"The Blackbird Girls" by Anne Blankman - Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Anne Blankman

Anne Blankman is an American author known for her works in historical fiction, particularly young adult novels.

Anne Blankman was born in upstate New York and later moved to the rural Midwest. She developed a passion for history and literature from an early age, and this interest is reflected in her writing. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and history from Union College and a master's degree in information science from the University at Albany.

Anne Blankman's writing often explores historical events and figures, bringing them to life for young adult readers. She is known for her meticulous research and the careful integration of historical details into her narratives.

One of Anne Blankman's notable works is "Prisoner of Night and Fog," a historical thriller set in 1930s Munich, which explores the rise of Adolf Hitler and the early years of Nazi Germany. The novel received positive reviews for its compelling storytelling and historical authenticity. The success of this novel led to a sequel, "Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke."

MLN Materials

book
large print book
readalong

Audiobook Versions

Libby

Ebook Versions

Libby

Synopsis

On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own?

Historical Timeline

The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, and its aftermath had significant consequences on the environment, health, and policies related to nuclear power.

April 26, 1986: Explosion at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
- During a safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), a reactor at the plant exploded. The explosion released a massive amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.

April 27, 1986: Evacuation of Pripyat
- The nearby town of Pripyat, home to the plant's workers and their families, was evacuated. Residents were told to bring only the essentials, as they were initially expected to return after a few days.
April 30, 1986: Wider Evacuations
- Evacuations extended to a larger area, including nearby villages. The Soviet government did not publicly acknowledge the disaster until several days later.

May 1986: Initial Cleanup Efforts
- Efforts to contain the immediate aftermath included dropping sand and other materials onto the exposed reactor, along with attempts to seal off the damaged reactor.
Mid-1986: Construction of the Sarcophagus
- Construction began on a massive concrete structure known as the sarcophagus to contain the damaged reactor. The sarcophagus was completed in November 1986.

1989-1991: Deactivation of Other Reactors
- The Chernobyl plant's remaining reactors continued to operate for several years, but eventually, they were deactivated. The last reactor at the site was shut down in 2000.
1991: Independence of Ukraine
- The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to the independence of Ukraine in 1991. The Chernobyl plant and the affected areas fell under the jurisdiction of an independent Ukraine.
1996: Shelter Implementation Plan
- The Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan aimed to improve the safety and stability of the sarcophagus. The New Safe Confinement (NSC), a structure to enclose the original sarcophagus, was later constructed.
2011: New Safe Confinement
- The NSC, a massive steel structure, was placed over the damaged reactor to provide long-term protection and allow for the eventual dismantling of the original sarcophagus.

The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, and its aftermath had significant consequences on the environment, health, and policies related to nuclear power.

April 26, 1986: Explosion at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
- During a safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), a reactor at the plant exploded. The explosion released a massive amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.

April 27, 1986: Evacuation of Pripyat
- The nearby town of Pripyat, home to the plant's workers and their families, was evacuated. Residents were told to bring only the essentials, as they were initially expected to return after a few days.
April 30, 1986: Wider Evacuations
- Evacuations extended to a larger area, including nearby villages. The Soviet government did not publicly acknowledge the disaster until several days later.

May 1986: Initial Cleanup Efforts
- Efforts to contain the immediate aftermath included dropping sand and other materials onto the exposed reactor, along with attempts to seal off the damaged reactor.
Mid-1986: Construction of the Sarcophagus
- Construction began on a massive concrete structure known as the sarcophagus to contain the damaged reactor. The sarcophagus was completed in November 1986.

1989-1991: Deactivation of Other Reactors
- The Chernobyl plant's remaining reactors continued to operate for several years, but eventually, they were deactivated. The last reactor at the site was shut down in 2000.
1991: Independence of Ukraine
- The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to the independence of Ukraine in 1991. The Chernobyl plant and the affected areas fell under the jurisdiction of an independent Ukraine.
1996: Shelter Implementation Plan
- The Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan aimed to improve the safety and stability of the sarcophagus. The New Safe Confinement (NSC), a structure to enclose the original sarcophagus, was later constructed.
2011: New Safe Confinement
- The NSC, a massive steel structure, was placed over the damaged reactor to provide long-term protection and allow for the eventual dismantling of the original sarcophagus.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Call Number: J FICTION Bradley
A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.

*ebook & audiobook on Libby
Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves by L. M. Elliott
Call Number: J FICTION Elliott
Days after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hitler declared war on the U.S., unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships. Suddenly the waves outside Louisa June's farm aren't for eel fishing or marveling at wild swans or learning to skull her family's boat--they're dangerous, swarming with hidden enemies. Her oldest brothers' ships risk coming face-to-face with U-boats. Her sister leaves home to weld Liberty Boat hulls. And then her daddy, a tugboat captain, and her dearest brother, Butler, are caught in the crossfire. Her mama has always swum in a sea of melancholy, but now she really needs Louisa June to find moments of beauty or inspiration to buoy her. Like sunshine-yellow daffodils, good books, or news accounts of daring rescues of torpedoed passengers. Determined to help her mama and aching to combat Nazis herself, Louisa June turns to her quirky friend Emmett and the indomitable Cousin Belle, who has her own war stories--and a herd of cats--to share. In the end, after a perilous sail, Louisa June learns the greatest lifeline is love.
Escape from Chernobyl (Escape From #1) by Andy Marino
Call Number: J FICTION Marino
Alina & Lev are two siblings living in Pripyat, one of the Soviet Union's proud nuclear cities. Both are asleep in their beds. Their cousin, Yuri, is a custodian at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where he's fiercely attacking a spill in the hallway with a mop. Alina's best friend, Sofiya, sleeps just a few doors down. Her father is an engineer at the plant, a fact that has always filled her with pride. In five minutes, Reactor No. 4 will explode in a ball of fire. It will expel radiation across their town for nine days before it's finally contained. For the people of Pripyat, it will be far too late. Two young siblings flee the Chernobyl disaster with their parents, but the Communist party is on their heels. Meanwhile, the friends and family they were forced to leave behind must contend with a disinformation campaign that's determined to pretend nothing is wrong-even as deadly radiation spills into the air.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Call Number: J MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION Gratz
Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.
Don't Tell the Nazis by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Call Number: J MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION Skrypuch
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (author of Making Bombs for Hitler) crafts a story of ultimate compassion and sacrifice based on true events during WWII.The year is 1941. Krystia lives in a small Ukrainian village under the cruel -- sometimes violent -- occupation of the Soviets. So when the Nazis march into town to liberate them, many of Krystia's neighbors welcome the troops with celebrations, hoping for a better life.But conditions don't improve as expected. Krystia's friend Dolik and the other Jewish people in town warn that their new occupiers may only bring darker days.The worst begins to happen when the Nazis blame the Jews for murders they didn't commit. As the Nazis force Jews into a ghetto, Krystia does what she can to help Dolik and his family. But what they really need is a place to hide. Faced with unimaginable tyranny and cruelty, will Krystia risk everything to protect her friends and neighbors?