Candy Bomber by Michael O Tunnell
One WI pilot's mission to lift the spirits of children living in war-torn Berlin in 1945 comes to life in this moving middle-grade historical account. After World War I the United States and Britain airlifted food and supplies into Russian-blockaded West Berlin. US Air Force Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen knew the children of the city were suffering. To bring a bit of hope, he began dropping chocolate and chewing gum by parachute. What began as a one-time gesture of compassion turned into an official U.S. Air Force operation. Operation Little Vittles grew, as more and more pilots volunteered to drop the parachutes, and donations of candy and cloth poured in from all over. This inspiring story of one man's contribution to the rebuilding of a country after war is a unique look at history. Illustrated with archival photographs, personal photographs from Lt. Gail Halvorsen--the Chocolate Pilot--letters, and documents, Candy Bomber is an important and interesting addition to studies of World War I.For many years, I taught children's literature at Brigham Young University, and I've authored several books for children, including The Story of Ourselves: Teaching History Through Children's Literature and Children's Literature, Briefly. I was involved in the selection of the winner of the Newbery Medal, the most prestigious of children's book honors, on two occasions. Glenna, my wife, and I live in Orem, Utah. Our family consists of four grown children and nine grandchildren. When we have the opportunity, we love to explore the world and have recently visited Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Japan, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, and England.
I've written picture books, nonfiction books, and novels for children of various ages. Many of my publications are historical in nature, such as The Children of Topaz, a photo-essay about the Japanese-American internment camp in Utah during WWII. Additional examples include the picture book Mailing May (drawn by Ted Rand), which is based on the true tale of a five-year-old girl in Idaho who was mailed by parcel post to her grandmother in 1914 (an ALA Notable Book), and the novel Brothers in Valor, which is based on the true story of three German teenagers who defied Hitler during WWII (a Junior Library Guild Pick). I've also written fantasy, such as School Ghosts, a ghost story, and the Moon Duet (Wishing Moon and Moon Without Magic) from the Arabian Nights.
Wishing Moon was awarded the Utah Book Award and had a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. Another of my history books is Candy Bomber: The Tale of the Berlin Airlift's Chocolate Pilot. It's a picture essay about an American pilot who, during the Berlin Airlift, dropped candy-filled parachutes to youngsters. Candy Bomber received a starred review from Booklist, was nominated for an Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award and a Beehive Book Award, and was included on numerous best-of lists.
Chinook! and other picture books are among my other works. See the following sites for more biographical information: Something About the Author, volume 103. Allan Hedblad edited the piece. 1999, The Gale Group, pp.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781580893374 |
| ISBN 10 | 1580893376 |
| Title | Candy Bomber |
| Author | Michael O Tunnell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Charlesbridge Publishing,U.S. |
| Year published | 2010-07-01 |
| Number of pages | 120 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |