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Ranger in Time #7
D-Day: Battle on the Beach
In this historical adventure novel for middle grade readers, a dog travels through time to join the allied forces in the Battle of Normandy.Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search and rescue skills, heads to Normandy on the morning of the D-Day invasion and finds himself in the middle of one of the fiercest battles of World War II. Ranger meets Leo, a Jewish boy who is hiding with a local farmer, and Walt, a young African-American soldier fighting to free France from the Nazis. It’s pure chaos, with thundering warplanes, falling bombs, and exploding land mines. Will Ranger, Leo, and Walt survive?
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 14, 2018
This is the 7th Ranger in Time novel in this series, but I have to confess, it is the first one I've read. The overall premise is simple: Ranger is a golden retriever that has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog but has failed to pass the official test. It seems he keeps getting distracted by squirrels. Ranger lives with Luke and his sister Sadie. One day, while playing in the garden with Luke, Ranger finds a mysterious first aid kit complete with a strap that can go around his neck. Whenever the first aid kit begins to hum, Ranger knows that somewhere, someone is in trouble, and once he has the kit around his neck, Ranger will be transported through time to help whoever needs him.
This time Ranger is transported to Normandy Beach just as the D-Day invasion is beginning. Walt Burrell, an African American soldier in the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, is also at Normandy Beach, packed tightly in a landing craft waiting to storm the beach. As part of the 320th, Walt's job is to hoist up the giant barrage balloons once the beach has been secured so that enemy planes can't fly over and bomb the American soldiers.
Meanwhile, Leo Rubinstein is living on a farm just beyond Normandy Beach. Leo is going by the name Henri Blanc to hide his Jewish identity from the Nazis. On the morning of the invasion, the Blanc family prepares to take shelter from the constant barrage of bombs and gunfire. But Leo gets caught in a bomb hit in the house while looking for his sister's cat.
Ranger finds himself on Normandy Beach next to Walt, who figures they brought a dog along to sniff out landmines. At first, Ranger doesn't know why he was sent to this chaotic place, but when Walt realizes his friend Jackson didn't make it to the beach, man and dog race back to the water to rescue Jackson and, thanks to Ranger, two other men.
But even after all that, Ranger knows his work isn't done. Dodging gunfire and avoiding Nazis soldiers, Ranger makes his way to the Blanc farm, where he finds Leo, who is unhurt but knocked out. But when his sister's cat runs away towards the beach, Leo follows and there is nothing Ranger can do to stop him.
Back on the beach, it is still absolute mayhem, with gunfire, shelling, and bombs going off, and then there are the landmines all over the area. But Ranger isn't trained to sniff out landmines. Can Ranger, Walt, and Leo survive the allied invasion?
I've always enjoyed Kate Messner's other books and I really enjoyed reading this one. I found the writing to be clear, with straightforward descriptions, realistic characters and lots of excitement. I think Messner has captured the feeling of finding oneself in the midst of a very scary, very chaotic situation, whether man, boy, or dog.
Ranger in Time is the ideal chapter book for all readers, but the excitement of a time traveling dog and the places he finds himself in may entice even the most reluctant readers. To her credit, Messner makes sure Ranger is always a dog - he doesn't think in words, but goes by his instincts and what he recognizes from his training, making it an even more interesting story. Sometimes, even Ranger doesn't know why he is somewhere, until trouble presents itself.
There is lots of historical fact woven into this D-Day story, and Messner has included a list of sources she used, as well as a list of books for further reading. And while Walt is a fictional character, he is based on a real life hero of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion named William Dabney. You can find out all about him and all the other the research Kate Messner did for D-Day: Battle on the Beach in the back matter or you can read it online HERE.
This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This time Ranger is transported to Normandy Beach just as the D-Day invasion is beginning. Walt Burrell, an African American soldier in the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, is also at Normandy Beach, packed tightly in a landing craft waiting to storm the beach. As part of the 320th, Walt's job is to hoist up the giant barrage balloons once the beach has been secured so that enemy planes can't fly over and bomb the American soldiers.
Meanwhile, Leo Rubinstein is living on a farm just beyond Normandy Beach. Leo is going by the name Henri Blanc to hide his Jewish identity from the Nazis. On the morning of the invasion, the Blanc family prepares to take shelter from the constant barrage of bombs and gunfire. But Leo gets caught in a bomb hit in the house while looking for his sister's cat.
