Latest news with #Gratz
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How World War II Became the Hottest Book Craze…for Kids
An auditorium of eager kids in Washington, Okla., were on the edge of their seats a few weeks ago as author Jennifer A. Nielsen told them about Lidia Durr Zakrzewski, a teenager who joined the Polish resistance during World War II. She served as the real-life model for the young heroine in Nielsen's 2024 novel 'Uprising.' To the middle-grade audience, Nielsen was akin to a rock star, and she is a bit of one in the publishing world too. The types of books she often writes—historical novels about bombings, spies and young resistance fighters in World War II—have become some of the hottest novels with young readers starting around age 8. The Most Profitable Dividend Strategy Is the Simplest Record Beef Prices Poised to Hit Consumers This Summer He Unlocked the Secret to Selling Luxury Style Online Warren Buffett's Unparalleled Investing Record—in Charts Why This Stock-Market Bounce Won't Hold Scholastic, one of the country's leading children's book publishers, is asking agents for more World War II fiction, even as the rest of the kids' fiction market stagnates. At its book fairs, the publisher sees elementary and middle-school students darting over to the WWII bookcases, nabbing titles before they sell out. Books by authors like Nielsen and Alan Gratz have hit bestseller lists. With tales of heroism and spycraft, battle scenes and bravery, Gratz and a coterie of other writers have tapped into many of the same themes that draw kids to the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. Instead of dragons, wizards and gods, there are Nazis and young resistance fighters. In Nielsen's thriller 'Rescue,' 12-year-old Meg Kenyon becomes part of a dangerous mission through Nazi-occupied France. In Adam Gidwitz's recent novel 'Max in the Land of Lies,' 13-year-old Max Bretzfeld returns to Nazi Germany as a British spy. And in Alan Gratz's 'Heroes,' two friends live through the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 'There is insatiable interest,' said Aimee Friedman, an editorial director at Scholastic and editor of one of the genre's top authors, Gratz. The publisher looks for hot new titles and genres at its school fairs, she said, and quickly saw that kids wanted more: 'World War II books are at the top of the list.' There isn't a specific category of sales data for kids books about World War II overall. But print book sales of kids' titles focused on the Holocaust, part of the World War II canon, rose 13% since 2023, to 350,000 copies last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan. Kids' fiction otherwise declined 1% during that time, as they continue to struggle with reading in the wake of Covid school shutdowns. Gratz's 'Prisoner B-3087,' published in 2013, about a boy who survived a series of concentration camps, is based on the true story of survivor Jack Gruener. It wasn't long before Gratz realized he'd hit a nerve. 'I got more fan mail than from my 10 previous books put together,' he said. He would go on to write 'Grenade,' about an Okinawan boy caught up in the American invasion of his home island, and 'Allies,' inspired by real events at D-Day. His novel 'Resist' is a companion to 'Allies.' It is on the New York Times bestseller list for children's middle-grade hardcovers dated May 18. On the nonfiction front, Anne Frank's 'The Diary of a Young Girl' has been read in schools for decades. Earlier popular fiction includes Lois Lowry's 1989 novel 'Number the Stars,' about the Danish resistance, and Markus Zusak's 2006 novel 'The Book Thief,' about a girl in Nazi Germany who steals books to save them from being burned. 'The conflicts of World War II have endured as a lens of the human condition,' said Julie Strauss-Gabel, president and publisher of Dutton Children's Books and Gidwitz's editor. Nielsen, 53, visits dozens of schools nationwide each year from her home in Utah. Her favorite audiences include kids skeptical that stories about events that took place more than 80 years ago could possibly be interesting. 'They can't believe it really happened and involved somebody their own age,' she said. 'They are the ultimate stories about good versus evil.' Nielsen, whose novels 'Resistance' and 'Uprising' are bestsellers, added, 'There is no middle ground.' Laura Cheek, a librarian who invited Nielsen to speak in April in Washington, Okla., said getting kids interested in reading has been a challenge—but Nielsen seems to have found a way in. 'Even middle-school boys who don't pay attention to anything were sitting there big-eyed and mouths open,' she said. Nielsen had a whiteboard laying out her plans for future book ideas and encouraged those in attendance to create their own stories. 'It was a very cool experience,' said Stella Cheek, an 11-year-old sixth-grader in the audience. (The two Cheeks aren't related.) 'When I think of World War II, I first think of the Holocaust, but this broadened my understanding,' she added. Cheek had earlier read 'Uprising' after coming across it in her school library. 'It wasn't about a Jewish girl, but a girl living in Poland when her country was taken over. It helped me understand how World War II affected everybody, not just Jewish people.' Stella's brother Huxley, a 14-year-old eighth-grader who also saw Nielsen speak, was already familiar with World War II historical fiction. As a seventh-grader, he'd read Gratz's 2017 bestselling novel 'Refugee,' about three kids—a Jewish boy fleeing the Nazis, a Cuban girl fleeing Communism, and a Syrian boy fleeing war at home—who each make perilous journeys in search of safety. Huxley said the stories can be disturbing, but he believes it's important to learn about them. 