Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Westfallen (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024) by Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares is not quite time travel, perhaps time communication, but in the same exact place.
79 years apart, six kids meet via an old radio. The 2023 kids (Henry, Frances, and Lukas) unwittingly tell the 1944 kids (Alice, Artie, and Lawrence) some things that change the past and their future–today is not the American the modern three know, but now a country called Westfallen. With men in uniforms with swastika armbands. The six have to work together to change the past and present. But they destroyed the radio…
This is the first book in a planned trilogy of alternate history.
Ann is the bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, plus others. Read more about her books here, and about her here.
Ben, her brother, also has other books–check them out here. Read about him here.
I heard about this book when it was released. It sounds good but pretty intense, especially now. Thanks for sharing it this week.
For me it was more escapism.
Interesting premise. Sounds like the plot made it believable. Thanks for featuring the book on this week’s MMGM.
It reminded me of the movie Frequency with Jim Caviezel.
I definitely have this book on my radar. It sounds fascinating!
My latest MG post: The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay
Cool. And thanks for the link.
This sounds really intriguing. I love alternate history, and this sounds like it might have some time travel aspects to it as well. I also posted about a time travel novel coincidentally. I’m really intrigued by how they changed history!
How funny. I’ll have to check out the time travel one you posted.
What an interesting review and book! The plot is intriguing with the past, present-future theme. Will have to check this out — unique!
Good!
This sounds like a hard book to plot, but what a fascinating premise! Great summary.
Definitely!
This sounds like a timely book, and an interesting one. I will look for it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
You’re welcome!
I’m particularly fond of alternative history books where the Nazis won. It shows how much these things matter. Thanks for reviewing this one. Another for my TBR !
They do matter and I don’t get why people don’t get it.
I love this kind of story where someone changes something that messes up the present/future! It sounds both a fun read and also a book to ponder upon! Thanks for the recommendation!
Me too!
It must be fiction, because it was written long before today’s events. Makes one wonder whether time travel is real…
Sigh!