Ranger finds himself on Normandy Beach next to Walt, who figures they brought a dog along to sniff out landmines. At first, Ranger doesn't know why he was sent to this chaotic place, but when Walt realizes his friend Jackson didn't make it to the beach, man and dog race back to the water to rescue Jackson and, thanks to Ranger, two other men.
But even after all that, Ranger knows his work isn't done. Dodging gunfire and avoiding Nazis soldiers, Ranger makes his way to the Blanc farm, where he finds Leo, who is unhurt but knocked out. But when his sister's cat runs away towards the beach, Leo follows and there is nothing Ranger can do to stop him.
Back on the beach, it is still absolute mayhem, with gunfire, shelling, and bombs going off, and then there are the landmines all over the area. But Ranger isn't trained to sniff out landmines. Can Ranger, Walt, and Leo survive the allied invasion?
I've always enjoyed Kate Messner's other books and I really enjoyed reading this one. I found the writing to be clear, with straightforward descriptions, realistic characters and lots of excitement. I think Messner has captured the feeling of finding oneself in the midst of a very scary, very chaotic situation, whether man, boy, or dog.
Ranger in Time is the ideal chapter book for all readers, but the excitement of a time traveling dog and the places he finds himself in may entice even the most reluctant readers. To her credit, Messner makes sure Ranger is always a dog - he doesn't think in words, but goes by his instincts and what he recognizes from his training, making it an even more interesting story. Sometimes, even Ranger doesn't know why he is somewhere, until trouble presents itself.
There is lots of historical fact woven into this D-Day story, and Messner has included a list of sources she used, as well as a list of books for further reading. And while Walt is a fictional character, he is based on a real life hero of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion named William Dabney. You can find out all about him and all the other the research Kate Messner did for D-Day: Battle on the Beach in the back matter or you can read it online HERE.
This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was purchased for my personal library
June 11, 2018
The author does an amazing amount of research for each of the books in this series, this one in particular. I was impressed with how informative this was about D-Day, giving kids an honest portrayal of the horrors of WWII, while at the same time not getting overly graphic due to the reading level it's aimed at. Learning about events in history through the eyes and actions of an intelligent and friendly golden retriever who travels back in time to help a young person when help is badly needed, is such a terrific idea for a series. But hey, the author had me at golden retriever.
December 31, 2022
This book taught me about barrage balloons.
January 9, 2019
Like the prequel, a nice historical book for young ages
April 16, 2018
As in past Ranger books, the back matter shares significant information on the time period, the Nazi invasion, etc. Kate Messner's research is impressive and children enjoy the photos she included.
June 9, 2020
32-time Jeopardy champion James Hozhauer famously credited children's books for his encyclopedic knowledge of history and trivia, and I think of that every time my 1st grader and I read another Ranger in Time book, as Kate Messner's knack of telling kid-friendly, meticulously researched hidden stories and side stories from history have taught me so much that I didn't already know, and I'm a huge history fan! Like so many other books in the Ranger in Time series, this one has sent us off on a research trail with a thirst to know more.
My 7 year old son and I started reading D-Day: Battle on the Beach a few days ago to honor the anniversary of D-Day, and we zoomed through it in just 3 days. I had have read and watched so much about World War II, but I had never heard of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, nor did I know that there was a segregated Black battalion in combat on D-Day. We are excited to learn more about the true story of Waverley Woodson.
Beyond how this book has sparked more curiosity about real history, it was simply an enjoyable read together. My son noticed that this Ranger in Time book is different from all the others because Ranger was helping two different characters and we were following two different stories that came together, which made it feel fresh for him. Compared with books that focused on one primary character, I did feel that this one lacked the usual depth of character development that Messner is so great at establishing in such a short format. Nevertheless, it is an excellent, enjoyable read.
The publisher's stated reading level is Grade 4 and interest level is 3rd-4th grade, but my 1st grader was riveted and absolutely loves this series. It can appeal to 2nd-5th graders, and even adult readers like me can get a lot out of it!
My 7 year old son and I started reading D-Day: Battle on the Beach a few days ago to honor the anniversary of D-Day, and we zoomed through it in just 3 days. I had have read and watched so much about World War II, but I had never heard of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, nor did I know that there was a segregated Black battalion in combat on D-Day. We are excited to learn more about the true story of Waverley Woodson.
Beyond how this book has sparked more curiosity about real history, it was simply an enjoyable read together. My son noticed that this Ranger in Time book is different from all the others because Ranger was helping two different characters and we were following two different stories that came together, which made it feel fresh for him. Compared with books that focused on one primary character, I did feel that this one lacked the usual depth of character development that Messner is so great at establishing in such a short format. Nevertheless, it is an excellent, enjoyable read.
The publisher's stated reading level is Grade 4 and interest level is 3rd-4th grade, but my 1st grader was riveted and absolutely loves this series. It can appeal to 2nd-5th graders, and even adult readers like me can get a lot out of it!
December 19, 2019
{My thoughts} – Leo is a Jewish boy that is sent off to another country in order to avoid the Nazi invasion of France. When he gets to that new country he is told his name is Henri and he is there to help his Uncle on his farm. His grandma is the one that took him and over the past couple of years she’d been to visit. However, they both were waiting on the allies to come and push away all the German soldiers that have been around the farm and area in which Leo was staying.
One morning Leo woke up to the allies finally there. They were fighting back against the Germans. Leo was able to stay safe because Ranger had shown up. He’d guided Leo to safety. He’d also guided an American soldier named Walt to safety. If it wasn’t for Ranger’s search and rescue training both Walt and Leo probably would have died crossing an active mine field.
They didn’t though because Ranger figures out how to lead them. He figured out how to keep them safe in that time. Ranger is a smart dog and when he’s on a mission or trying to figure out what it is he needs to do in order to get back home, then he seems all the more smarter.
This was a well written book that helped to place you in the line of fire. It helped to show you what took place on D-Day and what was at stake. I enjoyed reading it because WWII is the war that fascinates me the most, I’m always interested in reading more and more about it.
I look forward to reading more books in this series very soon.
One morning Leo woke up to the allies finally there. They were fighting back against the Germans. Leo was able to stay safe because Ranger had shown up. He’d guided Leo to safety. He’d also guided an American soldier named Walt to safety. If it wasn’t for Ranger’s search and rescue training both Walt and Leo probably would have died crossing an active mine field.
They didn’t though because Ranger figures out how to lead them. He figured out how to keep them safe in that time. Ranger is a smart dog and when he’s on a mission or trying to figure out what it is he needs to do in order to get back home, then he seems all the more smarter.
This was a well written book that helped to place you in the line of fire. It helped to show you what took place on D-Day and what was at stake. I enjoyed reading it because WWII is the war that fascinates me the most, I’m always interested in reading more and more about it.
I look forward to reading more books in this series very soon.
August 13, 2018
An entertaining and educational fictional story based on the experiences of real people during World War II in Europe for young readers. Strong characters in this fast-paced tale with a bonus at the end, author's notes with Kate Messner sharing the details of her historical research in France.
Ranger, the brave time-traveling dog, does his job to find more people that need rescuing by paying close attention to the scents on the beach. Leo trusts the dog with his secret that he went into hiding when his Jewish family was taken away in Paris.
In my work as a hospice social worker, for many years I have been privileged to hear stories from those who have survived World War II. This book was the 1st time I've come across the 320th barrage balloon battalion and understood how the Allies used barrage balloons in warfare. I, of course, was aware of the segregated army and thought the author a did a beautiful job highlighting that as a connection point with the Jewish boy hiding in the story. The author's note describes how many African American Soldiers did not get the honors that they earned for heroic acts during World War II.
I hope this easy to read story helps young minds learn from the mistakes of the past.
Ranger, the brave time-traveling dog, does his job to find more people that need rescuing by paying close attention to the scents on the beach. Leo trusts the dog with his secret that he went into hiding when his Jewish family was taken away in Paris.
In my work as a hospice social worker, for many years I have been privileged to hear stories from those who have survived World War II. This book was the 1st time I've come across the 320th barrage balloon battalion and understood how the Allies used barrage balloons in warfare. I, of course, was aware of the segregated army and thought the author a did a beautiful job highlighting that as a connection point with the Jewish boy hiding in the story. The author's note describes how many African American Soldiers did not get the honors that they earned for heroic acts during World War II.
I hope this easy to read story helps young minds learn from the mistakes of the past.
January 1, 2021
This is the first book chosen for our Between the Lines Book Club at NPL. I love animals and Ranger is an amazing dog who travels through time to help. In this installment, Ranger assists a soldier and a civilian on the beach during WWII.
What I also love about this book is that Kate Messner conducts her research. At the end of the book, Messner reveals that she traveled to Europe to research the historical details and interviews Jeannette Legallois, who shared with Messner about the day that Allies visited her town and freed them from Nazi control. Legallois was 15 when that happened and one of the characters in the story is inspired by her.
I also was impressed that Messner provided photographs and additional resources for further reading. The book was excellent and I will be sure we have the entire series at the library where I serve.
