The Horrors of War

Pretty dramatic title, eh?  But when you are dealing with two books that explore aspects of WWII, you can claim that tone.  The first read for Amanda and me was The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb. The story takes readers into the hunt for Adolf Eichmann, who oversaw Hitler's Final Solution.

For young readers who are interested in WWII history, this book will satisfy.  It provides a descriptive narrative tracking the actions of the major players involved in hunting Eichmann, with photographs, maps and other documents to not only reinforce the research, but give faces to names and events.

Because the book does not swarm in academic minutiae (ie. you are not footnoted to death), it is a quick read that is both engaging an informative.  Amanda and I both easily voted this book as our gift to round two.

That means that we both rejected Graffiti Night by Karen Bass. Amanda and I mentioned when chatting how much we wanted to like the book, because it was written by an Albertan author.  However, the plot was too contrived and melodramatic to ultimately make it a great read.  We have read too many stories of rash nobility, and the main character in Graffiti just doesn't evoke compassion or interest.

Tracy and Amanda