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Reviewed by: Julianne Westrich, Elementary School Librarian Title: The Bletchley Riddle
Author: Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin Illustrator:
Publisher: Viking (Penguin Random House)
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: Historical Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: war, bombings, missing parents
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I love historical fiction and the cover caught my eye!
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
It is up to siblings Jakob and Lizzie to discover the truth about their mother's disappearance, but first they need to crack the codes that will win Britain the war!
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Review:
An edge of your seat adventure at one of the most intriguing and secretive location in history! Jakob Novis is a top-notch mathematician who has been tasked with working at Bletchley Park -the site of the British headquarters where intercepted intelligence codes must be broken in order to win the war. His sister Lizzie is determined to find out what happened to their mother, who has been missing for months. Together they are receive secret messages from a source they believe could be their mom. Can they crack the code in time to meet up with her? But what if she isn’t alive? Or worse, what if she is a spy for the enemy? Although it takes guts and determination Lizzie isn’t about to give up, and she’s taking her friends and Jakob along with her in her hunt to uncover the truth. Set against the backdrop of the beginning of WWII, and peppered with real life code-breakers who worked at Bletchley, the story gives a true sense of the fear, urgency, uncertainty and commitment of the most influential code breakers of the time. The story focuses on trust, and family, and doing your duty for your country in time of war. Sepetys writing is engaging and partnered with Sheinkin’s historical accuracy the book is a fantastic read!
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