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Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"
One WWII pilot’s mission to lift the spirits of children living in war-torn Berlin in 1945 comes to life in this moving middle-grade historical account. After World War II the United States and Britain airlifted food and supplies into Russian-blockaded West Berlin. US Air Force Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen knew the children of the city were suffering. To bring a bit of hope, he began dropping chocolate and chewing gum by parachute.
What began as a one-time gesture of compassion turned into an official U.S. Air Force operation. “Operation Little Vittles” grew, as more and more pilots volunteered to drop the parachutes, and donations of candy and cloth poured in from all over. This inspiring story of one man’s contribution to the rebuilding of a country after war is a unique look at history.
Illustrated with archival photographs, personal photographs from Lt. Gail Halvorsen—the Chocolate Pilot—letters, and documents, Candy Bomber is an important and interesting addition to studies of World War II.
What began as a one-time gesture of compassion turned into an official U.S. Air Force operation. “Operation Little Vittles” grew, as more and more pilots volunteered to drop the parachutes, and donations of candy and cloth poured in from all over. This inspiring story of one man’s contribution to the rebuilding of a country after war is a unique look at history.
Illustrated with archival photographs, personal photographs from Lt. Gail Halvorsen—the Chocolate Pilot—letters, and documents, Candy Bomber is an important and interesting addition to studies of World War II.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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June 2, 2023
When one thinks of the top kids' historical nonfiction authors from the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Michael O. Tunnell doesn't come right to mind. There's Russell Freedman, Newbery Medalist and recipient of multiple Newbery Honor citations, who set the gold standard of his era for historical exposition on topics ranging from World War I to the life of the Wright brothers and their invention of the airplane, from the uphill struggle for civil rights in America to the complex narrative of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. There's Susan Campbell Bartoletti, whose thoroughness and versatility earned rousing acclaim for each nonfiction work she produced. There's Phillip Hoose, Steve Sheinkin, Jim Murphy, Albert Marrin, Deborah Hopkinson, Candace Fleming, Marc Aronson, Sally M. Walker, Tanya Lee Stone, Carole Boston Weatherford, Karen Blumenthal, James L. Swanson...the list could go on and on before one thinks of Michael O. Tunnell. Yet in 2010's Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot", the author performed at a level equal to most of those giants of the youth nonfiction pantheon, illuminating an adventure from history that is interesting, emotionally gratifying, and has relevance to readers in any historical era. The story of candy being airlifted over war-torn Berlin and dropped to kids who hadn't tasted sweets for the majority of their lives is more than a happy episode of children not being forgotten amidst concerns of a global war that had just claimed upwards of fifty million lives; it's about the indomitable nature of hope even beneath thunderclouds of tyranny, the resilience of ordinary citizens willing to endure any hardship so long as they don't lose their freedom. This is the surprising drama that unfolded in Germany only a few years after the nation had been led by one of the most depraved fascists in history, the story of the German people casting off their ominous recent past to create a new future for themselves, unencumbered by Hitler's record of ethnic extermination and despotism. Candy Bomber is a beautiful reminder that our past controls us only as long as we let it.
The conclusion of World War II left the Allies with some sensitive issues to address. Germany's leadership structure was no more and the country lay in ruins, unable to take care of itself. The Allies knew from what happened following World War I that prolonged sanctions against Germany would cause resentment that could lead to the rise of another demagogue like Adolph Hitler, so they chose instead to adopt responsibility for Germany by dividing its care among the main Allied powers. The United States, Britain, France, and Russia each assumed control over a section, and though the city of Berlin lay entirely within the Russian sector, its administration was so important that they also agreed to apportion that city among the four Allies. Consensus over this arrangement didn't last, however, as Russia grew resentful of its partners in stopgap bureaucracy and cut off all travel over ground and water to anywhere in Berlin. They were counting on starvation to force the Berliners under American, British, and French supervision to beg their new leaders to cut ties so the Russians would take over their care, but the Allies weren't about to give up that easily, and neither were the hungry Berliners. They saw firsthand the devastation wrought by Russia's communism on East Berlin, how it impoverished the people and robbed them of basic freedoms they had only just regained after Hitler's demise. Determined not to forsake West Berlin, the Allies launched "Operation Vittles", sending airplanes to fly over their half of the city and drop sacks of food and fuel for the Germans, who used these resources to stave off Russian advances on their territory. Russia wasn't ready to end their hostile takeover of Berlin just yet, but the threat was neutralized for now, and denizens of West Berlin wouldn't starve or freeze to death.
Upon his reassignment from South America to Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Berlin for Operation Vittles in 1948, American Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen took a tour of the ruined German countryside, seeing for himself the toll exacted by the war. As Lt. Halvorsen waited for the jeep to pick him up for his tour, he snapped photos near the Tempelhof airfield where planes dedicated to Operation Vittles took off and landed each day. On the other side of the fence separating civilian land from the American airfield, a group of ragtag children watched him, right up against the fence. Lt. Halvorsen conversed with the quiet youngsters in English, answering questions about Operation Vittles. They were skinny and shabbily dressed, victims of the Russian blockade and exorbitant prices on the black market, but recognized the importance of not bowing to Russian authoritarianism. "Though they worried about going hungry, the children seemed to agree that they were just as concerned about losing their newfound freedoms. 'These young kids [gave] me the most meaningful lesson in freedom I ever had,' Lt. Halvorsen later said. The American pilot hesitated before saying goodbye to the kids at the fence, wishing to do something for them to reward their faith. Though it wasn't nearly enough for the number of children there, Lt. Halvorsen pulled two sticks of Doublemint chewing gum from his pocket and distributed them to the kids, who calmly accepted the gift and then shredded the wrapper to pass around so those not fortunate enough to receive any gum could at least inhale the sweet aroma of the stuff.
Their joyful appreciation for Lt. Halvorsen's limited gesture moved him to want to do more. What if he made an unscheduled airlift over Berlin just to drop candy for the kids? He could use his own candy rations and those of his fellow officers if they agreed to donate, tie the candy in makeshift parachutes, and drop the bundles for the kids below. Lt. Halvorsen worked out a signal so the kids would know which plane was stocked with sweets: he would wiggle the wings, a wink and a nod to the young Germans that would be clearly visible from the ground. The inaugural candy drop worked so well that Lt. Halvorsen decided to make additional candy runs, and the crowd at the fence quickly grew. When Lt. Halvorsen's commanding officer discovered what he was doing and called him into his office to account for it, Halvorsen figured that was the end of his confectionary philanthropy, but Colonel Haun had no intention of halting the candy airlifts. Rather, he devoted extra resources to the lieutenant's endeavor, and "Operation Little Vittles" was officially underway.