'Hitler was obviously terrible,' he said. 'We should be allowed to know what happened so that we don't make the same mistakes.' The hardcover edition of 'Refugee' spent more than 280 weeks on the New York Times's children's middle-grade bestseller list and today has nearly 1.6 million copies in print. Parents sometimes worry that the subject matter is too frightening for their kids, but advocates for the books say they provide a compelling opportunity to teach history. 'I tell them that these books aren't so dark that their kids can't read them,' said Valerie Koehler, owner of the Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston. 'For kids, it's all about word-of-mouth,' said Sharon Hearn, founder of Children's Book World in Los Angeles. Hot titles getting talked about include the 2024 book 'The Bletchley Riddle,' by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, about two siblings caught up in the drama of World War II. Lariat Hale, a 12-year-old sixth-grader, got tipped off to Nielsen's 'Uprising' by a friend last year. She has since read four or five of Nielsen's other historical titles, and attended the author's school event last month. 'I liked that some of her books are based on true stories, and that she brings her characters alive with words,' Hale said. Gratz used to make frequent school visits. These days he hosts a live, online book chat every month during the school year from his home in Portland, Ore. He thinks young readers are drawn to his stories because they appreciate fairness and are attuned to the idea of standing up for what's right. 'This was a war we needed to fight to stop the Nazis,' Gratz said. 'They were the world's bully. Middle graders understand that.' Gratz's latest event drew about 3,000 students from 30 states and three Canadian provinces. He began it by admitting that, in some regards, he had been a bit of a disappointment. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tenn., Gratz, 53 years old, came from a football family, but instead of going into sports, he took up writing. As a third-grader, he said, he wrote his own newspaper, stuffing it in nearby mailboxes. Two years later, he wrote his first book, 'Real Kids Don't Eat Spinach,' an advice guide about what foods to eat (pizza and french fries) and to avoid (spinach), movies to watch ('Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones') and fashion tips (shorts and T-shirts). Today Gratz has published more than 20 books. Scholastic is bankrolling a major advertising and marketing campaign for Gratz's next novel, 'War Games,' which publishes Oct. 7. Set during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the novel tells the story of a female gymnast who sees firsthand how the Nazis have seized power in Germany, laying the groundwork for World War II. The author will go on a 10-city tour with major ticketed events—an opportunity typically reserved only for big stars. The publisher has ordered an initial printing of 200,000 copies, an impressive number for a middle-grade title. 'The modern world comes at kids on their phones, on their computers, on their televisions and in the form of active-shooter drills at school,' Gratz said. 'They have refugees as classmates. They don't have the luxury of only thinking about school, home and the neighborhood. These books help them look at the world.' Write to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at China's Exports to U.S. Plunge, in Sign of Bite From Trump Tariffs Newark Airport Suffers Another Tech Outage, FAA Says Elliott Eyes Bet on Pipeline Carrying Russian Gas Trump Media Narrows Loss, Looks to Continue Expanding Delta, Korean Air to Buy Stakes in WestJet For $550 Million Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Mint
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
How World War II became the hottest book craze…for kids
An auditorium of eager kids in Washington, Okla., were on the edge of their seats a few weeks ago as author Jennifer A. Nielsen told them about Lidia Durr Zakrzewski, a teenager who joined the Polish resistance during World War II. She served as the real-life model for the young heroine in Nielsen's 2024 novel 'Uprising." To the middle-grade audience, Nielsen was akin to a rock star, and she is a bit of one in the publishing world too. The types of books she often writes—historical novels about bombings, spies and young resistance fighters in World War II—have become some of the hottest novels with young readers starting around age 8. Scholastic, one of the country's leading children's book publishers, is asking agents for more World War II fiction, even as the rest of the kids' fiction market stagnates. At its book fairs, the publisher sees elementary and middle-school students darting over to the WWII bookcases, nabbing titles before they sell out. Books by authors like Nielsen and Alan Gratz have hit bestseller lists. With tales of heroism and spycraft, battle scenes and bravery, Gratz and a coterie of other writers have tapped into many of the same themes that draw kids to the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. Instead of dragons, wizards and gods, there are Nazis and young resistance fighters. In Nielsen's thriller 'Rescue," 12-year-old Meg Kenyon