Book Review: The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb

Title: The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi
Author: Neal Bascomb
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 256
Genre: Non-fiction, History, Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Netgalley

The book blurb:

“A thrilling spy mission, a moving Holocaust story, and a first-class work of narrative nonfiction.

In 1945, at the end of World War II, Adolf Eichmann, the head of operations for the Nazis' Final Solution, walked into the mountains of Germany and vanished from view. Sixteen years later, an elite team of spies captured him at a bus stop in Argentina and smuggled him to Israel, resulting in one of the century's most important trials -- one that cemented the Holocaust in the public imagination.

THE NAZI HUNTERS is the thrilling and fascinating story of what happened between these two events. Survivor Simon Wiesenthal opened Eichmann's case; a blind Argentinean and his teenage daughter provided crucial information. Finally, the Israeli spies -- many of whom lost family in the Holocaust -- embarked on their daring mission, recounted here in full. Based on the adult bestseller HUNTING EICHMANN, which is now in development as a major film, and illustrated with powerful photos throughout, THE NAZI HUNTERS is a can't-miss work of narrative nonfiction for middle-grade and YA readers.”

Reading ‘The Nazi Hunters’ was definitely an eye opener to the trials the Jews faced during the Holocaust. With vivid images and word descriptions, the true challenges that occurred during this time period were eloquently displayed.

This book also had a great plot and an engaging tale as well as suspenseful characters. The whole story, was entertaining to the very end. And honestly, when I first realized what details Bascomb was going to go into, I silently groaned. Like, why in the world did I choose this book? But to my pleasant surprise, every detail helped better portray the plot – everything required attention and thought. Basically, ‘The Nazi Hunters’ definitely isn’t a light read to pick up out of nowhere; you have to actually be ready to pay attention and focus on the tiniest of details.

The characters in this book were also very enjoyable. As the reader, you are introduced to each individual and their motives behind the attack as well as what they have against Eichmann. But even though the characters were good, at times I felt that Bascomb just shoved them all into your face. Yes, you learned about them, but it was just so much information to comprehend at one time. And I know there was more than one moment where I had to go back and recall who this or that character was.

All in all, ‘The Nazi Hunters’ was quite an enjoyable book. A bit out of my usual reads, it ranked quite high in my eyes. I recommend this book to people ages 12/13+, mainly because of the violence at certain parts.

Book Review: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Title: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author: Jacqueline Kelly
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 338
Genre: Historical and realistic fiction
Rating: 9/10

“My name is Calpurnia Virginia Tate, but back then everybody called me Callie Vee. That summer, I was eleven years old and the only girl out of seven children. Can you imagine a worse situation?”

Calpurnia Virginia Tate, is a young girl who lived in Texas in the year 1899. Back then, life was difficult. Even a cent was worth a lot. But a girl’s life was the hardest. They had to stay at home, to sew, cook, and knit. They weren’t allowed to be scientists. It just wasn’t fair. Instead of being able to learn about life and organisms, she was stuck at home learning how to be a wife.

In this book there is no main problem; instead there are small stories which consist of small problems. The cotton season goes by. Usually the women and girls had to sew, cook, and watch over the babies in the cotton season, but Callie didn’t find sewing and cooking interesting. So in the end, Callie took care of the small babies. Later the Fentress Fair passes, in which Callie’s (terrible) tattering (sewing) skills are shown off. Callie is not very good at tattering, another thing wives should be able to do. Travis, Callie’s little brother becomes quite attached to the turkeys that they are going to eat for Thanksgiving. The century passes and a miracle happens where Callie lives, Texas.

My favorite character in this book is Callie. Callie is a curious girl. She wants to study the world. And study the world she does. She studies alone, but that was before she had the nerve to ask Granddaddy. Now the two as a pair are “mad scientists”. But when Callie’s mother takes a look at how her daughter is progressing in the studies of housewifery, Callie’s time with Granddaddy is limited. And she must learn the secrets to being a good wife, which Callie definitely does not excel at.

Another one of my favorite characters is Granddaddy. He is a kind old man, misunderstood to be a strict and mean person by his grandchildren. As Callie opens up to him, her siblings start to get the feeling that Granddaddy isn’t the mean, cross person they thought he was.

I found this book very funny and interesting. Funny, because it is hilarious how the smallest events in Callie’s life, can cause quite a bit of confusion. Also, to me, Ms. Kelly’s writing seems like it is from the heart. It seems like she actually had 6 brothers, and this really did happen to her.

Join Callie, her 6 brothers, (Harry, Sam Houston, Lamar, Travis, Sul Ross, and Jim Bowie) in the book ‘The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate’. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a bit of history, science and fiction mixed into one.