Jakob and Lizzie are siblings separated by WWII. With their parents either dead or presumed dead, Lizzie has been sent to live with her American grandmother. The problem was that Lizzie's chaperone on the voyage was not aware of the lengths she would go to stay in Britain. Being a resourceful teen, she figures out where her older brother is staying and makes a surprise appearance. She wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms but anything was better than living with a controlling grandparent.
Lizzie quickly weaves herself into Jakob's life and tags along to his place of employment, Bletchley Park. She is soon hired as a messenger and spends her days running among makeshift "huts" used for top secret work. Jakob can't even tell her what he's working on because he signed the Secrets Act forbidding him from sharing what he works on.
Thankfully, the reader is privy to those secrets--as well as some of Lizzie's--through their alternating narratives. Lizzie keeps her eyes and ears open and manages to piece together much of what is going on at Bletchley. But she's also got her eyes and ears open to figure out whether their mother may still be alive. When she finds something of her mother's hidden beneath the floor, it bolsters her search.
The Bletchley Riddle was a fascinating read that gives a great introduction to the history of Britain's code-breaking efforts in WWII. I like that the authors also give credit to Poland's inaugural work in the area that helped Britain get off the ground. With historical events mixed in with real historical figures, the book offers educational content alongside the siblings' exciting (and sometimes harrowing) adventures during the war. Lots of interesting characters fill in the backdrop of this middle-grade book. Readers are introduced to mysterious characters and curmudgeonly ones; the thrill of new friendships, and the hint of romance; mentors, and those acting "in loco parentis." But best of all, I loved the growing understanding between Jakob and Lizzie and how they learned to help one another at work and in their search for answers about their parents.
I highly recommend this book for upper elementary and middle grades. It would make an outstanding classroom read-aloud that could encourage rabbit trails of research and exploration regarding the war in general or codebreaking in particular. Readers may be surprised to learn that teens as young as 14 were utilized in codebreaking during the war--very cool to imagine! Hats off to the brave and determined teams that helped shorten the war by intercepting enemy messages!
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Bletchley Riddle from NetGalley for review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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