Word spread of Lt. Halvorsen's compassionate response to the underserved children of Berlin, and donations of candy and of cloth to make miniature parachutes began pouring in, easing any worries that there were insufficient materials to sustain Operation Little Vittles as its notoriety swept across the huge city of Berlin. Other pilots were sent, too, and candy rained down on the euphoric young ones, some of whom had never tasted sweets. But even with numerous pilots going on candy runs, there were so many kids that most never got a parachute, so it was a rare blessing if that weighted cloth fell into one's hands. Uncle Wiggly Wings; the Chocolate Pilot; our Chocolate Uncle; these were the affectionate names the children called Lt. Halvorsen by in the letters he received, gratitude arriving en masse as he bombarded the city with candy parcels. Lt. Halvorsen was called on to do radio and television appearances promoting Operation Little Vittles, telling his story and asking for donations from abroad so the sweet dreams of pint-sized Berliners could continue being fulfilled. He visited German children's hospitals full of hurting orphans whose eyes lit with newfound energy to meet their Chocolate Uncle, whether or not they got candy out of the deal. Lt. Halvorsen took care of that whenever possible, bringing boxes of gum and candy on his hospital visits, accompanied on one occasion by American health officer James Gibson, a skilled bubble gum blower who demonstrated his technique to hospitalized youngsters who had never seen gum in action. Lt. Halvorsen even made special candy airlifts once in a while when he received a letter from a kid thankful for Halvorsen's kindness but who hadn't been lucky enough to snag a parachute, and tried his best to make a drop near their house so they could grab the parachute before older kids intervened. When this didn't work, Lt. Halvorsen mailed them candy directly, as in the case of nine-year-old Peter Zimmerman and seven-year-old Mercedes Simon. Of all the children Lt. Halvorsen catered to, the stories of these two are focused on in Candy Bomber, and it's easy to see why: theirs are the cutest and most charming of the book.
Gail S. Halvorsen recalls story after story of Operation Little Vittles, some humorous, others sweet, and some of them poignant. Young Klaus Rickowski dove into a pond for a parachute and emerged covered in slime and mud, but ecstatic to get his candy. A man who lived in poverty wrote Lt. Halvorsen to say he'd been distraught to have no present for his son's birthday...until the day he looked out the window and spotted a tiny parachute filled with candy on the edge of his roof. The care package made the boy's birthday more memorable than he thought possible. Many such anecdotes are recorded in Candy Bomber, showing in a variety of ways the role Lt. Halvorsen played in buoying the spirits of a city that had reason to doubt its future as a place of freedom. "All this for two sticks of gum!" Lt. Halvorsen often repeated in disbelief, but his charity had extended far beyond that, touching every boy and girl of Berlin in one way or another. As the war's hostility faded and Germany strove for a return to normality, the Americans stood right beside them. Lt. Halvorsen just happened to express that solidarity in a unique and particularly pleasant manner.
Halvorsen's days as Chocolate Uncle to Berlin's youth couldn't last forever, but when he accepted reassignment to Mobile, Alabama in January 1949, Operation Little Vittles was not abandoned. Its administration was put in the capable hands of Captain Eugene Williams, whose bigheartedness toward Berlin's littlest citizens was as indefatigable as Lt. Halvorsen's. By the time Russia admitted defeat and lifted the blockade on West Berlin in May 1949, Capt. Williams had orchestrated a greater number of candy runs than Lt. Halvorsen, continuing to please Berlin's youth with sweet treats until the airlifts were no longer necessary. But it was Halvorsen who retained a special place in the heart of every young Berliner who received candy from the sky because he cared about them. In 1969 Halvorsen was asked to return to Berlin for a candy airlift to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Operation Little Vittles, which he happily agreed to do, showering German little ones with sweets for the first time in two decades. In 1970 he was re-stationed at Tempelhof in Berlin, where he served the remainder of his career. Halvorsen was invited by dozens of Germans for dinner at their homes in his honor, many of whom were kids when Lt. Halvorsen started Operation Little Vittles and wanted to thank the man who did so much to lift their spirits. Halvorsen forged friendships during these years that would last a lifetime, and all, as he routinely said, for two sticks of gum. He participated in several more anniversary candy airlifts to delight the new children of Berlin, grandchildren and later great-grandchildren of the generation he served in 1948, and even led the German athletes into Eccles Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The people of Berlin had not forgotten their Chocolate Uncle more than fifty years after the fact.
A highlight of Candy Bomber is the Prologue written by Gail S. Halvorsen, a succinct and moving commentary on what Operation Little Vittles meant to him and to preadolescent Germans of the 1940s. Writes Halvorsen: "This book is special to me because it tells about the people of Berlin who valued freedom over food. The Russians promised them food if they agreed to live under Soviet rule, but they refused. They wanted to be free, even if that meant going hungry. Children felt this way, too. 'I can live on thin rations but not without hope,' one ten-year-old boy told me. The Berlin children taught me to put principle before pleasure—to stand by what is important to you." What a magnificent lesson to learn from a ten-year-old, who had witnessed the opposite of freedom and knew nothing should be valued above liberty. Halvorsen always appreciated the love and gratitude the little Berliners gave him, reinforcing his faith in a world so recently marred by catastrophic violence. "I was able to give them a little candy and a little hope, but they were able to fill me up with so much more." That sentiment is reflected in the words of a German boy who spoke years after Operation Little Vittles about what it was like at age ten to see a parachute containing a Hershey chocolate bar come drifting out of the mist into his hands on his way to school. The candy was worth more than pure gold to the boy. "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared. That parachute was something more important than candy. It represented hope. Hope that someday we would be free. Without hope the soul dies." Operation Vittles and Operation Little Vittles were successful because they kept alive the flame of hope in Berlin, from adults down to the smallest children. They weren't left to wonder if, after the horrible, bloody war instigated by their leader, the world still cared about them.
Candy Bomber is a soul sibling to Claire Huchet Bishop's 1948 Newbery Honor book Pancakes-Paris, a story set after the trauma of World War II that sustains a similarly hopeful tone throughout. While Pancakes-Paris is about the healing of the common spirit in France as a boy named Charles figures out how to make pancakes for a small party to remind his mother and sister of the precious days "Before" the war swallowed them up, Candy Bomber points to the example of an American pilot who loved the children of Germany before ever meeting them, to show that a second global war could not wipe out hope and humanity, that international goodwill was still alive despite the efforts of the world's worst madmen to stamp it out. There was laughter and generosity and friendship yet to take root in our world, and it would be a soothing sight for eyes exhausted by images of a war that slaughtered untold masses. There was, and still is, reason to believe in humanity. Something grand and altogether wonderful really can come from something as small as two sticks of chewing gum. I adore Candy Bomber, and would compare it favorably to almost any nonfiction offering of its day. The story leaves readers feeling positive not just for the sake of their comfort, but with good reason, a feeling that will translate into kids picking up on the Gail S. Halvorsen spirit and demonstrating compassion to the world in their own thoughtful ways. Any book capable of that has achieved something extraordinary. Way to go, Lieutenant Halvorsen, and way to go, Michael O. Tunnell.
