This story covers generational trauma, with a grandma, being a survivor of World War II, and the granddaughter, emotionally confused by her grandmother’s, increasing dementia.

A school project about researching family trees, Leeds to an investigation and understanding of the past, and how strength and bravery shown then can be carried forward to the present day.

This is a really amazing story, which is very accessible to children in middle grade and also to adults. The importance of friendship, integrity, and bravery are paramount in this story.
Thanks very much too. #NetGalley. I very much enjoyed the story. Another brilliant read from Liz Kessler.

Liv finds a secret box from her grandmother's childhood and uncovers an extraordinary war story that will change her and her family forever. In 1942 Holland Jewish families are in danger. 12 year old Mila and her older sister Hannie are sent to live with a family in another city having new identities and not telling anyone they are Jewish. Hannie wants to help people so she becomes part of the Dutch resistance using the code name Kingfisher. Meanwhile, Mila tries to stay out of trouble but danger lurks everywhere.

The writing is so engaging you are instantly sucked in and feel like you've always been there. The author successfully has both timelines, past and present, moving along parallel to each other. The unspooling of the plot is paced just right as it feeds the fire of wanting to know what happens next. This is a narrative so moving you feel it whispering into your heart and holding it.

I love that you don't know which girl is the grandmother right from the beginning. Even though the reveal happened quickly, I still literally gasped. And there are many more gasp-worthy moments in this meaningful tale. I love the nods and connections from one timeline to the other, sometimes smile-worthy, sometimes heartbreaking. The bravery shown in this book is awe-inspiring. Kessler writes about this difficult time with the utmost respect and gut-wrenching truthfulness, though there is still room for hope.

This story shines a light on the destructiveness of hate, the healing nature of compassion. It encourages us to deal with bullies, from classroom ones to ultimate evil ones, like the Nazis. The importance of history and learning from it so the awful is not repeated, lessons unfortunately not learned as they should be.

A thought-provoking, heart-squeezing but ultimately uplifting story about perseverance, that anyone can make a difference, that we should all strive to make the world a better place. You know how you start a book you joust know is going to make you ugly cry but you're there for it, for we readers are masochists of the nicest kind and we know it. This is one of those...

I adored this book.

‘Code name Kingfisher’ is a dual narrative split between Amsterdam in 1942 and England in the present day.
In the present day, Liv is tasked with creating a family tree for a school project but realises that she doesn’t know much about her family. Her mum works away a lot and her dad is busy looking after her grandma (Bubbe) who needs to move to a care home. She hopes she can find out more information when sorting through some of her grandma’s things.
Meanwhile, in Amsterdam in 1942, we follow the story of two Jewish children called Mila and Hannie who are sent to live with a non-Jewish family. They are forced to hide the fact that they are Jewish, but the resistance are trying to get Jewish children out of the area to safety.
I liked the story moving between Amsterdam 1942 and the present day and trying to piece together how the stories were linked as more information was revealed. The Amsterdam chapters at times were difficult to read, but sensitively dealt with. As a teacher that teaches a WWII topic, I felt that the information included was appropriate for a Year 6 class learning about WWII and was accessible. I felt quite emotional whilst reading this book, but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my Year 6’s.

'Code Name Kingfisher' is a brilliant novel for young people about the the Dutch Resistance during WW2. Liz Kessler alternates between two time periods: in the 1940s, Mila and her elder sister Hannie must leave their Jewish parents to live with another family and keep their identity secret; in the present day, Liv is struggling with history project about her family history until she stumbles across a mysterious box full of secrets from her grandmother's childhood.

Liz Kessler's previous novel 'When the World Was Ours' was the best novel for young people about the Holocaust I had ever read. 'Code Name Kingfisher' is similarly powerful. It shines a light on a lesser known aspect of this time period, the experiences of Dutch Jewish people. Many readers will have some knowledge of this from the Diary of Anne Frank, but Kessler is able to offer a wider view by showing us the experiences not only of families living in hiding but also Jewish children separated from their parents and sent to live with complete strangers, as well as the heroism and self-sacrifice of those involved in the Resistance, shown through Hannie's story, and the reality of the many betrayals that took place. In the 1940s sections, Kessler alternates between the perspectives of Hannie, Mila and their neighbour Willem which adds to the suspense as none of these characters fully know what the others are doing.

