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Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

6/10/2020

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Dutton Children’s Books, 1942

5-Word Booktalk: Children smuggle gold away from Nazis.
Themes: History, Perspective, Courage, Patriotism
Summary:
- In the bleak winter of 1940, Nazi troops parachuted into Peter Lundstrom's tiny Norwegian village and held it captive. Nobody thought the Nazis could be defeated—until Uncle Victor told Peter how the children could fool the enemy. It was a dangerous plan. They had to slip past Nazi guards with nine million dollars in gold hidden on their sleds. It meant risking their country's treasure—and their lives. This classic story of how a group of children outwitted the Nazis and sent the treasure to America has captivated generations of readers.
Mrs. Lopez's Take:
With a World War II setting, this story has no choice but to be exciting. This story is based on true events which makes this book an interesting read.

6/5/2020

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Scholastic Press, 2017

Summary:
Chase's memory just went out the window. Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head.He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name. He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets. Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is--it's a question of who he was . . . and who he's going to be. From the #1 bestselling author of Swindle and Slacker, Restart is the spectacular story of a kid with a messy past who has to figure out what it means to get a clean start.
Mrs. Lopez's Take:
This story provokes the question "Can you restart your life?" You are forced to examine your own life and how you affect the people around you. For that reason alone, I thought this was a great book!