THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
From the minute Lizzie deceives her gran and escapes the departing ship, nothing is what it seems in Ruta Sepetys’ and Steve Sheinkin’s middle school novel The Bletchley Riddle. And Lizzie isn’t the only one keeping secrets. When Lizzie arrives at the military address from which Jakob is sending mail, she is questioned and whisked away by secret investigators to Bletchley Park in the English countryside.
Upon arrival, Lizzie agrees to abide by the Official Secrets Act. Although the characters and plot details are fiction, much of what happens in The Bletchley Riddle is historically accurate. Bletchley Park really was a secret codebreaking operation where Alan Turing broke the Enigma code, and codebreakers, mathematicians, scientists, and other employees were bound by the Official Secrets Act. The book begins with Lizzie emphatically stating that she prefers being straightforward and is often called precocious due to her tendency to say what she is thinking. Her candor and proclivity for mischief put her at odds with the Official Secrets Act from the beginning. Jakob, on the other hand, has no problem keeping information close to his chest. Although both Lizzie and Jakob are in the dark about many things, including each other’s actions, the dual perspective novel gives readers a clearer picture of how both characters are feeling and what they are doing at Bletchley Park. Readers will also come to understand how their mother’s disappearance affects both of their abilities to keep secrets.
Jakob wants to move forward and defeat the Nazis. Lizzie wants to uncover the past and the truth. With the help of friends and colleagues, as well as the intrusion of government officials and other spies like the skulking man they nickname Scarecrow, Lizzie and Jakob uncover truths about their mother, the Germans, and each other. Meanwhile, Jakob and his colleagues are working at a breakneck pace to stop the Nazi invasion and help secure a victory in the Battle of Britain. In the midst of this work, Lizzie begins receiving encrypted messages that she believes are from her mother. But how can she prove this? If Jakob doesn’t believe her, she will have to uncover the truth alone.
Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin are both award-winning children’s and young adult authors of historical fiction and nonfiction. Steve Sheinkin’s narrative nonfiction title Bomb has been one of my favorites for over a decade, and I share it with library kids often. Sheinkin’s ability to bring history to life in a fast-paced and intriguing way for young readers pairs well with Sepetys’ penchant for diving deep into an individual within a historical moment. The short chapters and dual perspectives make this a quick read. Lizzie and Jakob are both well-developed, funny, and likeable characters, and readers will find it easy to root for them. I recommend The Bletchley Riddle for any fan of World War Two books and historical fiction.