becomes part of a dangerous mission through Nazi-occupied France. In Adam Gidwitz's recent novel 'Max in the Land of Lies," 13-year-old Max Bretzfeld returns to Nazi Germany as a British spy. And in Alan Gratz's 'Heroes," two friends live through the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 'There is insatiable interest," said Aimee Friedman, an editorial director at Scholastic and editor of one of the genre's top authors, Gratz. The publisher looks for hot new titles and genres at its school fairs, she said, and quickly saw that kids wanted more: 'World War II books are at the top of the list." There isn't a specific category of sales data for kids books about World War II overall. But print book sales of kids' titles focused on the Holocaust, part of the World War II canon, rose 13% since 2023, to 350,000 copies last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan. Kids' fiction otherwise declined 1% during that time, as they continue to struggle with reading in the wake of Covid school shutdowns. Gratz's 'Prisoner B-3087," published in 2013, about a boy who survived a series of concentration camps, is based on the true story of survivor Jack Gruener. It wasn't long before Gratz realized he'd hit a nerve. 'I got more fan mail than from my 10 previous books put together," he said. He would go on to write 'Grenade," about an Okinawan boy caught up in the American invasion of his home island, and 'Allies," inspired by real events at D-Day. His novel 'Resist" is a companion to 'Allies." It is on the New York Times bestseller list for children's middle-grade hardcovers dated May 18. On the nonfiction front, Anne Frank's 'The Diary of a Young Girl" has been read in schools for decades. Earlier popular fiction includes Lois Lowry's 1989 novel 'Number the Stars," about the Danish resistance, and Markus Zusak's 2006 novel 'The Book Thief," about a girl in Nazi Germany who steals books to save them from being burned. 'The conflicts of World War II have endured as a lens of the human condition," said Julie Strauss-Gabel, president and publisher of Dutton Children's Books and Gidwitz's editor. Nielsen, 53, visits dozens of schools nationwide each year from her home in Utah. Her favorite audiences include kids skeptical that stories about events that took place more than 80 years ago could possibly be interesting. 'They can't believe it really happened and involved somebody their own age," she said. 'They are the ultimate stories about good versus evil." Nielsen, whose novels 'Resistance" and 'Uprising" are bestsellers, added, 'There is no middle ground." Laura Cheek, a librarian who invited Nielsen to speak in April in Washington, Okla., said getting kids interested in reading has been a challenge—but Nielsen seems to have found a way in. 'Even middle-school boys who don't pay attention to anything were sitting there big-eyed and mouths open," she said. Nielsen had a whiteboard laying out her plans for future book ideas and encouraged those in attendance to create their own stories. 'It was a very cool experience," said Stella Cheek, an 11-year-old sixth-grader in the audience. (The two Cheeks aren't related.) 'When I think of World War II, I first think of the Holocaust, but this broadened my understanding," she added. Cheek had earlier read 'Uprising" after coming across it in her school library. 'It wasn't about a Jewish girl, but a girl living in Poland when her country was taken over. It helped me understand how World War II affected everybody, not just Jewish people." Stella's brother Huxley, a 14-year-old eighth-grader who also saw Nielsen speak, was already familiar with World War II historical fiction. As a seventh-grader, he'd read Gratz's 2017 bestselling novel 'Refugee," about three kids—a Jewish boy fleeing the Nazis, a Cuban girl fleeing Communism, and a Syrian boy fleeing war at home—who each make perilous journeys in search of safety. Huxley said the stories can be disturbing, but he believes it's important to learn about them. 'Hitler was obviously terrible," he said. 'We should be allowed to know what happened so that we don't make the same mistakes." Huxley Cheek says World War II stories can be disturbing, but he believes it's important to learn from them. The hardcover edition of 'Refugee" spent more than 280 weeks on the New York Times's children's middle-grade bestseller list and today has nearly 1.6 million copies in print. Parents sometimes worry that the subject matter is too frightening for their kids, but advocates for the books say they provide a compelling opportunity to teach history. 'I tell them that these books aren't so dark that their kids can't read them," said Valerie Koehler, owner of the Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston. 'For kids, it's all about word-of-mouth," said Sharon Hearn, founder of Children's Book World in Los Angeles. Hot titles getting talked about include the 2024 book 'The Bletchley Riddle," by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, about two siblings caught up in the drama of World War II. Lariat Hale, a 12-year-old sixth-grader, got tipped off to Nielsen's 'Uprising" by a friend last year. She has since read four or five of Nielsen's other historical titles, and attended the author's school event last month. 