The conclusion of World War II left the Allies with some sensitive issues to address. Germany's leadership structure was no more and the country lay in ruins, unable to take care of itself. The Allies knew from what happened following World War I that prolonged sanctions against Germany would cause resentment that could lead to the rise of another demagogue like Adolph Hitler, so they chose instead to adopt responsibility for Germany by dividing its care among the main Allied powers. The United States, Britain, France, and Russia each assumed control over a section, and though the city of Berlin lay entirely within the Russian sector, its administration was so important that they also agreed to apportion that city among the four Allies. Consensus over this arrangement didn't last, however, as Russia grew resentful of its partners in stopgap bureaucracy and cut off all travel over ground and water to anywhere in Berlin. They were counting on starvation to force the Berliners under American, British, and French supervision to beg their new leaders to cut ties so the Russians would take over their care, but the Allies weren't about to give up that easily, and neither were the hungry Berliners. They saw firsthand the devastation wrought by Russia's communism on East Berlin, how it impoverished the people and robbed them of basic freedoms they had only just regained after Hitler's demise. Determined not to forsake West Berlin, the Allies launched "Operation Vittles", sending airplanes to fly over their half of the city and drop sacks of food and fuel for the Germans, who used these resources to stave off Russian advances on their territory. Russia wasn't ready to end their hostile takeover of Berlin just yet, but the threat was neutralized for now, and denizens of West Berlin wouldn't starve or freeze to death.
Upon his reassignment from South America to Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Berlin for Operation Vittles in 1948, American Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen took a tour of the ruined German countryside, seeing for himself the toll exacted by the war. As Lt. Halvorsen waited for the jeep to pick him up for his tour, he snapped photos near the Tempelhof airfield where planes dedicated to Operation Vittles took off and landed each day. On the other side of the fence separating civilian land from the American airfield, a group of ragtag children watched him, right up against the fence. Lt. Halvorsen conversed with the quiet youngsters in English, answering questions about Operation Vittles. They were skinny and shabbily dressed, victims of the Russian blockade and exorbitant prices on the black market, but recognized the importance of not bowing to Russian authoritarianism. "Though they worried about going hungry, the children seemed to agree that they were just as concerned about losing their newfound freedoms. 'These young kids [gave] me the most meaningful lesson in freedom I ever had,' Lt. Halvorsen later said. The American pilot hesitated before saying goodbye to the kids at the fence, wishing to do something for them to reward their faith. Though it wasn't nearly enough for the number of children there, Lt. Halvorsen pulled two sticks of Doublemint chewing gum from his pocket and distributed them to the kids, who calmly accepted the gift and then shredded the wrapper to pass around so those not fortunate enough to receive any gum could at least inhale the sweet aroma of the stuff.
Their joyful appreciation for Lt. Halvorsen's limited gesture moved him to want to do more. What if he made an unscheduled airlift over Berlin just to drop candy for the kids? He could use his own candy rations and those of his fellow officers if they agreed to donate, tie the candy in makeshift parachutes, and drop the bundles for the kids below. Lt. Halvorsen worked out a signal so the kids would know which plane was stocked with sweets: he would wiggle the wings, a wink and a nod to the young Germans that would be clearly visible from the ground. The inaugural candy drop worked so well that Lt. Halvorsen decided to make additional candy runs, and the crowd at the fence quickly grew. When Lt. Halvorsen's commanding officer discovered what he was doing and called him into his office to account for it, Halvorsen figured that was the end of his confectionary philanthropy, but Colonel Haun had no intention of halting the candy airlifts. Rather, he devoted extra resources to the lieutenant's endeavor, and "Operation Little Vittles" was officially underway.
Word spread of Lt. Halvorsen's compassionate response to the underserved children of Berlin, and donations of candy and of cloth to make miniature parachutes began pouring in, easing any worries that there were insufficient materials to sustain Operation Little Vittles as its notoriety swept across the huge city of Berlin. Other pilots were sent, too, and candy rained down on the euphoric young ones, some of whom had never tasted sweets. But even with numerous pilots going on candy runs, there were so many kids that most never got a parachute, so it was a rare blessing if that weighted cloth fell into one's hands. Uncle Wiggly Wings; the Chocolate Pilot; our Chocolate Uncle; these were the affectionate names the children called Lt. Halvorsen by in the letters he received, gratitude arriving en masse as he bombarded the city with candy parcels. Lt. Halvorsen was called on to do radio and television appearances promoting Operation Little Vittles, telling his story and asking for donations from abroad so the sweet dreams of pint-sized Berliners could continue being fulfilled. He visited German children's hospitals full of hurting orphans whose eyes lit with newfound energy to meet their Chocolate Uncle, whether or not they got candy out of the deal. Lt. Halvorsen took care of that whenever possible, bringing boxes of gum and candy on his hospital visits, accompanied on one occasion by American health officer James Gibson, a skilled bubble gum blower who demonstrated his technique to hospitalized youngsters who had never seen gum in action. Lt. Halvorsen even made special candy airlifts once in a while when he received a letter from a kid thankful for Halvorsen's kindness but who hadn't been lucky enough to snag a parachute, and tried his best to make a drop near their house so they could grab the parachute before older kids intervened. When this didn't work, Lt. Halvorsen mailed them candy directly, as in the case of nine-year-old Peter Zimmerman and seven-year-old Mercedes Simon. Of all the children Lt. Halvorsen catered to, the stories of these two are focused on in Candy Bomber, and it's easy to see why: theirs are the cutest and most charming of the book.
Gail S. Halvorsen recalls story after story of Operation Little Vittles, some humorous, others sweet, and some of them poignant. Young Klaus Rickowski dove into a pond for a parachute and emerged covered in slime and mud, but ecstatic to get his candy. A man who lived in poverty wrote Lt. Halvorsen to say he'd been distraught to have no present for his son's birthday...until the day he looked out the window and spotted a tiny parachute filled with candy on the edge of his roof. The care package made the boy's birthday more memorable than he thought possible. Many such anecdotes are recorded in Candy Bomber, showing in a variety of ways the role Lt. Halvorsen played in buoying the spirits of a city that had reason to doubt its future as a place of freedom. "All this for two sticks of gum!" Lt. Halvorsen often repeated in disbelief, but his charity had extended far beyond that, touching every boy and girl of Berlin in one way or another. As the war's hostility faded and Germany strove for a return to normality, the Americans stood right beside them. Lt. Halvorsen just happened to express that solidarity in a unique and particularly pleasant manner.
