world war, 1939-1945

"December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good. Their dads are Navy pilots stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the boys get a front-row view of the huge battleships and the sparkling water. Yes, World War II is raging in Europe and in Asia, but the US isn't involved in the war, and the boys are free to dream about becoming comic book creators. They've even invented a superhero of their own, in the style of Batman, Superman, Captain America, and other stars of the Golden Age of Comics. Maybe they'll even get their comic published someday. December 7th, 1941: Everything explodes. That morning, Frank and Stanley are aboard the battleship the USS Utah when Japanese planes zoom overhead and begin dropping bombs on the ships below. Chaos ensues as everyone scrambles to dive for safety. Frank and Stanley realize what's happening: Japan is attacking America! The war has come to them. As the boys fight to make their way home amidst the carnage, it's clear that everything has changed. Stanley's mother is Japanese American and he is suddenly facing a terrible prejudice that he's never known before--he's now seen as the 'enemy,' and Frank, who's white, cannot begin to understand what Stanley will now face. Can their friendship--and their dreams--survive this watershed moment in history?"--Provided by publisher.

"When Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Virginia Hall was traveling in Europe. Which was dangerous enough, but as fighting erupted across the continent, instead of returning home, she headed to France. In a country divided between freedom and fascism, Virginia was determined to do her part for the Allies. An ordinary woman from Baltimore, Maryland, she dove into the action, first joining a French ambulance unit and later becoming an undercover agent for both the British Special Operations Executive and the US Office of Strategic Services. Working as a spy in the intelligence network, she made her way to Vichy, coordinating Resistance movements, assisting in the sabotage of Nazis, and rescuing downed Allied soldiers. She passed in plain sight of the enemy, and soon found herself being hunted by the Gestapo. But Virginia cleverly evaded discovery and death, often through bold feats and daring escapes. Her covert operations, efforts with the Resistance, and risky work as a wireless telegraph operator greatly contributed to the Allies' eventual win"--.

"Hideki lives with his family on the island of Okinawa, near Japan. When World War II crashes onto his shores, Hideki is yanked out of school and drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps to fight for the Japanese army. He is handed a grenade and a set of instructions: Don't come back until you've killed an American soldier. Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa with his squad. This is Ray's first-ever battle, and he doesn't know what to expect -- or if he'll make it out alive. He just knows that the enemy is everywhere. Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding clashes and dangerous attacks. But when the two of them collide in the middle of the fighting, the choices they make in that single instant will change everything."--.

Describes the things African American women did to help their country during World War II.

"Since 1953, the State of Israel has named non-Jews who risked their lives to help save Jews during the Holocaust as "Righteous Among the Nations." Known as "Righteous Gentiles," these individuals summoned the strength to put aside their own safety to oppose the Nazis"--Provided by publisher.

Describes the formation and destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto by the Nazis, covering the causes of the formation of the ghetto, daily life in the ghetto, the events that led to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and the aftermath of the uprising.

Explores the history of the concentration camps located throughout Europe and created by the Nazi Party of Germany during World War II.

Explores the history of Jewish resistance during World War II, giving the background, the invasion of Poland and moving of Jews into the ghettos, the Jewish resistance in the death camps, and more.

Provides an in depth examination of the Normandy invasion.

Explains why so many countries became involved in World War II in the 1940s, features excerpts from speeches, letters, diaries, and other primary source materials that provide insights into events, and includes photographs and opinions from historians.