Stepping on the Cracks (Gordy Smith, #1)

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

The Watcher by Joan Hiatt Harlow

• Middle grade novel set in 1942 in which Wendy, an American girl, is kidnapped by her mother who is a Nazi spy, taken to Germany, and forced to support the German war effort. Offers a touching and suspenseful look at life in Germany during the war and acts as a counterpoint to the American war effort portrayed in Stepping on the Cracks.

Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie French

• School children in Australia wonder if Hitler had a daughter, what she would be like, and if Hitler’s evil would be her responsibility. Explores ethical conundrums.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

• YA novel about a young Black woman in the 1940s who wants to become a pilot like her father. But to be a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot) she must hide her African American heritage. Addresses themes of moral ambiguity and identity.

Other Student Resources