About the Author

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is the Newbery Honor and Schneider Award-winning author of several novels, including Ruthie's Gift, One-of-a-Kind Mallie, Weaver's Daughter, Halfway to the Sky, and For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy. Bradley and her husband have two children and they live on a farm in eastern Tennesse, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Reviews

[STAR] "This taut, engrossing World War II novel instantly immerses readers,...[but] the real focus, however, is the skin-crawling suspense story about one of France's youngest spies. Each chapter brings new intrigue and often shocking revelations...resonat[ing] with authenticity, excitement, and heart."-Booklist, Starred

[STAR] "This suspenseful novel,...based on a true story, moves swiftly into action...Filled, but not laden, with the events of the war, and peppered with French language and the culture of music, this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy history and espionage."-SLJ

[STAR] "Based on Bradley’s interviews with the real Suzanne, this is an exciting account of a girl’s coming of age in a scary time. The historical context is neatly woven into the story."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"The action will have readers on the edge through the tense conclusion, and the epilogue is not to be missed."-The Bulletin

"A highly compelling look at the covert battle for freedom."-Publishers Weekly

An IRA Teachers' Choice
An ALA Amelia Bloomer Selection
A VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Selection
A New York Public Library Book Pick
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year

Based on a true story, Bradley's (Ruthie's Gift) gripping, high-stakes adventure about a French girl who joins the Resistance during WW II offers insight into a young spy's sacrifices and bravery. When the Germans begin to occupy France, 13-year-old Suzanne, who narrates, focuses more on her dreams of singing professionally than on the war she thinks could never hurt her. She tries to follow her pragmatic father's repeated admonition, "Obey the rules and no one gets hurt." But her views change when a bombing leaves her best friend mute from trauma, German soldiers seize her family's home and she realizes "sometimes people disappeared." Family relationships and the intensely personal price of war prove more strongly sketched than Suzanne's love of music, even though it is the travel occasioned by Suzanne's growing success in the opera that makes her useful to the Resistance. Bradley effectively portrays the initial allure when the family doctor recruits Suzanne, then 16, as "number twenty-two" (names would be too dangerous to use), and then gradually tarnishes that glamour to reveal the heavy burden, isolation and imminent danger. While one or two touches seem forced (particularly when Suzanne is betrayed), the details and the tone have the ring of authenticity. A highly compelling look at the covert battle for freedom. Ages 10-14. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

[STAR] "This taut, engrossing World War II novel instantly immerses readers,...[but] the real focus, however, is the skin-crawling suspense story about one of France's youngest spies. Each chapter brings new intrigue and often shocking revelations...resonat[ing] with authenticity, excitement, and heart."-Booklist, Starred

[STAR] "This suspenseful novel,...based on a true story, moves swiftly into action...Filled, but not laden, with the events of the war, and peppered with French language and the culture of music, this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy history and espionage."-SLJ

[STAR] "Based on Bradley's interviews with the real Suzanne, this is an exciting account of a girl's coming of age in a scary time. The historical context is neatly woven into the story."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"The action will have readers on the edge through the tense conclusion, and the epilogue is not to be missed."-The Bulletin

"A highly compelling look at the covert battle for freedom."-Publishers Weekly

An IRA Teachers' Choice
An ALA Amelia Bloomer Selection
A VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Selection
A New York Public Library Book Pick
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year