Halvorsen's days as Chocolate Uncle to Berlin's youth couldn't last forever, but when he accepted reassignment to Mobile, Alabama in January 1949, Operation Little Vittles was not abandoned. Its administration was put in the capable hands of Captain Eugene Williams, whose bigheartedness toward Berlin's littlest citizens was as indefatigable as Lt. Halvorsen's. By the time Russia admitted defeat and lifted the blockade on West Berlin in May 1949, Capt. Williams had orchestrated a greater number of candy runs than Lt. Halvorsen, continuing to please Berlin's youth with sweet treats until the airlifts were no longer necessary. But it was Halvorsen who retained a special place in the heart of every young Berliner who received candy from the sky because he cared about them. In 1969 Halvorsen was asked to return to Berlin for a candy airlift to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Operation Little Vittles, which he happily agreed to do, showering German little ones with sweets for the first time in two decades. In 1970 he was re-stationed at Tempelhof in Berlin, where he served the remainder of his career. Halvorsen was invited by dozens of Germans for dinner at their homes in his honor, many of whom were kids when Lt. Halvorsen started Operation Little Vittles and wanted to thank the man who did so much to lift their spirits. Halvorsen forged friendships during these years that would last a lifetime, and all, as he routinely said, for two sticks of gum. He participated in several more anniversary candy airlifts to delight the new children of Berlin, grandchildren and later great-grandchildren of the generation he served in 1948, and even led the German athletes into Eccles Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The people of Berlin had not forgotten their Chocolate Uncle more than fifty years after the fact.
A highlight of Candy Bomber is the Prologue written by Gail S. Halvorsen, a succinct and moving commentary on what Operation Little Vittles meant to him and to preadolescent Germans of the 1940s. Writes Halvorsen: "This book is special to me because it tells about the people of Berlin who valued freedom over food. The Russians promised them food if they agreed to live under Soviet rule, but they refused. They wanted to be free, even if that meant going hungry. Children felt this way, too. 'I can live on thin rations but not without hope,' one ten-year-old boy told me. The Berlin children taught me to put principle before pleasure—to stand by what is important to you." What a magnificent lesson to learn from a ten-year-old, who had witnessed the opposite of freedom and knew nothing should be valued above liberty. Halvorsen always appreciated the love and gratitude the little Berliners gave him, reinforcing his faith in a world so recently marred by catastrophic violence. "I was able to give them a little candy and a little hope, but they were able to fill me up with so much more." That sentiment is reflected in the words of a German boy who spoke years after Operation Little Vittles about what it was like at age ten to see a parachute containing a Hershey chocolate bar come drifting out of the mist into his hands on his way to school. The candy was worth more than pure gold to the boy. "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared. That parachute was something more important than candy. It represented hope. Hope that someday we would be free. Without hope the soul dies." Operation Vittles and Operation Little Vittles were successful because they kept alive the flame of hope in Berlin, from adults down to the smallest children. They weren't left to wonder if, after the horrible, bloody war instigated by their leader, the world still cared about them.
Candy Bomber is a soul sibling to Claire Huchet Bishop's 1948 Newbery Honor book Pancakes-Paris, a story set after the trauma of World War II that sustains a similarly hopeful tone throughout. While Pancakes-Paris is about the healing of the common spirit in France as a boy named Charles figures out how to make pancakes for a small party to remind his mother and sister of the precious days "Before" the war swallowed them up, Candy Bomber points to the example of an American pilot who loved the children of Germany before ever meeting them, to show that a second global war could not wipe out hope and humanity, that international goodwill was still alive despite the efforts of the world's worst madmen to stamp it out. There was laughter and generosity and friendship yet to take root in our world, and it would be a soothing sight for eyes exhausted by images of a war that slaughtered untold masses. There was, and still is, reason to believe in humanity. Something grand and altogether wonderful really can come from something as small as two sticks of chewing gum. I adore Candy Bomber, and would compare it favorably to almost any nonfiction offering of its day. The story leaves readers feeling positive not just for the sake of their comfort, but with good reason, a feeling that will translate into kids picking up on the Gail S. Halvorsen spirit and demonstrating compassion to the world in their own thoughtful ways. Any book capable of that has achieved something extraordinary. Way to go, Lieutenant Halvorsen, and way to go, Michael O. Tunnell.
June 2, 2011
When this book popped up on the main page of Bibliocommons (our library's new catalog) I knew I had to read it. My wife worked for Colonel (Ret.) Gail Halvorsen when he was an Assistant Dean of Student Life at my alma mater. Due to this association I knew the story of 'ol "Wiggly Wings" and I just wanted to read it in print. The photographs in this book were an added bonus.
This story is so heart-warming and reassuring of the goodness in human-kind that everyone should read it. Tunnell tells the story very well and in a tone that focuses on the relief brought to the people of Berlin by the Airlift amid the Soviet blockade, and the special joy that the children of Berlin got from what was called "Operation Little Vittles" in 1948. In this operation, then Lt. Gail Halvorsen, USAF, started dropping candy from his C-54 transport plane to the children just outside of the airbase where he and his fellow pilots were airlifting food, fuel and supplies to the residents of Berlin, because the city was sealed off from the West.
The story continues from there and grows and expands to encompass much more than a few candy bars and sticks of gum in one war-torn city. On a deeper level, it also shows that people can come from opposing sides and learn to live together in peace, harmony and even love.
This story is so heart-warming and reassuring of the goodness in human-kind that everyone should read it. Tunnell tells the story very well and in a tone that focuses on the relief brought to the people of Berlin by the Airlift amid the Soviet blockade, and the special joy that the children of Berlin got from what was called "Operation Little Vittles" in 1948. In this operation, then Lt. Gail Halvorsen, USAF, started dropping candy from his C-54 transport plane to the children just outside of the airbase where he and his fellow pilots were airlifting food, fuel and supplies to the residents of Berlin, because the city was sealed off from the West.
The story continues from there and grows and expands to encompass much more than a few candy bars and sticks of gum in one war-torn city. On a deeper level, it also shows that people can come from opposing sides and learn to live together in peace, harmony and even love.
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November 1, 2016 CANDY BOMBERS by Micheal O. Tunnell is a non-fiction book, this book is vary interesting. Personally I don't like non-fiction but i really like this book. The protagonist is Lt. Halvorsen, he was one of the american pilots who dropped food to a place in Germany called Berlin. he became famous from dropping candy to the children of Berlin.
The main conflict in the book is that after world war II in 1945 the US, Britain, France and Russia split up Germany and one area in Russia's zone called Berlin, but Russia wanted Berlin for them self so Russia cut of all shipments to Berlin so the US, Britain, and France would leave but they didn't.
This book is nice, easy, and it gives you a lot of details like the dates and letters kids sent Halverson. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical non-fiction book and if you don't like non-fiction still give this book a try.
The main conflict in the book is that after world war II in 1945 the US, Britain, France and Russia split up Germany and one area in Russia's zone called Berlin, but Russia wanted Berlin for them self so Russia cut of all shipments to Berlin so the US, Britain, and France would leave but they didn't.
This book is nice, easy, and it gives you a lot of details like the dates and letters kids sent Halverson. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical non-fiction book and if you don't like non-fiction still give this book a try.
February 4, 2014
An inspiring little story that starts with two sticks of gum. Tunnell's book has a lot of first hand information from Gail Halvorsen, the pilot who started dropping candy to children in post-war Berlin, as well as from children who picked up some of that candy. Great pictures, especially of the drawings and letters Halvorsen got in the mail. The narrative is a little slow to get going, but Tunnell's writing is very good, and once it gets going, it's a wonderful story.
November 29, 2010
After reading some really excellent non-fiction titles (They Called Themselves the KKK and The War to End All Wars), I was prepared to find this mediocre in comparison. However, though it started slowly, it built and built until I was well and truly moved by the story.
Stories like this pop up all over history, and yet it's still amazing to me that one man can, on his own, affect so many people with a small gesture. Of course, in the case of Lt. Gail Halvorsen, his first small gesture (without asking permission, he disseminated candy and gum to poor Berliner kiddos by dropping it from his plane) turned into a very large campaign with donations from candy companies and the eventual cooperation of the Air Force. To build good will between Germany and the United States after WWII seems impossible, but here is this super nice guy reaching out to children and doing it. (The Historical Note at the end of the book draws attention to the fact that the Allies' punishing attitude toward Germany after WWI was a factor in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Like maybe if a Candy Bomber had been around in 1918 the world could have avoided a lot of suffering...)
In the end, it's a happy story from the WWII/Cold War era. How amazing is that? The spirit of hope and generosity in this book makes it a wonderful choice for the holiday season. As one young German boy recalled, "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared."
Stories like this pop up all over history, and yet it's still amazing to me that one man can, on his own, affect so many people with a small gesture. Of course, in the case of Lt. Gail Halvorsen, his first small gesture (without asking permission, he disseminated candy and gum to poor Berliner kiddos by dropping it from his plane) turned into a very large campaign with donations from candy companies and the eventual cooperation of the Air Force. To build good will between Germany and the United States after WWII seems impossible, but here is this super nice guy reaching out to children and doing it. (The Historical Note at the end of the book draws attention to the fact that the Allies' punishing attitude toward Germany after WWI was a factor in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Like maybe if a Candy Bomber had been around in 1918 the world could have avoided a lot of suffering...)
In the end, it's a happy story from the WWII/Cold War era. How amazing is that? The spirit of hope and generosity in this book makes it a wonderful choice for the holiday season. As one young German boy recalled, "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared."
February 26, 2013
Great book for the target age group. This is one of the 2014 Rebecca Caudill books and I think it's a great non-fiction choice. The text is very easy to understand even if the reader is unfamiliar with any of the history. Supporting pictures, photos and letters really help to bring the story to life. I would recommend this book to most readers in the 4th-8th grade age range.
April 3, 2012
As far as historical non-fiction is concerned, this was one of my all-time favorite reads. The mix of pictures, primary documents, and written background were a perfect mix to make this is quick read, but an informational and inspiring read. Honestly, this story really touched me, and although I already knew it thanks to a college friendship with one of Halvorsen's relatives, it was nice to have the details of these candy missions to Berlin. The idea of giving hope to those who should have essentially been our enemies was really touching. Rather than just washing their hands of these German citizens, these soldiers saw a need and did all in their power to fill it.
Halvorsen went on to keep in touch with some of the children that received his sweet treats, and has gone on to speak across the globe about his sweet-treat missions that brought such hope. It's always amazing what true human kindness can do to break down walls of misunderstanding, despair, and anger between people or countries. Reading this history and about the lives it touched, it is easy to see the good it has done for generations after the event.
If you're looking for an engaging piece of history for young readers or adults, this short piece of nonfiction is a must read. The positive message of the book will stay with you long after it is finished. In fact, I walked away wanting to figure out a way that I could do something good for someone else!
Halvorsen went on to keep in touch with some of the children that received his sweet treats, and has gone on to speak across the globe about his sweet-treat missions that brought such hope. It's always amazing what true human kindness can do to break down walls of misunderstanding, despair, and anger between people or countries. Reading this history and about the lives it touched, it is easy to see the good it has done for generations after the event.
If you're looking for an engaging piece of history for young readers or adults, this short piece of nonfiction is a must read. The positive message of the book will stay with you long after it is finished. In fact, I walked away wanting to figure out a way that I could do something good for someone else!
August 2, 2013
In the author's note, Tunnell explains that he originally wanted to write this story as a children's picture book, but someone had beaten him to it. Gail Halvorsen himself also had written an adult book including his own experiences and pictures. So, what Tunnell was left with was a book for kids in between those ages. And it shows. Tunnell does not possess the kind of talent to genuinely turn facts into prose and tell a heart-warming story with any sense of sincerity. Tunnell merely had facts and pictures and threw them together. There is no real writing or authorship here. I never once felt anything towards Halvorsen throughout the book even thought I knew his story itself was pretty interesting, and should have been inspiring. Tunnell simply took the heart out of this story with his textbook like approach to writing it.
Additionally, many of the pictures and captions had nothing to do with the writing within which it was placed. This became distracting at times and I wish the book was simply put together better.
Additionally, many of the pictures and captions had nothing to do with the writing within which it was placed. This became distracting at times and I wish the book was simply put together better.
April 21, 2015
Gail Halvorsen was helping with airlifting supplies in Berlin after WWII. While touring the area, he saw children watching the airplanes. He was touched and offered them what he had with him, two pieces of gum. They were overjoyed to receive that little treat and Lt. Halvorsen knew he had to do something for the children of the city. He began to drop little parachutes of chocolate and gum over the city and ended up touching thousands of lives.
I don't usually read non-fiction, but this book looked intriguing. I really enjoyed reading about how one man had such an impact on thousands of lives. It all started with just two sticks of gum.
I don't usually read non-fiction, but this book looked intriguing. I really enjoyed reading about how one man had such an impact on thousands of lives. It all started with just two sticks of gum.
