The Silver Hand by Terry Deary

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781472929488
(Age: 11 and up) Recommended. Written by the extremely successful Terry Deary of "Horrible Histories" fame, this book is sure to be as successful.
"It's 1918 and the Great War is entering its final phase. France is beginning to make small inroads against the Germans while the Germans are not only continuing to suffer huge loses at the hands of the French but the deadly Flu is also beginning to have a huge impact. In northern France, young Aimee has just found out that her mother is part of a spy network working with the British. After reluctantly befriending Marius, a German boy who has been left behind by his countrymen, she must try to help him get back behind German lines while evading a traitor - the man with a silver hand, she has helped to discover. " Publisher. Danger lurks at the turning of every page and I frequently found myself holding my breath.
Deary has done a fantastic job of allowing the reader to get to know the main characters and develop a close relationship with them. The familiar hardships faced by so many during war time are experienced and throw in the constant challenges of evading the silver handed man, a spine-tingling story is experienced. It sheds light on the fact that no one escaped from the war in France and this is quickly discovered as Aimee travels through woods and the countryside. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book and it is a must have for the library. I will certainly be recommending it to a number of students.
Kathryn Schumacher