Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War Ii Ghost Army

Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army continues the interactive Spy on History series, where middle grade readers get to experience history in a whole new way. Meet Victor Dowd, illustrator and sergeant in the 603rd Camouflage Engineers, who along with other visual artists used his creative talents to defeat the Nazi Army, save countless lives, and help win the war in Europe. Read Dowd’s heroic story – the 20 battlefield deceptions that employed inflatable tanks and airplanes, sound trucks, and phony radio transmissions to fool the Germans. Then using spycraft materials included in a sealed envelope inside, discover and unravel clues embedded in the text and illustrations, and solve the book’s ultimate mystery. Spycraft materials included: a cipher wheel and sheet of red acetate to decode messages within the book, plus a WWII "poop sheet" and a vellum sheet featuring the insignia patches of the Ghost Army and the battalions they impersonated.

“"With interestingly written, approachable text, black-and-white illustrations, and varied fonts, this second in the Spy on History series will captivate a wide range of readers." -- Booklist "This is a fascinating story and one kids and adults will find interesting." -- The Write Stuff "If you have a history or spy buff in your life, hand this book to him or her." -- Prose and Kahn "I absolutely loved this book. If you like WWII history or little known history, you should check this book out!" -- Rattle the Pages "It's literally an interactive experience that even my middle school kids thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, they've both voiced their anticipation for the next installment." -- Kidliterati "This series is a fun way to introduce readers to codes and codebreaking without making it too difficult. Even readers who have cracked a few codes in their time will enjoy one more opportunity to spin a cipher wheel and work out a message. Maybe they'll even be inspired to create their own!" -- Mad About MG History "Exciting, entertaining, and educational...this unique and clever book is all these things! Middle-grade readers will be captivated by the fascinating history of the Ghost Army and will have a blast deciphering puzzles and clues using the tools provided within the book." -- Word Spelunker "There are a lot of tensions in the book --- between art as passion and art as a war tactic, excitement over the Germans aiming their guns at the Ghost Army and fear at the army's defenselessness --- which makes this book a true page-turner. This perfectly paced tale of bravery and deception is perfect for any lover of history and wannabe spy!" -- Kidsreads.com”

"With interestingly written, approachable text, black-and-white illustrations, and varied fonts, this second in the Spy on History series will captivate a wide range of readers." — Booklist

"This is a fascinating story and one kids and adults will find interesting." — The Write Stuff
 
"If you have a history or spy buff in your life, hand this book to him or her." — Prose and Kahn
 
"I absolutely loved this book. If you like WWII history or little known history, you should check this book out!" — Rattle the Pages

"It's literally an interactive experience that even my middle school kids thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, they've both voiced their anticipation for the next installment." — Kidliterati

"This series is a fun way to introduce readers to codes and codebreaking without making it too difficult. Even readers who have cracked a few codes in their time will enjoy one more opportunity to spin a cipher wheel and work out a message. Maybe they'll even be inspired to create their own!" — Mad About MG History

"Exciting, entertaining, and educational...this unique and clever book is all these things! Middle-grade readers will be captivated by the fascinating history of the Ghost Army and will have a blast deciphering puzzles and clues using the tools provided within the book." — Word Spelunker

"There are a lot of tensions in the book --- between art as passion and art as a war tactic, excitement over the Germans aiming their guns at the Ghost Army and fear at the army’s defenselessness --- which makes this book a true page-turner. This perfectly paced tale of bravery and deception is perfect for any lover of history and wannabe spy!" — Kidsreads.com

 

Enigma Alberti is the nom de plume of a secret cadre of authors who are each writing a book in the Spy on History series.

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