December 8, 2019
Amazing book about a subject that I knew nothing. It makes me proud of what the WWII Alies did to restore Germany after the war. And this individual who has been decorated by many countries is a saint in my estimation.
October 19, 2020
Loved this book! I just googled Lt. Halvorson (The Candy Bomber) assuming he had passed away. He just turned 100 years old 9 days ago!! I’d love to have met him. What an amazing man & hero!
January 24, 2018
When I was young, I thought that when a war ended, everything simply went back to being normal. Then my dad took me to England and Wales to meet his family and, even after all those years since WWII had ended, there were still so many places where you could see war damage. That trip changed my whole perspective on war, as I realized that recovery was just not that easy.
Nowhere is the aftermath of war more telling and poignant than in the story of the Candy Bomber and the Berlin Airlift. In Candy Bomber, Michael Tunnell gives a brief, but excellent accounting of events that led to the Berlin Airlift. After WWII had ended, Germany was divided up into four occupied zones. Berlin, which suffered heavy bombing towards the end of the war, was right in the middle of the Soviet zone, and was divided in half - the eastern half was occupied by the Soviets, the western half of Berlin was occupied by the Allied powers.
The Soviets, in an effort to drive the western powers out of their half of Berlin, cut off supply routes for desperately needed shipments of food. To keep western Berliners from starving, the RAF launched Operation Plainfare, while the Americans began Operation Vittles in 1948. One of the American pilots who flew foodstuffs to Tempelhof Central Airport in Berlin was Lt. Gail Halvorsen, whose life was changed during one of his deliveries thanks to two sticks of Doublemint gum.
There were always groups of kids around the fence of the airport whenever Halvorsen landed, and one day he walked over to them. A few knew snatches of English, and told him what their life was like. Before leaving, he pulled two sticks of gum from his pocket, broke them in half and gave them to some to the kids. Realizing that the kids probably hadn't had any sweets in a long, long, time, if ever, Halvorsen decided to try dropping candy from his plane. But with so many planes landing in Tempelhof, how would the children know his plane? The answer was simple - he would wiggle his wings for them.
It wasn't long before Halvorsen became known to Berlin children as Oncle Wackelflügel (Uncle Wiggly Wings) or der Schokoladen-flieger, as kids anxiously awaited his candy drops. Pretty soon, his buddies began donating their own sweet rations, and as more parachutes were dropped, Halvorsen's simple plan just kept growing. Soon, donations of candy from around the world began arriving at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base, where he was stationed. Then, the whole operation was nicknamed Operation Little Vittles and Lt. Gail Halvorsen was catapulted into fame as a media figure.
The Berlin Airlift ran from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949, but for Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen, his fame has lasted a lifetime.
Tunnell has put together a comprehensive biography of both Gail Halvorsen and the Berlin Airlift, incorporating anecdotes of kids who had received candy, letters and drawings Halvorsen received from kids during the airlift, and lots of photographs, attesting to his fame during and after the airlift. There are also maps to half kids understand how things evolved after the war, showing the odd way Germany and Berlin were divided up.
The story of Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen was a little remembered story, but one that certainly should appeal to young readers. At a time when heroes are really needed, I couldn't help but think about what a wonderful role model Halversen is, demonstrating how one person can make such a difference in the lives of people. And adding to this touching story is the fact that 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
Nowhere is the aftermath of war more telling and poignant than in the story of the Candy Bomber and the Berlin Airlift. In Candy Bomber, Michael Tunnell gives a brief, but excellent accounting of events that led to the Berlin Airlift. After WWII had ended, Germany was divided up into four occupied zones. Berlin, which suffered heavy bombing towards the end of the war, was right in the middle of the Soviet zone, and was divided in half - the eastern half was occupied by the Soviets, the western half of Berlin was occupied by the Allied powers.
The Soviets, in an effort to drive the western powers out of their half of Berlin, cut off supply routes for desperately needed shipments of food. To keep western Berliners from starving, the RAF launched Operation Plainfare, while the Americans began Operation Vittles in 1948. One of the American pilots who flew foodstuffs to Tempelhof Central Airport in Berlin was Lt. Gail Halvorsen, whose life was changed during one of his deliveries thanks to two sticks of Doublemint gum.
There were always groups of kids around the fence of the airport whenever Halvorsen landed, and one day he walked over to them. A few knew snatches of English, and told him what their life was like. Before leaving, he pulled two sticks of gum from his pocket, broke them in half and gave them to some to the kids. Realizing that the kids probably hadn't had any sweets in a long, long, time, if ever, Halvorsen decided to try dropping candy from his plane. But with so many planes landing in Tempelhof, how would the children know his plane? The answer was simple - he would wiggle his wings for them.
It wasn't long before Halvorsen became known to Berlin children as Oncle Wackelflügel (Uncle Wiggly Wings) or der Schokoladen-flieger, as kids anxiously awaited his candy drops. Pretty soon, his buddies began donating their own sweet rations, and as more parachutes were dropped, Halvorsen's simple plan just kept growing. Soon, donations of candy from around the world began arriving at the Rhein-Main Air Force Base, where he was stationed. Then, the whole operation was nicknamed Operation Little Vittles and Lt. Gail Halvorsen was catapulted into fame as a media figure.
The Berlin Airlift ran from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949, but for Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen, his fame has lasted a lifetime.
Tunnell has put together a comprehensive biography of both Gail Halvorsen and the Berlin Airlift, incorporating anecdotes of kids who had received candy, letters and drawings Halvorsen received from kids during the airlift, and lots of photographs, attesting to his fame during and after the airlift. There are also maps to half kids understand how things evolved after the war, showing the odd way Germany and Berlin were divided up.
The story of Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen was a little remembered story, but one that certainly should appeal to young readers. At a time when heroes are really needed, I couldn't help but think about what a wonderful role model Halversen is, demonstrating how one person can make such a difference in the lives of people. And adding to this touching story is the fact that 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
January 25, 2016
After World War II was over, Russia wanted to control the German capital of Berlin and decided to prevent trucks and trains of food and supplies from getting there. So the Americans and the British started an airlift mission to get food to the starving people of Berlin by airplane. One of the pilots in the airlift was a lieutenant named Gail Halvorsen. Lt. Halvorsen saw that German children liked to gather at the airfield, and one day he talked to them and gave them some gum. When he saw how happy this made them, he had a great idea. Lt. Halvorsen began to drop his ration of candy and gum out of his plane attached to little parachutes. He told the children to get ready to catch it and share it between them. Pretty soon, many other pilots, officers, regular Americans back home, and even big candy companies wanted to get involved. Over the next several years, American pilots provided the children of Berlin with special sweet treats that were otherwise impossible to find. But most importantly, they gave these children a reason to hope that despite all they had lost, everything was going to be okay.