Liv's present-day narrative further deepens the themes Kessler is exploring. She writes movingly and honestly about Liv's relationship with her grandmother ("this gentle, frail, strong old lady") as she succumbs to dementia, as well as the challenges of changing friendships and bullying. Liv and her new friend Gabi are ultimately inspired by the courage of her grandmother's generation to stand up for what is right in their own context. I was moved to tears by the novel's conclusion, in which the truth about the past is finally revealed and laid to rest,

This is definitely a book I will be recommending to my pupils in Years 7-9, but also to older readers including adults. It's a great book to read after or alongside Anne Frank's diary but also an excellent introduction to other powerful works of non-fiction about this period such as Corrie Ten Boom's 'The Hiding Place' or Bart Van Es's 'The Cut-Out Girl'. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this stunning book to review.

WOW. I SOBBED and SOBBED at the end. This is an absolutely unputdownable read. For a valuable insight into the holocaust from the viewpoint of Jews in Holland in WW2, this is the book to read! This author’s previous holocaust book When The World Was Ours is AMAZING as well if you haven’t read it yet. In a very aptly named new story based on some true events, the reader learns about the angst, bravery and hope of two Jewish sisters who have been taken in by a Dutch family to try to pass as non-Jews in order to escape Nazi persecution. It’s utterly nail-biting, and absolutely beautifully written. For children of today (and their adults) to continue to learn and be aware of the Shoah (Holocaust), which took place in living memory for many, these stories are vital in the fight against anti-semitism and wider prejudices. In an oh so clever twist, one of the family’s living descendants, a 12 year old girl called Liv is set a project at school to find out about her heritage…

What a heart wrenching story! I loved the inter generational connection in this book and the relationship between Liv and her grandmother who has dementia/Alzheimer’s. The story that Liv unearths about her grandmother, and great Aunt is a moving telling of Jewish children in Amsterdam during the Nazi Occupation. I thought the author did a great job of balancing the girls’ desire to live a normal life, with their fear of being discovered, with their desire to resist and fight for what is right. And the issues of who to trust was well dealt with too - not all bad guys wore/wear uniform. I also thought the way the author paralleled the story of Liv and her grandmother through difficulties with friendships and bullies really added an additional depth to the story.
Beautifully written, impeccable storytelling, characters that you will deeply connect with, and a heartbreaking scene. But ultimately this is also a story of hope.

Code Name Kingfisher is a brilliant read for Middle grade book lovers! A moving tale of war, hope and resistance with a clever modern twist.
The story follows Liv in the present, who finds a hidden box with a secret about her grandmother's life in WW2. The novel then flashes back to her grandmother, Mila and her sister Hannie who are determined to stay strong after their family is split up and they are sent to live in another city to keep their Jewish identity secret.
Hannie goes undercover with the Code Name Kingfisher and there are many ups and downs as the sisters do their best to stay true to each other and the cause.
My 11 year old read the book and was totally captivated as well! 5 stars from her.
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully told dual narrative with equally gripping stories of the present day issues facing a young girl at school and home, and wartime tragic events.

With its beautiful cover and intriguing title, and an author who is familiar through her various previous bestselling books, I was keen to read this story but it follows last week's recommendation in being another wartime tale.

We begin in present day Britain. Our narrator is a young girl tasked with compiling her family tree.

Liv is having trouble at school. Her best friend has swapped allegiance and is now in a group which is bullying Liv. At home things aren't as good as they could be either as mum is always busy at work and Liv's grandmother has to be moved into a care home.

But Liv makes a new friend in Gabi and a school project helps her to see her grandmother in a new light.

Liv finds a box of letters and photographs revealing details about her grandmother's childhood - things even Liv's father didn't know.

