Odette's Secrets
By Maryann Macdonald
Published 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Odette lives with her parents in Paris but when her father is sent to a Nazi work camp, her mother sends her to the French countryside, hoping to keep her safe.
Yet another of the novels in verse I binged on in the fall, I expected that I'd like this one quite a bit. It combines two of my favorite things - novels in verse and historical fiction. No surprise, then, I did really enjoy this one. I really enjoyed that this is based on the life of a real person, and I think that will appeal to kids as well. I'm very happy that this is on the Bluebonnet list for 2014-15 because it will bring a much larger audience to this book than it might have had otherwise. I think the poetry really works well here. It makes this a very quick and engaging read. I found Odette easy to cheer for and very likable. I like the inclusion of photographs of the real Odette as well - this will make it even easier for kids to understand and relate to her life.
This book is also a good World War II book for kids who are a bit more sensitive. While some scary things do happen and of course it's never easy reading about war, this has less of the scary or brutal things that other World War II titles have. I very much enjoyed this book and think it's a great choice for the Bluebonnet list.
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