88 pages 2 hours read

Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2012

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Introduction

Code Name Verity

  • Genre: Fiction; young adult historical
  • Originally Published: 2012
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1020L; grades 9-12
  • Structure/Length: Part 1 (15 chapters), Part 2 (no chapter divisions); approx. 368 pages; approx. 10 hours on audio
  • Protagonist and Central Conflict: Two British women—Julie, a spy, and Margaret, a pilot—are best friends working behind enemy lines in occupied France during World War II.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Wartime violence, death, and torture

Elizabeth Wein, Author

  • Bio: Born in New York City in 1964; moved to England when she was 3; attended Yale University; obtained a PhD in Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania; currently lives in Scotland with her husband; has a private pilot’s license
  • Other Works: Rose Under Fire (2013); The Pearl Thief (2017); The Enigma Game (2020)
  • Awards: Edgar Award (2013); Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor Book (2013); Printz Honor Book (2013)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • Friendship
  • Valor
  • The Nature of Truth
  • Women’s Roles in World War II

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

  • Gain an understanding of the cultural and social forces that shaped World War II and, in turn, have influenced historical fiction set in this period.
  • Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Friendship, Valor, and Women’s Roles in World War II.