- In part 1, Julie, code name Verity, is a British spy during WWII who is captured by the Germans when she is forced to eject from the plane she is in over France. She is forced to tell her story and reveal British secrets to the Nazis, but instead uses her writing to tell the story of her best friend and pilot, Maddie, as well as embed the secrets of her mission. Maddie’s pilot journals become the basis of part 2. Maddie was able to crash land the plane she was flying and takes up with a resistance group called Damask. One of Julie’s interrogators goes rogue and switches sides, taking Julie’s paper with them to Damask. Maddie is able to decode the mission, as well as make plans to save Julie. But, things go awry and Maddie is unable to save Julie. Fearing she will be tortured or reveal information, Julie kills her friend to save the secrets.
- Powerful female characters stand out in this great piece of nonfiction. Placed in a time period when women weren’t given certain opportunities, even when it came to war, Julie and Maddie defy society’s ideas of what women can do. In addition to the positive female characters, the themes for this historical fiction are very prevalent for today’s readers. Friendship is a central theme that drives the plot and keeps the reader engaged, even when the awful ending occurs and a friend has a to kill a friend for the sake of the war. In addition to friendship, perseverance and honesty are also dealt with. Young readers deal with these life lessons and sometimes don’t have positive examples of dealing with pressures.
Wein, E. (2013). Code name Verity. New York, NY: Hyperion.
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