What I also love about this book is that Kate Messner conducts her research. At the end of the book, Messner reveals that she traveled to Europe to research the historical details and interviews Jeannette Legallois, who shared with Messner about the day that Allies visited her town and freed them from Nazi control. Legallois was 15 when that happened and one of the characters in the story is inspired by her.
I also was impressed that Messner provided photographs and additional resources for further reading. The book was excellent and I will be sure we have the entire series at the library where I serve.
October 8, 2022
This well-researched chapter book covers D-Day from the perspective of a Black GI, a Jewish boy in hiding, and Ranger, the time-traveling rescue dog in this series. I expected to love this, since I'm so invested in World War II, but I didn't like it as much as some of the other books. The story stretched thin over the two unrelated human characters and their stories, and I think this would have been better if the author had chosen just one of them to write about.
The historical note is excellent, and it provides helpful, little-known context about the achievements and sacrifices of Black soldiers in World War II and on D-Day in particular.
The historical note is excellent, and it provides helpful, little-known context about the achievements and sacrifices of Black soldiers in World War II and on D-Day in particular.
October 19, 2019
My 9 year old son and I read this for our little home book club. Good read a like for fans of The Magic Tree House series. I did learn about the blimp like balloons the soldiers used to stop the German planes from flying to low to the ground. Made a nice connection to Brave As my Brother which I recommend to my son.
He wants to read more of the books in this series.
Author provided great resources in the back of the book and explained her travels and research process for writing this book.
He wants to read more of the books in this series.
Author provided great resources in the back of the book and explained her travels and research process for writing this book.
August 21, 2022
Ranger is a dog that travels back in time to help people in historical events. This time he travels back to WWII to Normandy Beach on D-Day to help the 320th battalion. He helps a man named Walt walk through a minefield, drags some men to safety from drowning, and helps a little boy that was buried in rubble. Our family enjoyed reading together and I learned something new, I never knew about the balloons. Can't wait to read the other books in this series.
June 4, 2018
I thought this book was pretty good. My son loved it tho! this story is about a time traveling dog that finds himself on the beach in the D-Day battle.
I'm not sure how I would use this in the classroom... probably just as a read aloud if we were studying war. we could mark some of the lines that help show us what life was like during those times.
I'm not sure how I would use this in the classroom... probably just as a read aloud if we were studying war. we could mark some of the lines that help show us what life was like during those times.
June 27, 2023
Not really reading this series in order more jumping around to get different fill has it is a time travel stories the fill of of the unknown path it takes really gets good has with each story we’re given young and old chacthers that show the thoughts that they had during thouse time frames in there life’s and the rescue dog that changed it for the better
March 20, 2018
I'm so glad for books that totally appeal to kids that also connect them with pieces of history. These books allow kids to understand history in a way that connects them to their families. What can be better than that?
January 15, 2019
Book 7 in the series Ranger in Time, takes place at Normandy on the morning of D-Day. Young dog and history lovers will enjoy this traveling golden retriever who helps the Allies by avoiding land mines and meets a young Jew.
March 7, 2018
i liked it. I would have rated it 3.6
March 21, 2018
I liked it.
April 2, 2018
My kindergartener picked this out at the school book fair. We read it together, alternating who read aloud. He enjoyed it and could follow the story.
May 21, 2018
My 8 year old son loves this series! Great introduction to historical fiction.
July 25, 2018
Excellent read aloud. I enjoy this series a ton. It’s like “Quantum Leap” with a dog as the hero. I like the feel-good ending and educational notes at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2018
Well researched good story line with info about WW2 few know about.
September 30, 2019
i liked this book because it was my type of book a militarily book about d-day .
December 4, 2019
Best book I have ever read!😀
April 22, 2020
A great book!!!!
April 21, 2021
Read this with my son. This is a bit below his grade level but he loves books about history (especially WW2) and time travel. It was a fun book to read together.
August 17, 2021
Turtle: great! Return to library.
October 16, 2021
From Roland:
This book is great because the dog goes back in time with a first aid kit to help people. I also love the history-I’m interested in WW2 and you learn a lot about DDay.
This book is great because the dog goes back in time with a first aid kit to help people. I also love the history-I’m interested in WW2 and you learn a lot about DDay.
November 23, 2021
Another A+ book in the Ranger in Time series
December 7, 2022
I read this to A summer 2022
A between 1st & 2nd grade
love reading this series to A like I read it to D when he was younger!
great series that teaches about historical events
A between 1st & 2nd grade
love reading this series to A like I read it to D when he was younger!
great series that teaches about historical events
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews