Candy Bomber (Orbis Pictus Honor For Outstanding Nonfiction For Children (Awards)) (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
What a delightful story about Gail Halvorsen and how he brought hope to the children and people of Berlin by dropping candy to them from his plane. It shows what one man can do, and that one good deed can spread and make such a huge difference.A delightful story of how the people of Berlin were cut off from receiving any supplies or coal by the Russians and how the Americans flew them in food and supplies on a daily bases.Gail saw a bunch of children standing by the fence who he talked to and he decided to give them all he had 2 sticks of gum. He broke them in half and the kids that didn't get a piece of gum were tickled to smell the wrapper. When Gail saw the joy that brought the children he decided to drop them candy. He told them he would wiggle his wings so they would know it was him, than he tied the candy onto little hankies. Of course other pilots soon joined him, and than they started getting candy contributions from candy companies.Gail is still alive in his late 80's or early 90's and I think every year he still does a candy drop. So inspirational!!! Loved it!! This book did not work for me, it is a biography of a pilot set during the Berlin Airlift who started dropping candy and it became a pr stunt that the military and west grabbed to build more propaganda. In my mind this book is aimed at 5th-8th graders, what they don't get is actually a decent explanation about why we were having to do the Berlin airlift within the greater context of World War II and the Cold War. But also why it as so important to use something like dropping candy to influence public opinion beyond it making people feel good.
What do You think about Candy Bomber (Orbis Pictus Honor For Outstanding Nonfiction For Children (Awards)) (2010)?
A heart-warming story about a wonderful man!
—Maribel
I thought it was pretty interesting.
—kaylinalicia