'I liked that some of her books are based on true stories, and that she brings her characters alive with words," Hale said. Gratz used to make frequent school visits. These days he hosts a live, online book chat every month during the school year from his home in Portland, Ore. He thinks young readers are drawn to his stories because they appreciate fairness and are attuned to the idea of standing up for what's right. Author Alan Gratz says young readers are drawn to his stories because they appreciate fairness. 'This was a war we needed to fight to stop the Nazis," Gratz said. 'They were the world's bully. Middle graders understand that." Gratz's latest event drew about 3,000 students from 30 states and three Canadian provinces. He began it by admitting that, in some regards, he had been a bit of a disappointment. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tenn., Gratz, 53 years old, came from a football family, but instead of going into sports, he took up writing. As a third-grader, he said, he wrote his own newspaper, stuffing it in nearby mailboxes. Two years later, he wrote his first book, 'Real Kids Don't Eat Spinach," an advice guide about what foods to eat (pizza and french fries) and to avoid (spinach), movies to watch ('Star Wars" and 'Indiana Jones") and fashion tips (shorts and T-shirts). Today Gratz has published more than 20 books. Gratz's first book was an advice guide. He wrote it in fifth grade. Scholastic is bankrolling a major advertising and marketing campaign for Gratz's next novel, 'War Games," which publishes Oct. 7. Set during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the novel tells the story of a female gymnast who sees firsthand how the Nazis have seized power in Germany, laying the groundwork for World War II. The author will go on a 10-city tour with major ticketed events—an opportunity typically reserved only for big stars. The publisher has ordered an initial printing of 200,000 copies, an impressive number for a middle-grade title. 'The modern world comes at kids on their phones, on their computers, on their televisions and in the form of active-shooter drills at school," Gratz said. 'They have refugees as classmates. They don't have the luxury of only thinking about school, home and the neighborhood. These books help them look at the world." Write to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Heated police interviews show decline in investigators' faith in Megan Boswell
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The fifth day of Megan Boswell's murder trial painted a picture of diminishing confidence in her from police through hours of recorded interviews. Boswell faces numerous charges, including first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder, in the death of her baby daughter Evelyn Boswell. Evelyn's disappearance sparked an AMBER Alert in February 2020. Jury shown multiple interviews with Megan Boswell Monday's court proceedings picked back up with former Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agent David Gratz returning to the stand to continue his testimony. Gratz spent much of Saturday describing his February 2020 interviews with Boswell at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), as well as reviewing photos and physical evidence for the jury. Gratz handled and presented multiple pieces of evidence on Monday, including the trash can and trash bag Evelyn's body was found in on March 6, 2020, pieces of aluminum foil that had been wrapped around her head, the onesie she had been wearing and a blanket her body was wrapped in. The evidence drew a reaction from jurors, and the court entered a recess at one point after at least one juror felt ill due to the smell coming from the evidence. Complete Coverage of the Megan Boswell Trial When asked by Assistant District Attorney Amber Massengill who the investigation led to, he confidently stated Boswell was ultimately the only suspect. 'Is there any individual that the investigation continued to point out?' Massengill asked Gratz. 'There was one individual,' Gratz answered. 'Who was it,' Massengill asked. 'It was the defendant,' Gratz said. Gratz also told Massengill and the jury that other people who have repeatedly been mentioned throughout the trial were investigated and eliminated as suspects. Those included Ethan Perry (who was once believed to be Evelyn's father), Hunter Wood (Boswell's boyfriend in late 2019 and early 2020), Tommy Boswell (Megan Boswell's father), Angela Boswell (Megan Boswell's mother) and William McCloud (Angela Boswell's boyfriend). Boswell's attorney, Gene Scott, asked Gratz several questions about Wood. Wood's father previously took the stand and revealed to the court that his son was in a mental facility in Virginia. His father claimed that his mental health issues began when people 'started accusing him of being a baby killer.' Scott asked if the former agent was aware of Wood's mental health issues and if investigators had looked into a possible tie to those issues and the foil found wrapped around Evelyn's head. 