World War II

April 1, 2009
The You Choose series continues to bring immediacy to historical situations by offering three story paths and anywhere between 19 and 24 choose-your-own-adventure endings, thereby illustrating how snap decisions could spell life or death for those living in hard times. World War II is the most globe-trotting entry and is surprisingly expansive in its options. It skirts much of the gruesome, and although you can die in a concentration camp, the true horror is only hinted at. Overall, the story paths in this series are nicely varied but short, so repeated attempts are necessary for these to make an educational impact. Thankfully, its hard not to want to resurrect yourself for further adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)