Each and Every Spark

Paris should be the opportunity of a lifetime, but Penny doesn’t want to leave her friends and home forever. It would be nice for a visit, even a lengthy one, but when Penny’s mom takes the job, it means leaving all she’s known for months. Then she finds the note that falls from a painting, and she has a puzzle to solve. Marie lives with her sister in Paris in 1943, struggling after their father was taken away by the German army. When she learns that her sister is helping the resistance, Marie wants to join in, no matter the cost. She’s still scared, but she has a purpose bigger than herself. Their stories come together, and the solution to the puzzle may be the answer they were both looking for.

Told in alternate points of view, this story reveals the trials and triumphs of the Paris occupation during World War II, an original topic amidst all the World War II stories. While Penny’s whining can be annoying, her growth arc, combined with Marie’s determination and heroic acts, helps to soften the teenage angst. Great for readers of Alan Gratz and Jennifer E Nielsen.