Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (Grades 9-12)

Wein, E. (2013). Rose under fire. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is an USBBY 2014 Outstanding International Book for grades nine through twelve. I think what initially drew me to this novel was the sheer amount of awards it has received. This particular work of Wein's is a recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award, Josette Frank Award, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, Gold Kite Award Honor, and ABA Indies Choice Award Honor and was shortlisted for the Costa Award for Children. Additionally, it was a finalist for an Audie Award. Obviously, I had to investigate what all the acclaim was about.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. However, before delving in, you need to know what you're getting into. Let me explain with a summary found on the author's web page:

Rose Justice is a young pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. On her way back from a semi-secret flight in the waning days of the war, Rose is captured by the Germans and ends up in Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi women's concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous and celebrated French detective novelist whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young girl who was a human guinea pig for Nazi doctors trying to learn how to treat German war wounds; and a Nachthexen, or Night Witch, a female fighter pilot and military ace for the Soviet air force. These damaged women must bond together to help each other survive.

As one can tell, this book is intense, but Rose Under Fire is so, so beautifully written and features both original poetry by the main character Rose and the incredibly talented Edna St. Vincent Millay. Written as journal entries, readers get a heart-wrenching glimpse into the horrific time period that was World War II. At times, yes, the novel was hard to get through; it hits you hard and makes you contemplate many things, especially humanity and war. However, I would still recommend this book to anyone. This book stays with you for a while after finishing, and I think that feeling is something that readers need to experience sometime.

Although I am a huge fan of this text and that author's entire body of work, there are questions that readers should consider:

• Why are so many books that make the USBBY Outstanding International Book List set in the era of World War II? Does this choice of setting truly represent international children's literature at its best or is it simply a universal theme, a topic that many questions can relate to, as they were involved in the conflict? 
• Other than its setting, how is Rose Under Fire a companion text for Code Name Verity, a 2013 USBBY Outstanding International Book also by Elizabeth Wein?
• Do authors who have previously had a book on the USBBY Outstanding International Book list take precedent when consideration for the upcoming year's list over those who have not?

Coming soon... a post for Code Name Verity!