Elliott, L. M. Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves. Fiction. HarperCollins/K. Tegen, 03/2022. 284pp. $16.99. 978-0-06-305656-5. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 4-8.
Thirteen-year-old Louisa June describes the outbreak of WW II and how it impacts her family and neighbors in Tidewater, Virginia, where her father owns a tugboat. The Nazis are sending U-boats into the area and are blowing up cargo ships, making the community and local fishermen part of the front lines of the war. This thoughtful historical novel is simply told, appealing to readers just moving up from transitional fiction books, and the areas of history are smoothly introduced for those unfamiliar with details. The story also effectively addresses Louisa June’s mother who suffers from depression. All of the characters appear to be white. Back matter details more of the historical aspects of this novel, which will appeal to fans of Bradley’s The War That Saved My Life (Dial, 2015).
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool