Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt

Against a vivid backdrop of home front tensions and daily life, intimate entries reveal Claire's and Karl's hopes and struggles, and their growing attraction to each other even as the war rages on. Inspired by the little-known history of POW labor camps in the United States, this lyrical verse novel is told in alternating first-person poems by two young people on opposite sides of the war. But his encounters with Claire-the serious girl with gentle eyes-give him hope that he can change and become the person he wants to be. Karl, meanwhile, grapples with his role in the war as he realizes how many lies Hitler's regime has spread. Could she really have something in common with a German soldier? In the essay, I mention that though my family called it our orchard, we also knew it was never really ours.

Claire wants nothing to do with the enemies in the orchard, until she begins to notice soft-spoken, hardworking Karl. It's October 1944, and while Claire's older brother, Danny, is off fighting in World War II, her dad hires a group of German POWs to help with the apple harvest on their farm.

This poignant and moving story of an unlikely connection will stay with readers long after the final page. Set against the backdrop of WWII, this achingly beautiful middle grade novel in verse based on American history presents the dual perspectives of Claire, a Midwestern girl who longs to finish high school and become a nurse even as she worries for her soldier brother, and Karl, a German POW who's processing the war as he works on Claire's family farm.

Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt