Angela Leeper

“It happened overnight.” On April 9, 1940, German forces invaded Denmark, where they would remain until surrendering in 1945. Also overnight was the start of a Danish resistance movement—not the result of government initiatives, but rather the selfless actions of individuals who risked their lives.

Through anecdotes, accompanying quotes and archival photos, award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson tells the stories of some of these heroes in Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark. For example, Tommy Sneum was a young flight lieutenant in Denmark’s air force until it was grounded, at which point he turned to gathering information and discovered a new German Freya radar system. With harrowing events rivaling any Hollywood thriller, Tommy evaded death many times to take this information to Great Britain, where he was asked to serve as their first wartime spy in Denmark. Other resisters include Niels Skov, who started as a lone saboteur, using a screwdriver and matches to set German vehicles and buildings on fire, and student activist Jørgen Kieler, who was influential in an illegal newspaper and sabotage group.

In between their stories, which sometimes intersect, Hopkinson weaves big-picture historical information. The author also devotes portions of the book to resisters’ efforts to help 7,220 of Denmark’s 7,700 Jews escape to Sweden and the concentration camp internment of arrested resisters. She reveals moments of light in a dark time and encourages readers to ask themselves, what can one person do?

The fact that the world’s not fair is a hard concept for children to learn, but 11-year-old Julia Delaney (based on the author’s mother-in-law, also named Julia) knows this lesson all too well. She's growing up in St. Louis’ tough Irish neighborhood of Kerry Patch in the winter of 1911, one of the coldest winters in Missouri's history. When her grandmother, and last blood relative, dies, she is sent to live at the House of Mercy, an “Industrial School and Girls’ Home” run by strict nuns, and is eventually separated from her older brother and sister.

Julia soon finds herself scheming of ways to flee the orphanage, but running away isn’t easy. There are gang wars right outside the orphanage doors, and she needs to protect her wounded brother from the infamous Egan’s Rats and even from their organized crime boss, Thomas Egan (who may also have been responsible for their father’s murder). Egan and his Rats are just some of the historical details that enliven Julia’s sometimes-harrowing story.

Used to relying on herself for survival, Julia learns to lean on others, from her mute dormmate who clearly knows more than she can say; to the maiden piano teacher who takes a liking to the girl’s defiant spirit; to the nuns whose sternness masks their fierce protection. Readers will cheer on Julia to her hopeful ending.

When young Ursula Brown reaches the estate of the Vaughns (who are also recognizable as the Three Bears) to be a governess for their son, Teddy, her story becomes less a simple fairy-tale retelling and more of a mash-up of classic literary tropes.

Set in the Enchanted Forest just outside of Bremen Town, this Regency romance recalls the manners and traditions of a Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë novel. And like the heroines from these popular writers, plain but passionate Ursula finds herself in an impossible love triangle.

There’s more at work than romance, however. Not all of the town’s humans think the talking bears are charming, and many start to consider their species to be superior and voice their discrimination openly. The unexpected arrival of a blonde, petty-thief girl at the Vaughns’ manor only complicates the heated debate.

Peppered with Mother Hubbard, Mrs. Van Winkle (whose husband disappeared and hasn’t been seen in years) and other nursery-rhyme and fairy-tale characters, the story turns suspenseful with the introduction of a villainous individual straight out of traditional literature. Regional dialects and humorous takes on the human-animal relationship add even more amusement. This deceptively simple story will give readers paws—or rather, pause—to appreciate the clever construct and wordplay.

This article was originally published in the February 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In this standalone companion to the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning Elijah of Buxton, author Christopher Paul Curtis returns to the Canadian town founded in the 1860s by former African-American slaves. Although few of the original settlers still live in Buxton in 1901, one of their descendants, Benji Alston, stands out. An aspiring newspaper reporter, Benji understands the power of the written word and enters an apprenticeship with Miss Cary, the daughter of real-life Mary Ann Camberton Shadd, an abolitionist and journalist in neighboring Chatham. Also residing in Chatham is Alvin “Red” Stockard, who is often mistreated by his bitter and racist grandmother, who suffered during the Irish immigration to Canada during “The Great Hunger.”

Benji and Red alternate as narrators, incorporating historical details and fun antics from the first book. As they become fast friends, they realize they’ve both heard tales of the Madman of Piney Woods, who is rumored to be an escaped slave from the U.S. and may even be a potential murderer. When the boys face a shocking encounter with the Madman, each begins in his own way to understand the nature of fear and heroism. Countering heartbreak with humor, Curtis gives middle-grade readers another fine novel to ponder the wonders of humanity.

This article was originally published in the October 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.