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World War II Close Up
World War II Close Up: They Battled in Blizzards
Award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson brings to life the stories of the men who fought in World War II's Battle of the Bulge, attacked without warning, weathering deadly blizzards, and facing an enemy who had nothing to lose. Perfect for fans of the I Survived series!
In the dead of winter, deep in the Forest of Ardennes, as the devastation of World War II drew to a close, a desperate Nazi army launches a surprise attack on Allied forces in the early morning hours of December 16th.
As the ground is blown apart by mortar shells and an endless curtain of bullets rains down upon them, the mostly young, inexperienced, and exhausted Allied soldiers must take up arms against the Nazis. Blinded by dangerous blizzards and hampered by the rough terrain, they fight to hold their positions until reinforcements arrive.
But deadly weather conditions and the suprise attack make matters difficult, and soon, the Allied forces are overwhelmed--outmanned, outgunned, and underprepared.
As winter continues and the Battle of the Bulge rages on, it will take an unprecedented combination of determination, grit, and unimaginable courage to thwart the Nazis's plans and defeat them, once and for all.
Sibert Honor author Deborah Hopkinson transports readers to the blistering cold of Belgium's Ardennes Forest with this daring examination of one of the most infamous battles in history. Drawing on the true accounts of soldiers and nurses and others who lived to tell the tale, and featuring rare photographs, Deborah Hopkinson seamlessly weaves together the stories of the men and women who risked everything. They Battled in Blizzards is sure to thrill every history fan!
Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.
In the dead of winter, deep in the Forest of Ardennes, as the devastation of World War II drew to a close, a desperate Nazi army launches a surprise attack on Allied forces in the early morning hours of December 16th.
As the ground is blown apart by mortar shells and an endless curtain of bullets rains down upon them, the mostly young, inexperienced, and exhausted Allied soldiers must take up arms against the Nazis. Blinded by dangerous blizzards and hampered by the rough terrain, they fight to hold their positions until reinforcements arrive.
But deadly weather conditions and the suprise attack make matters difficult, and soon, the Allied forces are overwhelmed--outmanned, outgunned, and underprepared.
As winter continues and the Battle of the Bulge rages on, it will take an unprecedented combination of determination, grit, and unimaginable courage to thwart the Nazis's plans and defeat them, once and for all.
Sibert Honor author Deborah Hopkinson transports readers to the blistering cold of Belgium's Ardennes Forest with this daring examination of one of the most infamous battles in history. Drawing on the true accounts of soldiers and nurses and others who lived to tell the tale, and featuring rare photographs, Deborah Hopkinson seamlessly weaves together the stories of the men and women who risked everything. They Battled in Blizzards is sure to thrill every history fan!
Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
About the author
Deborah Hopkinson
111 books374 followersI write nonfiction and historical fiction, picture books, and Golden Books. I speak at school, libraries, and conferences. I also love to garden and offer manuscript critiques. (Deborahhopkinson@yahoo.com)
NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.
I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.
NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.
I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 21, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
World War II is one of those topics about which I am conflicted. I have absolutely no interest in reading about wars, especially one from 80 years ago about which SO MUCH has already been written. However, there are always students who have a keen interest in everything to do with that conflict, so I keep reading the books. Hopkinson, who has several books on this topic, including two other World War II Up Close books, They Saved the Stallions, and Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II, does an excellent job of researching and presenting information in a way that is engaging and accessible. They Battled in Blizzards focuses on The Battle of the Bulge, a six week long conflict in 1944 that involved 600,000 US soldiers and resulted in the death of around 80,000 troops. The weather was a huge problem, and there are fantastic pictures all through the book showing what the landscape was like.
The best part about this book is the fact that Hopkinson made the war personal. She interviewed a few survivors, some of whom died before the book was published at advanced ages. She read memoirs, talked to families, and got personal photographs. Think about this: men during WWII often took cameras with them, so there are snapshots of people sitting around campfires, walking along snowy lanes, and hanging out. I had a friend who fought for the Wehrmacht and was stationed right at the Russian front, and he had photos of himself and his friends hanging out with Russian women as they waited for the US troops to arrive and end things. But did men have cameras with them on the field of battle? My friend also told the story of having his camera hanging on the rear view mirror of his vehicle… and the vehicle getting blown up! So yes, I don’t doubt for a second that there are plenty of photos like this that great grandpa brought back for the war that are now in people’s basements.
The stand out for me was the inclusion of sketches and paintings by official army artists like John Jarvie, Victor Dowd, Robert Blair, Olin Dows, and Ashley Bryan. There should be a whole book on their work. Talk about riveting and moving! I was particularly taken by the work of Dows, who also has mid century landscapes that I would love to hang in my living room.
Hopkinson, who also has the fantastic Deadliest series, has written another great book that is an essential purchase for middle school libraries. This even includes a photo scrapbook at the back as well as a timeline. Her source notes are exquisite, and make me disappointed when I read books that DON’T attribute their sources as well as she does. If you have a Scholastic book fair, make sure you have a good stock of her work for your nonfiction loving readers.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
World War II is one of those topics about which I am conflicted. I have absolutely no interest in reading about wars, especially one from 80 years ago about which SO MUCH has already been written. However, there are always students who have a keen interest in everything to do with that conflict, so I keep reading the books. Hopkinson, who has several books on this topic, including two other World War II Up Close books, They Saved the Stallions, and Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II, does an excellent job of researching and presenting information in a way that is engaging and accessible. They Battled in Blizzards focuses on The Battle of the Bulge, a six week long conflict in 1944 that involved 600,000 US soldiers and resulted in the death of around 80,000 troops. The weather was a huge problem, and there are fantastic pictures all through the book showing what the landscape was like.
The best part about this book is the fact that Hopkinson made the war personal. She interviewed a few survivors, some of whom died before the book was published at advanced ages. She read memoirs, talked to families, and got personal photographs. Think about this: men during WWII often took cameras with them, so there are snapshots of people sitting around campfires, walking along snowy lanes, and hanging out. I had a friend who fought for the Wehrmacht and was stationed right at the Russian front, and he had photos of himself and his friends hanging out with Russian women as they waited for the US troops to arrive and end things. But did men have cameras with them on the field of battle? My friend also told the story of having his camera hanging on the rear view mirror of his vehicle… and the vehicle getting blown up! So yes, I don’t doubt for a second that there are plenty of photos like this that great grandpa brought back for the war that are now in people’s basements.
The stand out for me was the inclusion of sketches and paintings by official army artists like John Jarvie, Victor Dowd, Robert Blair, Olin Dows, and Ashley Bryan. There should be a whole book on their work. Talk about riveting and moving! I was particularly taken by the work of Dows, who also has mid century landscapes that I would love to hang in my living room.
Hopkinson, who also has the fantastic Deadliest series, has written another great book that is an essential purchase for middle school libraries. This even includes a photo scrapbook at the back as well as a timeline. Her source notes are exquisite, and make me disappointed when I read books that DON’T attribute their sources as well as she does. If you have a Scholastic book fair, make sure you have a good stock of her work for your nonfiction loving readers.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
February 20, 2026
"A thoroughly researched, unusually close-to-the-ground glimpse into one of World War II's most notoriously brutal battles." [Kirkus]
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews