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hnbb's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because my grandfather is friend's with him. (I had another book that I mixed it up with.) I actually learned a lot from the book and want my oldest to read it now. It was a beautiful story and made me tear up.
jordanimals's review against another edition
So good! The book tells the story of how Lt. Halverson started the candy parachutes in Germany after World War II. At the time candy was far more precious than it is today. It was even seen as a form of currency to many people in the military at the time. Halverson was not allowed to drop candy to the children of German initially but once his commanding officers found out about what he was doing he was able to continue. The legacy he started did not end when he was sent back home to the states. He left his legacy in great hands which not only continued his visions of the Candy Bombing but also expanded them.
christina_likes_to_read's review against another edition
4.0
What an amazing story! I read this to my 7, 10, and 12 year old. It was much shorter than I had anticipated. But I loved the story and the pictures were a treasure!
jwinchell's review against another edition
5.0
What a great biography! This is on OPPL's 6th grade reading list and it's a great choice for young people--lots of pictures, large font and cautious text, and thorough storytelling.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
4.0
After World War 2, Berlin, Germany was in ruins. The U.S. Air Force dropped food on the city of Berlin as Russia exacted revenge on the Germans for killing many Russians during the war. Pilot Gail Halverson wants to give the German children hope during such a dark time and begins dropping candy filled parachutes throughout the city. Soon people all over Europe and the United States are donating parachutes and sweets for Lt. Halverson to drop. The impact of Halverson's program are far-reaching and timeless. A sweet story.
4-6th grades.
4-6th grades.
mom_loves_to_read's review against another edition
5.0
A remarkable story of one man who made a huge impact in so many lives with some gum and chocolate! My kids and I loved learning about the Lt. Halvorsen and his candy drop operation. This book is non-fiction and filled with real pictures and letters written from kids. A lovable WW2 story for adults and kids!
librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
After reading some really excellent non-fiction titles ([b:They Called Themselves the KKK] and [b:The War to End All Wars|7683302|The War to End All Wars World War I|Russell Freedman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281973641s/7683302.jpg|10330259]), I was prepared to find this mediocre in comparison. However, though it started slowly, it built and built until I was well and truly moved by the story.
Stories like this pop up all over history, and yet it's still amazing to me that one man can, on his own, affect so many people with a small gesture. Of course, in the case of Lt. Gail Halvorsen, his first small gesture (without asking permission, he disseminated candy and gum to poor Berliner kiddos by dropping it from his plane) turned into a very large campaign with donations from candy companies and the eventual cooperation of the Air Force. To build good will between Germany and the United States after WWII seems impossible, but here is this super nice guy reaching out to children and doing it. (The Historical Note at the end of the book draws attention to the fact that the Allies' punishing attitude toward Germany after WWI was a factor in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Like maybe if a Candy Bomber had been around in 1918 the world could have avoided a lot of suffering...)
In the end, it's a happy story from the WWII/Cold War era. How amazing is that? The spirit of hope and generosity in this book makes it a wonderful choice for the holiday season. As one young German boy recalled, "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared."
Stories like this pop up all over history, and yet it's still amazing to me that one man can, on his own, affect so many people with a small gesture. Of course, in the case of Lt. Gail Halvorsen, his first small gesture (without asking permission, he disseminated candy and gum to poor Berliner kiddos by dropping it from his plane) turned into a very large campaign with donations from candy companies and the eventual cooperation of the Air Force. To build good will between Germany and the United States after WWII seems impossible, but here is this super nice guy reaching out to children and doing it. (The Historical Note at the end of the book draws attention to the fact that the Allies' punishing attitude toward Germany after WWI was a factor in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Like maybe if a Candy Bomber had been around in 1918 the world could have avoided a lot of suffering...)
In the end, it's a happy story from the WWII/Cold War era. How amazing is that? The spirit of hope and generosity in this book makes it a wonderful choice for the holiday season. As one young German boy recalled, "The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared."
hailey_miller's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
Amazing both for fun and for research!
The first time I read this was when my mom read it to me during kindergarten or first grade and liked it well enough. Years later, I needed to make a presentation on Gail Halvorsen. I REMEMBERED the book and got it. It provided amazing information and my report turned out great (this was not my only source, but I didn’t use many).
It is both informative AND memorable. I had a great time reading it. It’s heartwarming, and an all-around good book.
You should definitely read this if you need to read a non-fiction book for school, like reading non-fiction, like short books about true stories, like learning about World War Two, want a short non-fiction book, or are just bored in the middle of summer. Definitely recommend! Full five stars!
The first time I read this was when my mom read it to me during kindergarten or first grade and liked it well enough. Years later, I needed to make a presentation on Gail Halvorsen. I REMEMBERED the book and got it. It provided amazing information and my report turned out great (this was not my only source, but I didn’t use many).
It is both informative AND memorable. I had a great time reading it. It’s heartwarming, and an all-around good book.
You should definitely read this if you need to read a non-fiction book for school, like reading non-fiction, like short books about true stories, like learning about World War Two, want a short non-fiction book, or are just bored in the middle of summer. Definitely recommend! Full five stars!