secundino, a bookish artist, begins his story in 1952, when he was 4 years old, son of Cuban restaurateurs.
In 1956, a family emergency briefly takes Secundino and his parents to Spain, then under the thumb of dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Returning to Havana, Secundino’s father is bullied by thugs associated with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.
Two years later, Castro kicks Batista out of office, and Castro’s pal, Che Guevara, announces that Cuba will redistribute the national wealth evenly among all citizens. When Secundino’s father loses his restaurant and his home, it’s time for another move.
It’s a compact, whirlwind political tour that introduces young readers to some major historical figures. It almost begs for a sequel (for older readers) offering more details and insight into how Batista, Franco and Castro altered the societies they ruled. Ages 9 and up.
Built by Angels: The Story of the Old-New Synagogue, by Mark Podwal
This is the tale of Prague’s “synagogue with as many stories as stones,” legendarily built by angels who warn Prague’s first Jews that each stone must be eventually returned unaltered to the Temple in Jerusalem.
By long tradition, a bit of Passover matzoh protects the temple, and the chair of a beloved and long-dead rabbi remains empty at the eastern wall. But when will the stones be returned? Ages 4 and up.