This book was so great! It's a great, real-life example of one person being able to make a difference. I'm sure the people of Berlin were more grateful to have actual food to eat, but dropping candy so that the children of Berlin could have these happy childhood memories in difficult times seems to have been very appreciated. It's amazing that there are so many photos and letters documenting "Operation Little Vittles," but it seems like Lt. Halvorsen was one to save everything and take pictures of everything - so that's lucky for us readers! This is also a great story connected to World War II that most people probably haven't heard of before.
I would recommend this book to grades 4-8, especially those who like amazing true stories or are interested in World War II. This is a somewhat less dark readalike to many World War II stories, but I would also compare it to an inspiring nonfiction book like Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson.
This book was so great! It's a great, real-life example of one person being able to make a difference. I'm sure the people of Berlin were more grateful to have actual food to eat, but dropping candy so that the children of Berlin could have these happy childhood memories in difficult times seems to have been very appreciated. It's amazing that there are so many photos and letters documenting "Operation Little Vittles," but it seems like Lt. Halvorsen was one to save everything and take pictures of everything - so that's lucky for us readers! This is also a great story connected to World War II that most people probably haven't heard of before.
I would recommend this book to grades 4-8, especially those who like amazing true stories or are interested in World War II. This is a somewhat less dark readalike to many World War II stories, but I would also compare it to an inspiring nonfiction book like Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson.
August 21, 2014
Fiction "Twin Text":
The Boy Who Dared, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Copyright 2008.
Rationale for Selection:
I selected The Boy Who Dared to complement this non-fiction for three reasons. One, the books have similar settings, Germany around the time of WWII. Two, the books are at similar reading and interest levels. Lastly, I chose to put these books together because they bring out two very different stories and portray how Germany changed during and after the war. In Candy Bomber we read about an American pilot who brought candy and chocolate to German children after the war was over, even though it meant giving up his own sweets. In The Boy Who Dared we read of a young German boy living during the war who did what he thought was right even though it put his own life in danger. There are many chances for comparison and contrast between both the Germanys described in the books and the protagonists.
Text Structure and Strategy Application:
The text structure of Candy Bomber is chronological. It begins with an introduction of Lt. Gail Halvorsen and tells his story from beginning to end. The strategy I would use for these twin texts is Venn Diagram. While these stories are vastly different, they took place in the same country only a few years apart. I would have my students work to find similarities and differences between Germany at war and Germany after the war. I would also create a separate Venn Diagram to discuss the similarities of the two young men who are the protagonists. While in very different situations, they both thought of others ahead of themselves and took risks.
Award
2011 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Honor
The Boy Who Dared, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Copyright 2008.
Rationale for Selection:
I selected The Boy Who Dared to complement this non-fiction for three reasons. One, the books have similar settings, Germany around the time of WWII. Two, the books are at similar reading and interest levels. Lastly, I chose to put these books together because they bring out two very different stories and portray how Germany changed during and after the war. In Candy Bomber we read about an American pilot who brought candy and chocolate to German children after the war was over, even though it meant giving up his own sweets. In The Boy Who Dared we read of a young German boy living during the war who did what he thought was right even though it put his own life in danger. There are many chances for comparison and contrast between both the Germanys described in the books and the protagonists.
Text Structure and Strategy Application:
The text structure of Candy Bomber is chronological. It begins with an introduction of Lt. Gail Halvorsen and tells his story from beginning to end. The strategy I would use for these twin texts is Venn Diagram. While these stories are vastly different, they took place in the same country only a few years apart. I would have my students work to find similarities and differences between Germany at war and Germany after the war. I would also create a separate Venn Diagram to discuss the similarities of the two young men who are the protagonists. While in very different situations, they both thought of others ahead of themselves and took risks.
Award
2011 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Honor
November 14, 2017
I read this book for a school assignment for English class. I loved this book for so many reasons and think it is incredible that Gail Halvorsen cared about the citizens, especially children that were inside West Berlin. His acts of kindness, candy droping, made everyone joyful and lifted their spirits.
Gail Halvorsen’s generosity is probably my favorite thing about the book. It's not everyday that you see someone dropping candy to you from plane. Although, he had not been permitted to drop sweets from his plane, he still did. No one ever told him to take others in consideration but he did.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the people’s joyfulness was described well, along with pictures of them unwrapping packages. The book shows pictures of people unwrapping the packages thrown down to them, which gave me a even bigger image of their happiness. I think it was great idea of Gail Halvorsen to make Berlin happy by dropping sweets down to them. It was especially nice of candy factories and other airmen to donate sweets. So many other people were part of that candy dropping act, which I think is incredible.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is interested in history and historical events.
Gail Halvorsen’s generosity is probably my favorite thing about the book. It's not everyday that you see someone dropping candy to you from plane. Although, he had not been permitted to drop sweets from his plane, he still did. No one ever told him to take others in consideration but he did.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the people’s joyfulness was described well, along with pictures of them unwrapping packages. The book shows pictures of people unwrapping the packages thrown down to them, which gave me a even bigger image of their happiness. I think it was great idea of Gail Halvorsen to make Berlin happy by dropping sweets down to them. It was especially nice of candy factories and other airmen to donate sweets. So many other people were part of that candy dropping act, which I think is incredible.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is interested in history and historical events.
June 13, 2015
Review by daughter, R, at age 10:
Who is the Candy Bomber? Gail Halvorsen, that's who it is. I enjoyed Michael O. Tunnell's story, The Candy Bomber, and learned much from it. West Berlin was starving so America gave to them. While food was being unloaded a young pilot named Gail Halvorsen talked to the kids who were watching the plane. Before he left, Gail gave the kids two sticks of gum he split to make four. The split the wrapper so everyone could have a smell.
I found it interesting that kids sent "Uncle Wiggly Wings" letters. It was interesting they knew it was him just because of the unique way he wiggled his wings. It was cool that he came up with the idea of putting candy and gum in "parachutes" made of hankies and cloth. Over all, Cany Bomber was a good book to read. I recommend it to you.
Who is the Candy Bomber? Gail Halvorsen, that's who it is. I enjoyed Michael O. Tunnell's story, The Candy Bomber, and learned much from it. West Berlin was starving so America gave to them. While food was being unloaded a young pilot named Gail Halvorsen talked to the kids who were watching the plane. Before he left, Gail gave the kids two sticks of gum he split to make four. The split the wrapper so everyone could have a smell.
