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.