Here’s a heart-breaking/heart-warming WWII novel for your 7th and 8th grade students. Kessler does not shy away from the immense horrors of WWII, but her story of 1942 Holland centers on the remarkable courage everyday people channeled to resist. The alternating storylines of contemporary Liv and 1942 Mila make the WWII content and themes more accessible to students. Language Arts and Social Studies teachers: this is a great addition to your classroom library. Students will love it.
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Range: 11 – 14
Summary: This story is told through two alternating narrators: modern-day, 12-year-old Liv and her grandma (Bubbe) in Holland in 1942. Assigned a research project for History class, Liv is surprised to find an old box filled with newspaper articles and photos in Bubbe’s attic. The photo shows a young Bubbe with a sister — who Liv has never heard of because Bubbe refuses to speak of her childhood. In the 1942 timeline, 12-year-old Mila (Bubbe) and her sister Hannie live in Nazi-occupied Holland. Persecuted by anti-Semitic laws, Mila and Hannie are sent to live with a non-Jewish family. While Mila attempts to settle in, Hannie is enraged by the injustices. She finds a way to join the resistance — even though it means putting her life in grave danger.
Teaching with Code Name Kingfisher
Recommend this book to students who:
- Read a lot of WWII historical fiction that feature resistance stories, such as Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin.
- Appreciate the storyline in Black Star by Kwame Alexander where the granddaughter uncovers and learns from the story of her grandparent.
- Are drawn to stories of sisters, in all their love-and-bickering glory, including Duel by Jessixa Bagley and Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin.
Want to help students think about theme in Code Name Kingfisher? Teach them to determine a theme by analyzing the obstacles their character faces. They could look at Liv, Mila, or Hannie and learn so much from taking a close look at how the characters face obstacles.
Read Code Name Kingfisher for these themes:
Being an Upstander: Hannie saves many children by joining the Resistance in Amsterdam, despite the immense dangers. Liv takes inspiration from Hannie’s story to stand up to the school bullies set on making her miserable.
Friendship: Both storylines feature tweens and teens navigating relationships with peers characterized by trust and compassion as well as betrayal and lies. The juxtaposition of healthy with toxic friendships is enlightening for young readers.
My two cents: I always take a deep breath when opening the pages of a war story. I know I’ll feel heartbreaking loss, and immense anger at the characters who cause that loss. But at the same time, I eagerly anticipate the moments of courage and hope. Kingfisher is overflowing with these moments.
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