This installment in the New York Times bestselling I Survived series from Lauren Tarshis shines a spotlight on the Normandy landings, just in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day!
A battle that would change the course of World War II...Eleven-year-old Paul's French village has been under Nazi control for years. His Jewish best friend has disappeared. Food is scarce. And there doesn't seem to be anything Paul can do to make things better.Then Paul finds an American paratrooper in a tree near his home. The soldier says the Allies have a plan to crush the Nazis once and for all. But the soldier needs Paul's help.This is Paul's chance to make a difference. Soon he finds himself in the midst of the largest invasion in history. Can he do his part to turn horror into hope?
Lauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the San Francisco earthquake, 9/11, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark. Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love.
A timely and compelling addition to the I Survived series. I have not read all of them, but this one is surely one of the best. The research Tarshis took time to complete is evident in the way her narrative gives us such a heartrending view of that day. So many aspects are covered by her story itself. Readers will find Paul to be very relatable and they will love the closure given by the end of the story. Included is a Q & A section about D-Day, graphics of equipment used during the invasion and a thorough timeline. Highly recommended! *Review by Darla from Red Bridge*
A timely and compelling addition to the I Survived series. I have not read all of them, but this one is surely one of the best. The research Tarshis took time to complete is evident in the way her narrative gives us such a heartrending view of that day. So many aspects are covered by her story itself. Readers will find Paul to be very relatable and they will love the closure given by the end of the story. Included is a Q & A section about D-Day, graphics of equipment used during the invasion and a thorough timeline. Highly recommended!
My favorite genre is Historical Fiction, and the book I read was “I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944.”
It was a good book. Fictional, but included history. Although if there was one thing I would’ve changed, it would’ve been not having some scenes. Near the end of the book, while D-Day was starting, the main character, Paul, kept falling asleep or fainting so I couldn’t get that much interesting D-Day plot out of it. I would still recommend it for anybody who also likes Historical Fiction.
- Tyler E., PWPL Teen Reader
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
I really enjoyed this I Survived book. It provided a lot of interesting information regarding D-Day. It was informative about the paratroopers that played an important role in this top secret operation. The author cleverly introduced a carrier pigeon as one of the characters. I was surprised to learn just how many were actually used during WWII by the allies - over 250,000! The Resistance was also cleverly intertwined throughout this book showing just how different people put their own lives at risk by operating many secret missions in order to save Jews or to intercept information for the Allies. Many of the Resistance also carried out missions that helped to destroy ammunition of the Nazi's and their followers. This historical fiction piece is great read - give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 (I Survived, #18), another installment in the New York Times bestselling I Survived series from Lauren Tarshis shines a spotlight on the Normandy landings, the largest invasion force in history, just in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day!
A battle that would change the course of World War II...Eleven-year-old Paul's French village has been under Nazi control for years. His Jewish best friend has disappeared. Food is scarce. And there doesn't seem to be anything Paul can do to make things better. But then Paul finds an American paratrooper in a tree near his home. The soldier says the Allies have a plan to crush the Nazis once and for all. But the soldier needs Paul's help. This is Paul's chance to make a difference. Soon he finds himself in the midst of the largest invasion in history. Can he do his part to turn horror into hope?
Terrific story! I love how the author told the story through the eyes of a young boy. The young boy was able to experience the D-Day landing and the French resistance, including resistance members he very well knew.
Lauren Tarshis's I Survived series has introduced young readers to a variety of significant, but scary events that have occurred in both recent and distant history through a young eyewitness protagonist. With the same themes of courage and resilience the protagonist didn't realize they possessed, they become active participants in these events, providing the reader with an exciting fast-paced story and lots of historical background information. In her latest book, Tarshis takes her readers to France's Normandy coast just before and after the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.
Living there in the town of Le Roc, Paul Colbert, 11, has waited and waited for the Allied Forces to come and rescue France from the hands of the Nazis and end the war. After France had fallen to the Nazis in 1940, his father had been arrested and sent to a German prison camp; then his best friend Gerard and his family were arrested by the Nazis because they were Jewish and had disappeared. Later, Paul had seen his favorite teacher, Mr. Leon, being pursued and shot by Nazi soldiers for being in the resistance, and he watched in horror as his hero sank into a river.
But just as he is beginning to lose hope, it's Paul's turn to be a hero when he discovers an American paratrooper caught in a tree and injured. Paul knows that helping this man is dangerous if the Nazis catch him, especially with Nazis soldiers nearby looking for the paratrooper. But despite his fear, Paul climbs the tree and frees the American, whose name he learns is Sergeant Victor Lopez. But now, the wounded Victor needs a safe place to hide and Paul knows just where to take him. The old, crumbling Castle Le Roc isn't a place anyone wants to be in, what with the all the stories that told about it, and Paul knows how to get there so the Nazis don't discover them. So, imagine Paul's surprise when they are greeted at the castle by a man pointing a rifle at them.
Little does Paul realize that he has stumbled into a resistance hideout and that his life is about to change. Not only does he discover Mr. Leon is still alive and working for the resistance, but so is his mother. At the moment, resistance fighters all over France are waiting for the code that will let them know the D-Day invasion, what Mr. Leon called "the largest invasion by sea in the history of the world," is happening. And now even Paul has a part to play in it.
I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 was written to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 2019. It is the 18th novel in the I Survived series and like the 17 that came before it, it is an exciting novel that will not let readers down. And while the main focus is on the anticipated Allied invasion, the novel also introduces young readers to the important work of the French resistance and the dangers involved in that kind of work.
