D-Day: The WWII Invasion That Changed History

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Scholastic Book Service

Annotation: Presents a comprehensive introduction to D-Day that explains its goals and years of secret planning while discussing the important roles played by contributors such as service members, African Americans, women, and journalists.

Genre: [World history]

Reviews: 5

Catalog Number: #208890

Format: Perma-Bound Edition

Publisher: Scholastic Book Service

Edition Date: 2020 Release Date: 02/04/20

Pages: xxiii, 375 pages

ISBN: Publisher: 0-545-68250-9 Perma-Bound: 0-7804-7305-1

ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-545-68250-3 Perma-Bound: 978-0-7804-7305-8

Dewey: 940.54

LCCN: 2017057211

Dimensions: 20 cm.

Subject Heading:
Operation Overlord. Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945. Campaigns. France. Normandy. Juvenile literature.
Operation Overlord.
World War, 1939-1945. Campaigns. France. Normandy.
Normandy (France). History, Military. Juvenile literature.

Language: English

Reviews:

Horn Book

Focusing on the Utah and Omaha beach landings, Hopkinson employs her signature kaleidoscopic style--synthesizing complex events into a compelling narrative arc, and sampling myriad voices to add texture and color to the story while never losing sight of the bigger picture. Short chapters are loosely organized into a series of briefings (exposition of information) and dispatches (first-person accounts), and black-and-white photographs appear throughout. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

Hopkinson relates events of the World War II invasion now known as D-Day, arguably the largest and most complex military operation in history.Although thousands of British and Canadian troops participated in the invasion—and German soldiers greeted it—Hopkinson focuses primarily on the experiences of Americans at Utah and Omaha beaches. Such major figures as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley get plenty of attention, but more is given to the experiences of the soldiers who waded ashore under fire or parachuted behind enemy lines. Hopkinson weaves their personal accounts with those of observations by Ernie Pyle and others to bring the invasion vividly to life. One remarkable story is that of Pvt. Hal Baumgartner, wounded four times in 24 hours on Omaha Beach and wounded a fifth time at the aid station he was taken to when German snipers opened fire. As in Hopkinson's Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines (2016), the fast-paced narrative is supplemented with three types of interspersed text: "briefings," which home in on special topics, including the roles of women and African-American soldiers in the invasion; "dispatches," or first-person accounts; and "reader's invasion briefings," which cover strategy. Numerous archival, black-and-white photographs offer a parallel visual story, and interspersed pointers to additional, often online resources encourage further research.An attractively packaged, engrossing history that will appeal to readers fascinated with military strategy. (maps, timeline, glossary, websites, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Horn Book
Kirkus Reviews
Wilson's High School Catalog
Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references (pages 314-346) and index.

Word Count: 49,908

Reading Level: 7.9

Interest Level: 7-12

Accelerated Reader: reading level: 7.9 / points: 9.0 / quiz: 196779 / grade: Middle Grades

Reading Counts!: reading level:9.5 / points:14.0 / quiz:Q75090

Lexile: 1060L

"'Look, men, look! It's the fleet.'" At the sergeant's voice, paratrooper David Kenyon Webster peered out the window of the rumbling C-47 plane and caught his breath. "'Man, oh man.'"The clouds had slid off the moon to reveal an extraordinary sight. "Five hundred feet below, spread out for miles on the moonlit sea, were scores and scores of landing barges, destroyers, cruisers, and attack transports," said David. "They were bearing the infantry slowly east, like a flood of lava, to a dawn assault on the shingle shore of Normandy."He turned back around. "I stared at the men opposite me in the racketing, vibrating, oil-reeking, vomit-scented darkness... My stomach tightened and filled with ice, and a voice told me to get ready."'It's coming,' the voice said, 'it's coming.'"Not much longer now. The paratroopers of E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, were set to jump before one in the morning. They had just a few hours to clear the way for infantry soldiers landing on Utah Beach at dawn. Their mission: to destroy German gun nests and take control of four causeways leading off the beach over a mile of lowlands the enemy had flooded as a defensive measure.These tracks were the only ways off the beach. If Americans controlled them, the thousands of soldiers landing on the beachhead would be able to move inland, seal off the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, and move north into it to capture the port of Cherbourg. It could make the difference between gaining a real foothold in France -- or being stalled on the shore, giving Germany more time to rush in reinforcements for a counterattack.

Excerpted from D-Day - The World War II Invasion That Changed History by Deborah Hopkinson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Sibert Honor author Deborah Hopkinson brings her signature action-packed narrative style to one of the most crucial battles of WWII.

The WWII invasion known as D-Day was the largest military endeavor in history. By June 6, 1944, Hitler and his allies had a strong grip on the European continent, where Nazi Germany was engaged in the mass extermination of the Jewish people. The goal of D-Day was the total defeat of Hitler's regime, and the defense of free democracies everywhere. Knowing they had to breach the French coast, the US, Great Britain, and Canada planned for the impossible.

D-Day was an invasion not for conquest, but liberation, and required years to plan and total secrecy to keep the advantage of surprise. Once deployed, Operation Overlord involved soldiers, sailors, paratroopers, and specialists. Acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the contributions of not only D-Day's famous players, but African Americans, women, journalists, and service members in a masterful tapestry of official documents, personal narratives, and archival photos to bring this decisive battle to vivid, thrilling life.

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