And we learn of Mila's story in this dual narrative book.

In Holland in 1942, Mila (Liv's grandmother) is twelve and, with her older sister Hannie, she has been sent to live with a family in another city. They are both given new identities and the strict instruction not to tell anyone that they are Jewish.

Hannie, determined to fight back, becomes a member of the Dutch resistance as an undercover agent, Code Name Kingfisher. Neither girl knows who they can really trust and Mila has been living with the consequences all her life.

This is a powerful book which beautifully balances the present day with the wartime events. There are challenging and poignant aspects to the storyline but there's also hope and reconciliation, and positive messages of friendship and family.

I loved When the World was Ours - it was one of those books that you carry around with you after finishing because you don't want to be without it. This was swiftly followed by wanting everyone to read it so they could share the story with me. As such, I was very excited to hear about Code Name Kingfisher and was delighted when I was approved to read it. Lastly, I visited Amsterdam a few years ago and the Resistance Museum was fascinating - my highlight of the trip. Needless to say, I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint. Liz Kessler is an incredible author and I strongly recommend you read this and then everything else she has written!

This is my first book by this author, having come across reviews for this title I knew I had to read it!

In the present Liv is being bullied at school and her beloved Grandmother Bubbe is being moved into a home..Liv is 13 years old; her Grandmother 92. Once close they have lost their connection.. A school project sends her in search of family history and she realises how little she knows of Bubbe’s story..Making a success of the project is really important to Liv in a class where she is frequently ridiculed, but she’s drawing a blank and Bubbe is silent about her past. In Amsterdam 1942, Mila’s parents have sent her and her sister away for their safety. They are Jewish. It’s a time of curfews, yellow stars, concentration camps, Resistance..As Mila enjoys some new friendships, her older sister Hannie is becoming increasingly distant and often disappearing..

I finished this incredible book yesterday afternoon and wept…I haven’t been this emotional in a wee while! @lizkessler is a new author to me and she had me completely under her spell. Very often with dual timelines one can dominate and leave you itching for the other, but both timelines were equally strong and the characters beautifully drawn. My heart went out to Liv as she watches her old friend become her tormentor..and I struggle to convey my feelings for the spirited and courageous Hannie.

Both storylines weave together beautifully, exploring themes of friendship, courage, family, connection..the importance of history and not forgetting. Both conveyed a powerful sense of place and feelings of being trapped whether by bullies or soldiers.. It is an emotional and compelling read. I was driven by curiosity to know Bubbe’s story and to understand how the two timelines linked. I couldn’t put it down..
This is every reason not to leave children’s books to children!
With huge thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s for my digital copy. I have now preordered a physical copy - this one’s a keeper.

This is an amazing Book telling the story of two Girls Hannie ( Kingfisher) & Mila ( Mimi) who are from a Jewish family living in Holland when the Nazi Party invaded & turned their lives completely upside down ! Fast forward to today & the granddaughter of one of them discovers Papers which lead her on the most amazing Family History journey after being asked by their School History Teacher to do a project about a family member who inspired them. As not much is talked about the Jewish Children in Holland other than Anne Frank , this Book opens one's Eye's to a whole new set of Children . I will buy this for my eldest granddaughter & also for the children of some friends as I think it will help them understand this period of the Second World War much better ,& also understand why we can never let anything like this happen again. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

I really enjoyed this book and I think the suggested age range reader would enjoy it too.

It is written in a clear and fairly simple style but it covers some complex and thought provoking issues with a lot for a young reader to think about and a lot of scope for discussion and further investigation of the issues raised and the life and times of ordinary people during World War II..

Thanks to Anne Frank, many readers will be familiar with the occupation of Holland and the reaction of many ordinary Dutch people to the Nazi invasion but there were things about it in this book that I did not know.