Some of the descriptions of Nazi cruelty toward their enemies, and some of the scenes of the Normandy coast during the invasion are a little more graphic than most books written for this age group, though none of it is gratuitous. But, as with all of the novels I've read in the I Survived series, the writing is excellent and completely accessible and there is lots of kid appeal. Paul is a sympathetic character, and readers will no doubt relate to his fears, but also cheer his bravery.
This is a serious story told about a dangerous time, but Tarshis includes some lightheartedness in the form of Ellie, the carrier pigeon who accompanied Victor to France and whose job it was to fly back to England and let them know he had arrived safely. But Ellie isn't about to abandon Victor, even after he is at Castle Le Roc. Good thing, she turns out to be a lifesaver and a real hero, too.
Tarshis has included a lot of back matter for curious kids, including a letter from the author to her readers about writing this book, answers to some questions about D-Day, and other points of interest to young readers, an overview of the vehicles used for the invasion (which I also found very informative), a Timeline, a list of books for Further Reading and a Selected Bibliography.
I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 is a solid edition to the I Survived series, and is sure to appeal to kids who like exciting stories, historical fiction and/or WWII novels.
This book is recommended for readers age 7+ This book was sent to me by the publisher, Scholastic Press
My goal is to read all the "I Survived" books, even as an adult they are very good books. Quick reads, but the history is meticulous and the story is well written. Each one I've read has made me want to read more about the historical event in the story. This one follows Paul, an 11 year old boy caught in the midst of World War II in a small village on the coast of Normandy. His village has been taken over by the Nazis and he's hoping the Allies will invade soon.
110. pages. I enjoyed this book but it was tough in some places. The author is really great when it comes to getting some details down and making a reader feel the full impact of the situation. There were several sections that really punches you in the gut, so to speak. It is so difficult to really get my head around all that happened in WWII, but this book really helps to start a conversation about it or accompany a class study of this time period. The ending was very satisfying. This book is well-written and very engaging. The plot keeps a reader on edge. Highly recommended for grade 5 and maybe middle school, too.
This was my first time reading one of the “I survived” books and I must say, it was a good experience. The story felt brutally real but was still twisted into an uplifting fictional story. I’ll definitely be reading more of these. It’s nice to brush up on my history without cracking open a textbook.
I enjoyed this historical fiction children's book which followed a young French boy's day during this WWII event. I felt like it was entertaining, informative, adventurous, and historically accurate. I like that the author included a timeline, by the hour, for D-Day at the end of the book which included some interesting facts not seen in the story itself.
{My thoughts} – Paul is an eleven year-old boy living in France. His village has been taken over by the Nazi’s for some years. His father had been taken from him and his mother. His best friend and his family had been taken by the Nazis in the middle of the night.
Paul is a boy that has learned to find ways to cope with what is going on around him. He hasn’t been very happy lately but when the book begins it is around his mothers birthday. He wants nothing more then to surprise her with her favorite cookies. So he goes and tries to sell his soccer ball to the only leather worker still in town. At first he doesn’t want it but then he decides to take it.
On his way home with the cookies he is nearly run off the road by the Nazis. He learns quickly his cookies are a crumbled mess on the ground and all he can think to do is cry. Then a bird comes up to him and gets his attention. The bird leads him to a soldier caught in a tree. He has to decide if he should help him or not. He chooses to do what he thinks is right and he helps him. They barely escape before the Nazis locate them with their dog.
They manage to stumble upon a resistance base. They manage to stay safe. Paul learns so many things in a short amount of time that it almost makes his head spin. There was so much he didn’t know that was going on around him and so much he wished he had. If he’d known some of the things maybe life would have been more bearable for him at his age.
This is a really well written book and it has it’s moments of “What am I reading? and “Did I really just read that?” It was a fast read that I wish hadn’t ending. I have a strong fascination in the events that unfolded during WWII.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series very soon!
The book "I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944" by Lauren Tarshis is an amazing book with many twists, and thrills. Every time a new character comes in you feel like a secret will be revealed. The beginning will make you want to read the hole thing.
Excellent overview of the most comprehensive invasion in history. The French resistance characters represent important parts of the historical narrative. Highly recommend.
I chose this book in. preparation for an upcoming class. It was not on our reading list, probably because it is a Young Adult/Children's book but after reading Bank of Brothers I decided that I could get another perspective here in a quicker fashion. My granddaughter has read other of the I Survived series so I was familiar with the series. It served just the purpose I intended presenting the events of D-Day and the Normandy invasion in a manner that was easy to grasp.
James Holzhauer (that Jeopardy contestant) says he learns a lot of trivia from reading YA non-fiction. So when I came across the I Survived series, I was like WHY NOT?! Will definitely check out more of these :D
I think that I Survived: The Battle of D-Day by Lauren Tarshis is a great book in my opinion and I recommend this book to people in fourth grade and above. I really like the way the author shows how life was like during World War 2 in a village in which Nazis have control of it. The story follows Paul who lives in Le Roc (a fictional village) which is controlled by the Nazis and is trying to get a gift for his Mom’s birthday. As the story continues, Paul rescues an American paratrooper named Victor. Then, Paul unravels many secrets after Victor tells him that he is part of the resistance. After, Paul gets in the middle of a deadly, bloody battle on the beaches of Normandy known as D-Day. I really like how the author Lauren Tarshis flash-forwards to a cliffhanger involving Paul in the first chapter. The genre of this book is historical fiction and I would definitely recommend this book to people who love the I Survived series and historical fiction books.