Use this book study guide for Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz to introduce notable people and events of World War II to middle schoolers.
Projekt 1065 Book Study
Disclaimer: Some of the following links are affiliate links. I make a small commission from some of the links on this site. You can read my full disclosure here.
Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz is an action-packed novel set during World War II. The suggested age range is 10-14, but older students will easily be engaged with the story. It offers a great introduction to many key people and events during the war. There were several excellent moral and ethical points that are worth discussing.
Thirteen year old Michael is the son of the Irish ambassador in Germany. He joins the Hitler Youth as a spy, trying to find the blueprints for the secret Projekt 1065. In order to be convincing, he must work to fit in, even when he disagrees. Along the way, Michael learns about courage, sacrifice, and the true costs of war.
I loved Gratz’s other novel, Prisoner B-3087, and loved this one as well. There were some parts that were pretty coincidental, but I enjoyed the twists, turns, and ethical debates brought up. I truly could not put the book down and finished the last 200 pages in one setting. It was well researched and had several real-life people and events brought up that will spark further discussion. There are noble themes of self-sacrifice, courage, and friendship. If your students are interested in spies, World War II and the Holocaust, action packed stories, or strong main characters, Projekt 1065 is for you.
One quote in particular stood out strongly to me: “I had managed to scare even the monsters, and when you can scare monsters, you can be sure you’ve become one yourself.” There are also several great quotes worth thinking about.
Use this book study to dive further into Michael’s story and the world young people faced in Germany during WWII.
There are 13 pages of activities and an answer key.
- Discussion Questions (pre-reading and questions that can work for discussion or writing prompts)
- Comprehension Questions Part 1 (first half of novel)
- Comprehension Questions Part 2 (second half)
- Vocabulary
- Fact vs Fiction Venn Diagram
- WWII Terms and Events List
- Notable People From Book List
- People and Events Matching
- Michael: Beginning vs End
- Traits of Michael
- Old Fritz vs New Fritz Venn Diagram
- Sacrifice
- Notable Quotes
- Answer Key
Find the book study on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Find the book study at my store.
More Resources
50+ Historical Movies for Kids