The book is exciting, the start is particularly thrilling, the characters are well drawn and realistic with faults and shortcomings as well as virtues, their interactions are authentic and the book is very moving. The scenes with Mimi will make some children reevaluate their views of old people and perhaps make them more aware of the problems older people face in life. So many topics are covered, but in a light and natural way and their is never any hint of preaching. It does not dwell on atrocities but it does not sugar coat what happened to the victims of oppression and it does not shy away from the reality of the fate which awaited Resistance members.

i liked the dual timelines and of course that acts to underline that bullying and deception are as prevalent today as they were in the 1940s. My one small issue is that Mila and Will are not realistic representations of people in their 90s. Many people do not even live until their 90s and the ones that do are not as spry and lively in mind and body although it is mentioned that Mila's memory is failing.

All in all, a very good book on many levels and one, I think, which will linger in the mind.

I love to read historical novels with the children, especially as the younger ones do not realise that it is educational. Sneaky I know. The more challenging the history the easier it is to broach the subject in the form of fiction. This was so well written and it sparked an interest for the children to find out more.

I could not put this book down. I had to read it all in one sitting through a constant stream of tears.
It's a beautifully written story based on real sisters, very upsetting, and is brave enough to not shy away from portraying the horrors of life in Nazi occupied Holland during WW2.
There are dark moments that linger in the mind: Jewish children hiding in the wolf enclosure at the zoo; innocent people hiding in suffocatingly small spaces or suddenly disappearing; orphan children being tossed like bags of rubbish into a Nazi van to be taken to a concentration camp...
It's the kind of story that should be read by everyone and will leave its mark.

I haven’t read any other books by Liz (sorry!) and picked this one up on NetGalley because it sounded like it’d be right up my street.

As I am starting to read it I am realising that the writing is not linear and my mind is adapting to it, accepting it and starting to really enjoy the style of it. The narrator changes throughout the story but the author helps me follow the plot by labelling each chapter with its time period and the name of the character who is speaking. It is simple, effective and means that I instantly know whose ‘shoes’ I am putting on as I take tentative steps further into the book.

A few chapters in and I begin to see the story as a jigsaw puzzle. My thoughts swirl and add mental images to it. I keep moving through the chapters, the edges of the jigsaw forming first: scraps of information about enigmatic Bubbe, a little more about Liv, Mila and Hannie. When I get to the chapter about the small treasure chest that Liv and Gabi discover in Bubbe’s attic, I visualise it as the centre piece of that puzzle. Next, I am slowly filling out the remaining gaps in the outline of the puzzle and starting to move inwards towards the centre piece within that outline. My excitement grows each time something clicks into place - sometimes I smile, sometimes I gasp, sometimes my eyes fill with tears which I can’t stop from escaping. I am sensing the past and the present closing in on that treasure chest and by the time I am near the end of the book, there are only a couple of puzzle pieces missing - they are not lost, I find them; the puzzle is complete and looks fully formed and impressive. The satisfaction of getting there is joyfully overwhelming.

I read the book in two sittings and finished it at 3.30am, it drew me in so deeply that I couldn’t put it down. My daughter checked on me once it had gone past midnight:

- Mum, what are you doing?
- Just reading.
- Isn’t reading supposed to make you sleepy?
- Not this book, I couldn’t be more alert.

I’d normally pick up another book straight away and start on a new adventure but not this time - I kept re-playing and re-living certain parts in my mind, processing the emotions that the ingenious storytelling had stirred up.

The themes that I personally enjoyed following through are: sisterhood and female strength. There are a lot of middle grade WW2 stories around - this one will definitely stand out for the way it is written and the profound impact it will have on the readers young and old. I will be buying a paper copy or may be even a few and recommending it further for sure.

”That’s it, that’s all I’ve got”. 😉

Absolute corker of a story. What a fabulously different slant on WWII for uKS2 children. Beautifully written, from one on the edge of your seat moment to another on the edge of your seat moment and every heart thumping moment in between.

An extraordinary tale of bravery and family amidst one of the worst periods of history, the Nazi invasion of Holland.
Hannie and Mila, sisters and Jews, are sent away from their parents for their own safety as the rules against Jewish people are strengthened and tightened. They find a home with a Dutch family and their new identities adopted. Hannie is brave and immediately joins the resistance movement, working to bring Jewish children to safety and to protect the identities of any Jewish families. Mila, still too young to be involved, finds friends and adapts to new life. As Hannie gets more and more ingrained with her resistance, she keeps a journal and this is her way of keeping secrets but also writing to her parents to keep them alive in her heart.
When Hannie’s list of children to save is compromised and given to the enemy, she suspects the wrong people and harsh words are spoken, words that become a lasting memory.

Liv, is working on a project about her family and makes these discoveries about her Bubbe. The truth wants to find its way to the surface but is Bubbe strong enough to withstand it all?

Compelling, thrilling and based on events that happened throughout the Second World War, it is easy to imagine the danger, fear and uncertainty that was a constant for so many innocent people,

Liz Kessler writes with heart, intermingling fact with fiction but all to shed light on a story needing to be shared.

Liv finds strength thorough understanding what her great aunt did and what she sacrificed and this helps her to deal with issues she faces at school herself. History finds a way to heal in the next generation.

This was such an emotional rollercoaster of a book. I sobbed through the lsat few chapter sand honestly couldn't rate it highly enough - 5 stars feels too few. The less well known story of the Netherlands during the Second World War, during Nazi occupation. Outside of Anne Frank, a reasonably unknown part of history, This flips between modern day where Liv is trying to investigate her own family history; diary entries from Hannie during the war and Mila's story of her being a persecuted Jew who had to go into hiding. Hannie joins the resistance and helps Jewish children to safety, the ending was never going to be a cheery noe but it had tendrils of hope shining through and showed how strong children (and adults) had to be when faced faced with adversity. The war was clearly a dark time for so much of Europe and this feels like an important book to begin interest in our own history - it's important to understand how hard life truly was for 'normal' people. Liz's chapter on the real life of Hannie and what inspired her to write this is an amazing story, too. Totally heartbreaking but incredibly touching and heartfelt - I loved it!

As a primary school teacher who has taught World War Two for the last five years (and has read many children’s books based on the time period) , I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN. Told through multiple perspectives, the story centres around German-occupied Holland during WW2 and the present day in England. It’s beautiful, respectful and thoughtful in all perspectives used: the way that we follow events of the time when Jewish people (and those who protected them) were publicly persecuted; the many social challenges that young people face in the modern day and how this is perceived through the eyes of teenagers.
Once I started reading this, I knew that I needed to finish it in the same day. I needed to know what happened to the characters. Who would survive? What would happen to Bo? Who would get a happy ending when life isn’t always like that? There were times that I grinned broadly, times when I cheered with delight, times when I held my breath waiting to see if they would make it and then times when I cried when not all of them did - I went on the full emotional rollercoaster! It is a humbling story which brought to life the bravery, determination (especially in the face of adversity), impossible choices and harsh realities of those who lived during WW2 and honours their memory. When we see through Liv’s perspective, many of these same themes are echoed, as well as being true to yourself, even when those that you considered friends aren’t who you thought they were. There are so many important messages that children can take from this book, as well as learning about what life was like for children in WW2 or simply just enjoying beautiful writing.
I will definitely be recommending this to my pupils, as well as my colleagues and any one else who will listen, as well as looking to add more books by Liz Kessler to my own library!
Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Kessler and Simon & Schuster Children’s UK for the ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

Dual timeline between 1940s Amsterdam and present day Britain.
Tells the story of Jewish sisters - Hannie and Mila, who are sent by their parents to a non-Jewish family so they can live safely under Nazi occupation.
Older sister Hannie joins the Dutch resistance, making for tense times and relationships are tested to the limit.
In present day, Liv has relationship issues with her Gran, who has dementia and is given a family history project to do at school - you then see how the past relates to the present.
Would make an epic TV drama with likeable main characters, boo worthy baddies and loads of suspense and tension.
A moving, dramatic piece of writing and will soon become a children’s wartime classic.
Thanks @lizkessler @simonkidsuk & @netgalley for the eARC