Between 1939 and 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, and France. World War II lasted until 1945 and involved all of the world’s major powers. Hitler’s racist ideology and brutal concept of power caused him to set certain goals in Europe, such as creating slave labor, advancing the ideal blonde/blue-eyed Aryan race, and the genocide of Europe’s Jews.
The Gestapo was the German secret police.
Resistance groups were active throughout Norway. Their activities included guerrilla warfare, sabotage, spying and reporting information to allies, and distributing anti-Nazi literature. Resistance was extremely dangerous; if caught, the consequences were brutal and fatal.
Shadow on the Mountain by
Shadow on the Mountain recounts the adventures of a 14-year-old Norwegian boy named Espen during World War II. After Nazi Germany invades and occupies Norway, Espen and his friends are swept up in the Norwegian resistance movement. Espen gets his start by delivering illegal newspapers, then graduates to the role of courier and finally becomes a spy, dodging the Gestapo along the way. During five years under the Nazi regime, he gains--and loses--friends, falls in love, and makes one small mistake that threatens to catch up with him as he sets out to escape on skis over the mountains to Sweden. Preus incorporates archival photographs, maps, and other images to tell this story based on the real-life adventures of Norwegian Erling Storrusten, whom Preus interviewed in Norway. Praise for Shadow on the Mountain STARRED REVIEWS "Newbery Honor winner Preus infuses the story with the good-natured humor of a largely unified, peace-loving people trying to keep their sanity in a world gone awry. Based on a true story, the narrative is woven with lively enough daily historical detail to inspire older middle-grade readers to want to learn more about the Resistance movement and imitate Espen's adventures." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "This engrossing offering sheds light on the Norwegians' courage during World War II. Preus masterfully weds a story of friendship with the complications faced by 14-year-old Espen and his friends as Nazi restrictions and atrocities become part of their everyday lives...This is at once a spy thriller, a coming-of-age story, and a chronicle of escalating bravery. Multidimensional characters fill this gripping tale that keeps readers riveted to the end." --School Library Journal, starred review "A closely researched historical novel... relates this wartime tale with intelligence and humor...Ms. Preus deftly uses together historical fact (Espen is based on a real-life spy) and elements of Norwegian culture to conjure a time and place not so terribly long ago." --The Wall Street Journal "Margi Preus, who won a Newbery honor for Heart of a Samurai, returns with another riveting work of historical fiction... This fine novel, which includes an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography and even a recipe for invisible ink, is based on extensive research... The result is an authentic coming-of-age story, perfect for readers fascinated by the diary of Anne Frank or Lois Lowry's classic, Number the Stars." --BookPage "The final chapters, which chronicle Espen's dramatic escape to Sweden--days and nights of mountain skiing, Nazis in hot pursuit--take the book into adventure-thriller territory without losing the humanity that characterizes Preus's account." --The Horn Book Magazine "Preus makes crystal clear the life imperiling risks that Espen undertakes and the danger to his family." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "As readers understand the risks that Espen took, they will want to learn more about this period. That Espen escaped to Sweden by traveling at night on skis with five different guides should intrigue them." --Library Media Connection Awards VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers 2012 list 2013 Notable Books for a Global Society Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award
1. Read the prologue in the novel, and briefly answer the following questions:
2. On the page after the prologue, read the quote.
Reckless Courage by
The book portrays the the waqrmth, humor, and daily life of a Norwegian family and the unusual exploits of a younger son who worked at a hotel housing German officers during the occupation. A wealth of historical detail does much to counter the virtually unrecognized importance of Norway in world War II. There are some intriguing conclusions: The impetuous decision to invade Norway cost Hitler the war. A Norwegian colonel, disobeying orders, changed the course of history. Norway's world monopoly on "heavy water" gave Germany a false sense of security in nuclear research: a crucial factor in its failure to develop an atomic bomb.
Required: Watch these videos until at least minute 7-8
Optional: Begin at 2:14