This fast-paced, page-turning thriller is a historical fiction story based on the invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces in World War II, a day known as D-Day. The author, Alan Gratz, highlights several main characters, who each have a different role in the invasion. Dee, an American solider comes to the shore as a foot soldier. Another is a paratrooper. Samira is a young, Algerian resistance fighter. Yet another is a black Medic helping those wounded on the shores. Their stories intertwine over the 12-hr time lapse and explain how the greatest naval invasion in history succeeded, leading to the beginning of the end for Hitler's Europe. It is the first I have read on next year's Great Stone Face list. It was excellent and will be huge hit with my students. (FIC GRA)
