War Games by Audrey Couloumbis and Akila Couloumbis Grades 5-8 240 pages Random House October 2009 Hardcover     Twelve-year-old Petros is aware of the war, but it seems unreal to him and his friends - until the German occupation moves into their little Greek town and Petros’s family is forced to host the Commandant. As the family moves to hide their American ties for fear of retribution, Petros soon realizes that this is not a game of spies but a real life-or-death situation. His older cousin, Lambros, a hero of the resistance, is hiding on the property and wanted by the Germans. Can they sneak Lambros to safety with the enemy living so close among them? War Games is based on the true-life adventures of co-author Akila Couloumbis and his family during World War II. Although historically accurate, the details of day-to-day living tend to bog the story down until well past the halfway point. Not until the German Commandant’s arrival does the story begin to pick up in intensity and speed toward the climax. The ending is as poignant as it is symbolic and leaves the reader satisfied. Author Audrey Couloumbis has written many acclaimed books for children, including The Misadventures of Maude March. After listening to her husband’s boyhood stories of the occupation and with a little encouragement from friends, the couple embarked upon a quest to relay Akila’s memories into one historical tome. War Games is the fantastic result and Akila’s first foray into the publishing world. It is a boyhood journey not forgotten but shared.     web reviews   Niki Masse Schoenfeldt/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)