Zinc

by Sue Klauber

It is World War 2 and brothers George and John and their sister Eva are each fighting in their own way. Secret agent George is parachuted into Slovakia in an Operation codenamed Zinc, John breaks codes at Bletchley Park, while Eva is stranded in enemy-occupied Hungary.
Based on the extraordinary real-life stories of Sue Klauber’s father, uncle and aunt, she wrote Zinc for her son, to celebrate the full and heroic engagement of their North London Jewish family in the fight against tyranny.

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2022

Reviews

[A.M. Loughrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue Klauber’s debut middle-grade historical novel is children’s historical fiction at its best. Based on the heroic actions and experiences of Sue’s father, uncle and aunt we follow three siblings, George, John and Eva through some of WWII’s most important events that helped to turn the tide of the war. It is full of excellently executed dramatic scenes that will keep young readers turning the pages.

Written from the points of view of the two brothers George and John, Sue skilfully portrays the effects the Nazi invasion of Hungary had on the Jewish population during the 1940’s and how they were called to arms. We learn how George was selected to parachute into Slovakia for Operation Zinc and how John became a code breaker at Bletchley park. I was drawn in by the logistics of their missions and the consequent contributions both brothers made to the war effort.

Throughout the book there are a series of flashbacks to their childhood. These flashbacks are quite poignant in displaying how the brothers’ relationship has grown and changed in a way young readers can easily relate to. The brothers are very different but family is important to them both. There are no chapters from Eva’s point of view everything we learn about her, we discover from her brother’s flashbacks and information they have gleaned.

Zinc would be ideal as a class text to support a KS2 project on WWII. It provides an insightful reflection of what it was like for the Jews during WWII that could be used to trigger discussions on the events and inspire empathy.

I look forward to discovering more about George, John and Eva in the sequel, Cobalt, which is due for release later this year.

[David Laflin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is not a factual story it is based around information that the author has of her father, uncle and aunt
It is a masterpiece in storytelling and had me hooked from the first chapter all the way to the end.
It's a story of survival in WW2 of a Hungarian Jewish family.
Such bravery shown by all as each played their part in defeating Nazism.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a fascinating and gripping story about young British and Jewish men who went to the army in second world war and details of what they did to fight for this country. It also describes life in the 40's and important relationships past and present. I liked that it's written so clearly for young people and based on factual evidence as well as fiction of that time. Important parts about being Jewish then which resonate with being Jewish now. Great writing

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was readable but the history teacher in me objected to some of the ways the story was put together