Beautiful Blue World

Gr 5–8—With her country at war, 12-year-old Mathilde and her family are in danger from bombings and the shortage of much-needed supplies. There is an army aptitude test for children that would provide money and a certain degree of safety for one's family, and Mathilde's best friend Megs is determined to take it. Mathilde, too, decides to take the test, though she's certain that of the two of them, Megs will be the one picked. But it's Mathilde, not Megs, who is selected by the army, and she is sent to a location where other children and teens work on special assignments to aid the war effort. Mathilde feels completely out of place, unsure what she can possibly contribute, until one day she is given a secret assignment that changes her understanding of the war and her own future. Christy Carlson Romano ably narrates this thought-provoking story of war. Her measured delivery matches Mathilde's empathetic character.