"Extra, Extra, Read all about it!", Maks, a newsie, shouts each day to help make a few pennies to help his family pay rent and buy food. It's 1893 and New York is bursting forth with tenements, immigrants, unsanitary conditions, thugs, and obscene affluence. Life is harsh enough, but Bruno and the Plug Ugly Gang make it their mission to rob and beat the newsies in hope that they will scare them away from selling newspapers. What would a kid like Bruno care about this? Nothing But the man he works for cares about this a lot! Bruno has Maks right where he wants him, but Willa, a homeless girl with a big stick, has other plans. Maks has other problems too! He has to work to find clues to a crime that is tearing his family apart!
I am often amazed at how children not only survive, but thrive, in the worst of conditions. Maks is lucky! He has a family that loves and cares for him. Willa is lucky because she meets Maks. Not all children are lucky though... This book weaves New York history with a suspenseful story of Maks trying to discover the truth in a world of power and money that seems very foreign to him: The Waldorf hotel!
As I prepare to teach reading using more nonfiction, I've been really trying to find titles that are age-appropriate and engaging. I do believe Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell is both of those things. I've learned more history from reading children's books than I ever did while sitting in history class, and this book filled me in on events that unfolded post World War II in Berlin. Small acts of kindness have woven into such a great story of hope and compassion.
I wish that I had read "Candy Bombers" by
Michael O. Tunnell earlier so that I could have posted my review on
Memorial Day. After I read this book, I just had to watch one youtube video after another, scour websites to read even more about the handkerchief parachutes with candy attached that sailed into the hands of eager German children, and just marvel at the true heroes such as Lt. Gail Halvorsen. Post World War II, the Soviets attempted block train and truck convoys with supplies into Berlin because they wanted to force West German to buckle under the weight of economic pressure to yield to them. The people were strong and pushed back, but faced serious hardships. This was definitely the beginning of the Cold War. The West Germans were facing starvation; however, once
again, our military stood in the gap, risked their lives, and
personified heroism! Airplanes began flying over to drop supplies to people in need. This was known as The Berlin Airlift, and many times this was a dangerous operation. The Berlin Airlift saved the lives of countless
citizens of West Berlin.
Happenstance led to the "candy drops". During a brief period on the ground, Lt. Halvorsen,an Air Force pilot, had an opportunity to talk to a group of German children, and even though they didn't ask, he gave them some gum. He was amazed at how the children shared with one another, and how much a simple luxury was so appreciated. He decided to make little parachutes out of handkerchiefs to drop some candy to children below the next time he flew over. This one act just blossomed until more and more people were involved, and news of this spread! Children learned to watch for the bomber that wiggled its wings as it flew over! The Candy Bombers began dropping candy to the
children to restore happiness and hope. READ the book! It is short,
and has a lexile of 1130 and AR level of 7.2, but it's an easy read!
There is an adult book recounting the Berlin Airlift and the Candy
Bombers by a similar title, "The Candy Bombers, The Untold Story of the
Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour" by Andrei Cherney. Make sure
you get the YA version or the text may be too complex for fourth/fifth
graders. I want to read it though! GREAT READ! Nonfiction may be "my
thing" after all!