I found it interesting that kids sent "Uncle Wiggly Wings" letters. It was interesting they knew it was him just because of the unique way he wiggled his wings. It was cool that he came up with the idea of putting candy and gum in "parachutes" made of hankies and cloth. Over all, Cany Bomber was a good book to read. I recommend it to you.
March 22, 2011
This is a book about heroism. Not the hollow Jack Bauer style of heroism, but the quiet, ordinary type that all of us could aspire to. In July of 1948, Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen dropped three little bundles of candy via parachute to waiting children in Berlin, beginning what grew into Operation Little Vittles. Halvorsen didn't have permission to drop chocolates from his plane. No orders to had come down as part of a propaganda campaign--his was a simple act of kindness. Word of his action spread, and over the next sixteen months 25 plane crews dropped 23 tons of sweets, bringing hope to Berlin's children.
If, like me, you're weary of our daily bombardment of bad news, read this book. It reminded me that one person acting with simple human kindness can still improve the world.
If, like me, you're weary of our daily bombardment of bad news, read this book. It reminded me that one person acting with simple human kindness can still improve the world.
January 30, 2013
This was an interesting, quick read about G. Halverson who started Operation Tiny Viddles during the Berlin Airlift, where he and others dropped candy to the German children by little white parachutes. I never knew about him or his story until the Christmas special with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir last month, where he made a guest appearance and the Conference Center rained with tiny little white parachutes. The book is juvenile lit., and I enjoyed learning the story more in-depth through pictures, historical information, and personal accounts. What a great, humble man, who can still fit in his Air Force jumpsuit at age 90!
July 23, 2013
*ebook
Audience: Intermediate, interest level grades 5-8, reading level 7.2
Genre: Nonfiction, Berlin (Germany), U.S. Air Force
Discussion Questions:
-Remembering: How did the selection end?
-Understanding: Described what happened before the U.S. Air Force began making food and supply drops into West Berlin.
-Applying: What questions would you ask Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen if you met him today?
-Analyzing: What was the most exciting part of Operation Little Vittles?
-Evaluating: What choice would you have made if you were in Lt. Halvorsen's shoes at the beginning of the book?
-Creating: How would you rewrite the selection from a German child's point of view?
Audience: Intermediate, interest level grades 5-8, reading level 7.2
Genre: Nonfiction, Berlin (Germany), U.S. Air Force
Discussion Questions:
-Remembering: How did the selection end?
-Understanding: Described what happened before the U.S. Air Force began making food and supply drops into West Berlin.
-Applying: What questions would you ask Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen if you met him today?
-Analyzing: What was the most exciting part of Operation Little Vittles?
-Evaluating: What choice would you have made if you were in Lt. Halvorsen's shoes at the beginning of the book?
-Creating: How would you rewrite the selection from a German child's point of view?
July 21, 2013
Audience: Intermediate
Genre: Non-Fiction
Remembering: When did "Operation Little Vittles" occur?
Understanding: What facts or ideas show Lt. Gail Halvorsen cared about the children in Berlin?
Applying: What would result if the Berlin Airlift was unsuccessful?
Analyzing: What motive is there to help a country after years of war against them?
Evaluating: How would you prioritize the letters requesting candy from different children to decide who gets some chocolate and other treats mailed to them?
Creating: Pretend you are a child in West Berlin. Create your own way to make sure you receive some candy. Describe what you would do and how you would do it.
Genre: Non-Fiction
Remembering: When did "Operation Little Vittles" occur?
Understanding: What facts or ideas show Lt. Gail Halvorsen cared about the children in Berlin?
Applying: What would result if the Berlin Airlift was unsuccessful?
Analyzing: What motive is there to help a country after years of war against them?
Evaluating: How would you prioritize the letters requesting candy from different children to decide who gets some chocolate and other treats mailed to them?
Creating: Pretend you are a child in West Berlin. Create your own way to make sure you receive some candy. Describe what you would do and how you would do it.
November 2, 2014
This book did not work for me, it is a biography of a pilot set during the Berlin Airlift who started dropping candy and it became a pr stunt that the military and west grabbed to build more propaganda. In my mind this book is aimed at 5th-8th graders, what they don't get is actually a decent explanation about why we were having to do the Berlin airlift within the greater context of World War II and the Cold War. But also why it as so important to use something like dropping candy to influence public opinion beyond it making people feel good.
April 3, 2013
I was kind of surprised how engaged the kids were through the whole book. They seemed to enjoy the historical account and since it involved war (to a certain extent) and airplanes I thought the boys might find it entertaining. It was even neater when we learned that Gail Halverson is a Mormon!
I'm not sure this is one either one of my boys (6 & 8) would have picked out on their own, but I think they enjoyed me reading it to them.
I'm not sure this is one either one of my boys (6 & 8) would have picked out on their own, but I think they enjoyed me reading it to them.
September 29, 2010
*LOVED* this book. A great book to read with/to your (older?) kids. I learned some history, learned about paying attention to inspiration, and was so incredibly touched by the extraordinary and widespread impact that resulted from one man's willingness to exert a little effort. Many lives were touched, many were changed. (And this story is in the 'Friend' magazine this month!)
January 30, 2014
What a great look into a bit of history you don't hear much about! I didn't really know anything about the Russian occupation of Berlin after WWII, so this book not only gave me a look at that, but also the sweet story of the man behind the chocolate falling from the sky into West Berlin. Very cool.
December 15, 2016
This non-fiction was very interesting. It showed how quickly the American military came to the aid of innocent Germans, while it showed how terribly vengeful Soviets behaved. Furthermore, it included the letters and pictures from the German children. To see these children grow up and meet the Candy Bomber is also well worth the read.
December 9, 2017
This children's book was very well-written. I read it to my father-in-law and he really enjoyed it. The book has a lot of pictures that give life to the story. It discussed more than just the 1 1/2 years of Operation Little Vittles. It also covered how this program influenced the rest of Halvorsen's life. What a great example of how doing something little had big impact.
March 3, 2018
This was a moving story about how something small can quickly turn into something large and impactful. I had never heard the story of the "Candy Bomber," and this book, complete with fantastic photographs, was both educational and inspiring.
December 1, 2015
This is an excellent historical story of the hope this man gave children in Berlin. It was so good that we could not stop reading and finished this book in one reading. History is best remembered when learned thru the stories of real people and their lives.
Read
December 3, 2016This was so inspirational! I wish we could learn about more acts such as these during the wars. I had never heard of this before, and yet it was so incredibly impactful to hundreds of people during that time. You never realize what such a small thing can do to cheer up a grieving country.
February 5, 2017
So, I got this because we read the picture book version of this at Christmas. However, I think the picture book almost has as much information as this one. It is a good story......just not a very long one, and I felt they were really dragging things out with pictures and side-info.
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