Rescue

by Jennifer A Nielsen (Author)

Rescue
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling World War II story of espionage and intrigue, as one girl races to save her father and aid the French resistance.

Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon's father left their home in France to fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the last time Meg saw him. Recently, she heard he was being held prisoner by the Nazis, a terrible sentence from which Meg fears he'll never return. All she has left of him are the codes he placed in a jar for her to decipher, an affectionate game the two of them shared. But the codes are running low, and soon there'll be nothing left of Papa for Meg to hold on to at all.

Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg's lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother's barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg's father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission -- perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she's received yet.

As the Nazis flood Meg's village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father's code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?

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Publishers Weekly

Meg Kenyon and her British father have always shared a love of deciphering secret codes, so when he is called away from their home on the France-Germany border on a mysterious WWII mission with the Allies, he leaves a jarful of codes for her continued practice. Nearly two years after his departure, 12-year-old Meg and her French mother and grandmother are living under Nazi occupation on Grandmère's farm. Meg sells their produce on the black market and secretly works with the Resistance, leaving coded messages about the Nazis as warnings to other Resistance fighters. When she learns her father may be imprisoned, Meg goes on her own dangerous mission, secreting three German strangers out of France, one of whom has the power to rescue him. Nielsen (the Ascendance series) builds suspense through constantly shifting suspicions and loyalties, combined with the foursome's risky journey. Whom should Meg trust? Has she interpreted her father's recent coded letter correctly? Is she leading her group into or away from danger? Determined and stubborn Meg makes a believable--if occasionally two-dimensional--protagonist, and her story is well-paced and absorbing, with complicated plotting that rewards careful reading. Ages 8-12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Mar.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Words on Fire:

* Gripping... Audra's story deserves a place on the shelf next to Lois Lowry's Number the Stars and Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. — Booklist, starred review

[This] adventure about a little-known place and time... delivers action and suspense. — Kirkus Reviews

There is much on offer in this novel: family love, patriotism, magic, and the importance of books... Highly recommended. — School Library Connection

Praise for Resistance:

A Sydney Taylor Notable Book

The edge-of-your-seat climax places readers amidst the gritty, horrifying street battles of the Warsaw Ghetto and pays tribute to those who sacrificed themselves so others would live... Historical fiction at its finest, this informs, enlightens, and engages young readers. — School Library Journal

Highlight[s] moments of resistance via cinematic action sequences. —Kirkus Reviews

Suspense mounts continually as Chaya survives her ordeals, gaining strength and faith in her mission. The courage and self-sacrifice of many characters is inspiring. — Publishers Weekly

Fast-paced and suspenseful. — School Library Connection

Praise for A Night Divided:

ILA-CBC Children's Choices List selection

Absorbing and deeply suspenseful, with plenty of ticking-clock tension... an eye-opening glimpse of history. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A marvelously crafted historical novel about courage, perseverance and the will to survive, A Night Divided excels in every regard. — Reading Eagle

Distinct supporting characters... demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story... The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page. — School Library Journal

History buffs will drool over the magnificently told tale, but even reluctant readers will become immersed in the tension-filled exploits. — Voice of Youth Advocates

Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger. — Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Traitor's Game:

A New York Times bestseller

The next big YA fantasy. — Entertainment Weekly

One of the Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Books of 2018. — Bustle

We were immediately caught up in Kestra's story, plotting beside a heroine made of strength, bravery and intelligence. Her complicated relationship with Simon and the danger sewn into every moment of her father's palace politics kept us flipping pages in time with each jaw-dropping plot twist. — Justine Magazine

Fantasy, action and romance combine for a whirlwind ride in Jennifer A. Nielsen's The Traitor's Game! — Girls' Life

One of the Most Anticipated YA Books of 2018. — Hypable

Nielsen creates wonderful characters in all of her novels, and she is especially talented at writing complex, intriguing females who refuse to fit into any neat categories. The first in her engrossing Traitor's Game series introduces readers to another fascinating heroine, who disrupts the plans and plots laid to trap her and insists on controlling her own narrative... Engrossing, emotional and offers plenty of promise for the series to come. — RT Book Reviews

One of the Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Novels of 2018. — B&N Teen Blog

[An] action-packed, romance-laden tale. — Publishers Weekly

This rip-roaring tale has action galore with battle scenes, kidnappings, murder, intrigue, and romance... Nielsen has created a compelling world where little is as it seems. — School Library Connection

Nielsen does a masterful job keeping readers off guard while tightening the screws of tension throughout, satisfying even the most reluctant readers. — School Library Journal

The twists and turns of the plot make for compelling reading that should especially entertain fans of Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy. — The Horn Book

The Traitor's Game is intrigue and adventure with a bold heroine, some forbidden romance and plenty of twists along the way. — Shelf Awareness

The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen, is an action-packed story that leaves you yearning for more. The new book is an amazing addition to Nielsen's repertoire... Fit with a feisty heroine and some tough kidnappers, The Traitor's Game keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. — The Missourian

Kestra may be one of my favorite characters of all time. She is courageous, bold beyond belief and also positively petulant, with a tendency for tantrums. The perfect protagonist for this adventurous, action-packed fantasy. Mixed with a bit of magic, a completely captivating saga is created; a stellar start to a tempting trilogy. — Buried Under Books

If you like your heroines fierce, your heroes protective, their loyalties divided, their missions complex, their motivations hidden, their lives full of secrets, The Traitor's Game is an absolute must. — Fiktshun

Praise for The Scourge:

A strong, feisty main character... narrates a story that is equal parts adventure, mystery, and political intrigue. — The Horn Book

Ani's willingness to help others, a hard battle in herself as she tries to get over long-held assumptions, demonstrates effectively how emergencies can bridge distances. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Nielsen's (A Night Divided) polished fantasy smoothly combines medieval elements with hints of mystery and romance... it delivers a significant message about how misinformation breeds intolerance. — Publishers Weekly

Nielsen provides readers with a strong, three-dimensional heroine and a plot that will keep readers guessing. — School Library Connection

The characters are well defined and memorable. Feisty Ani, a likable character who is thoughtful and strong, drives the story forward and keeps readers wanting to know more... A solid choice for readers who enjoy tales of strong heroines set in the ever-popular dystopian genre. — School Library Journal

Praise for the Ascendance Trilogy:

A New York Times Notable Children's Book

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Children's Book

A Cybils Award Winner

* An impressive, promising story. — Publishers Weekly, starred review

[A] pageturner. — New York Times Book Review

Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel. — The Wall Street Journal

A swashbuckling origin story... chock-full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys. — Los Angeles Times

A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up. — School Library Journal

Gripping. — Kirkus Reviews

Should appeal to fans of... Suzanne Collins... [A] surefire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense. — The Horn Book

this book is the BEST

This book is really good! for me being in fifth grade it was a little scary. but I loved all the surprises and all the suspense. I have read every book in this series! they are so good. LOVED IT.

Jennifer A Nielsen
Jennifer A. Nielsen is the acclaimed author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Ascendance Series: The False Prince, The Runaway King, The Shadow Throne, The Captive Kingdom, and The Shattered Castle. She also wrote the New York Times bestseller The Traitor's Game and its sequels, The Deceiver's Heart, and The Warrior's Curse; the New York Times bestselling Mark of the Thief trilogy: Mark of the Thief, Rise of the Wolf, and Wrath of the Storm; the standalone fantasy The Scourge; and the critically acclaimed historical thrillers A Night Divided, Resistance, Words on Fire, Rescue, Lines of Courage, Iceberg, and Uprising. Jennifer collects old books, loves good theater, and thinks that a quiet afternoon in the mountains makes for a nearly perfect moment. She lives in northern Utah with her family, and is probably sneaking in a bite of dark chocolate right now. You can visit her online at jennielsen.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @nielsenwrite
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338621013
Lexile Measure
740
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
May 03, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV016040 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Europe
JUV030050 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Europe
Library of Congress categories
History
France
20th century
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Historical fiction
German occupation, 1940-1945
Ciphers
Underground movements
War fiction
Perche (France)
World War, 1938-1945

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