'And did you all investigate any connection between people with schizophrenia and people that, tinfoil hats?' Scott asked. The question was rephrased after an objection, but Gratz said he was unaware of any investigators looking into links between the foil and mental health issues. Gratz told Massengill that Wood and all other people who were ruled out as suspects complied with law enforcement. During his cross-examination, Scott asked if he knew that Wood had refused to submit DNA for law enforcement. Gratz said he did recall hearing that Wood did not supply DNA at one point in the investigation. Scott asked further questions about searches at Boswell's former trailer and a search at Tommy Boswell's property prior to the night Evelyn was found. After Gratz, SCSO Lieutenant Matt Price took the stand. Price was a sergeant in the department's criminal investigations division during the search for Evelyn and interviewed Boswell multiple times with Gratz. The bulk of the rest of the day was spent with Price identifying some pieces of evidence from the trash can Evelyn was found in and showing the jury police interviews with Boswell. The jury was shown two interviews with Price, Gratz and Boswell on Feb. 20 and one with the same trio on Feb. 21. Price told the court that Boswell showed up at the sheriff's office unscheduled on Feb. 20, offering to help. In the first Feb. 20, 2020 interview, Boswell began to point law enforcement toward her mother, Angela. In the interview, Boswell told Price and Gratz that her mother had been speaking with Perry since she left Evelyn with him in December. 'Maybe Ethan gave Evelyn to her,' Boswell said, though she said she could not be sure at that time. She told them places her mother might be and made mention of Mendota as a place of interest. Gratz and Price displayed skepticism since Boswell had been telling law enforcement that Evelyn was in Louisiana with Perry. 'I know when you're not being 100% honest,' Price told her on Feb. 20, 2020. Boswell asked them if she would be in trouble if she were to share new information, which elicited a frustrated reaction from the two investigators. She went on to tell them that Angela had taken Evelyn from her trailer on Sugar Hollow Road in mid-December, diverting from her previous story of leaving Evelyn with Perry around Christmas. 'Why in the hell did you not tell us this?' Price asked. 'I thought maybe she might do something if you all were, like, trying to get to her,' Boswell told him. She told both men that she was not worried about Evelyn being gone for a month because her mother told her the child was fine. In a second Feb. 20, 2020 interview, Boswell's father, Tommy Boswell, joined his daughter and Gratz in the interview. Tommy made it clear that he did not believe the stories his daughter was giving the police and implored her to tell the truth 'Your mom don't have Evelyn,' Tommy Boswell told her in the video. Gratz left the interview at one point to allow the father and daughter to speak alone, and afterward, Boswell relayed an amended series of events. She told them that Angela Boswell had taken Evelyn without permission in response to Boswell stealing money off her debit card. Tommy Boswell told her that if an accident had occurred involving Evelyn, it would be best to come clean. 'It's gonna come out, it's just a matter of time,' Tommy Boswell said in the interview. Gratz and Price also asked about Wood's reactions to Evelyn being missing, and her response was that he was largely indifferent to it. 'Did Hunter ever say 'Hey, where's your daughter?'' Gratz asked her. 'No,' Boswell said. 'He didn't want no babies around?' Gratz asked. 'I mean, I'm not saying that. We just never really like got into the subject,' she replied. 'Well, do you think that,' Gratz asked her. 'Think what?' 'That Hunter didn't want no babies around?' 'I don't think that, why?' Boswell responded. When asked by investigators why she was attending a Super Bowl party, going on other trips and continuing to work instead of trying to bring Evelyn home, Boswell said she had no leads as to where her mother might be keeping her. Ultimately, Price testified that both Angela Boswell and William McCloud were found in North Carolina, but there was no indication that they had ever had Evelyn. In the Feb. 21 interview, Gratz and Price attempted to put a timeline together of when Evelyn was last seen alive using items from a memory box found in Boswell's possession. As it progressed, both Gratz and Price became more adamant that Boswell was not telling them the full truth and questioned how much she cared for her daughter after going so long without seeing her. 'What did you think you should do, just sit back and wait?' Gratz asked her. 'I mean, yeah,' Boswell said. 'For how long?' Price asked. 'How long were you gonna wait?' 'That's a really good question,' Gratz said. 'I don't know,' Boswell answered. She told them she did not believe Evelyn was dead because she had 'hope.' The investigators confronted Boswell about her previous stories, calling them lies and saying she knew she was leading them astray. 'That's why in my heart, I believe Evelyn is dead or you know where Evelyn is,' Gratz told her. Boswell told them she would never hurt Evelyn, but the pair told her she was no longer a credible source and said she was no longer helping them locate the child. 'There is no way,' Price told her. 'I'm a parent, there is no way.' 'No way, what?' Boswell asked. 'No way you don't know. It's impossible,' he answered. 'I honestly thought she was with my mother,' Boswell said. '[Expletive]. You don't care about her,' Price told her. 'She's been gone for how long? You never picked up the phone. You never called us. DCS didn't know. We didn't know. We're two months behind finding her.' Following the conclusion of the videos, Price answered some questions from Scott before being released. Two local news directors were called to the stand, and the jury was shown news interviews Boswell gave while the AMBER Alert was active. Judge Jim Goodwin sent the jury back to their hotel for the evening afterward. Boswell's trial will resume Tuesday morning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
