This sweet story shows the compassion of one man and the impact small acts of kindness can have on an entire city. This book is full of photos from the pilot’s life and scanned letters written by himself and the children who adored him giving an excellent first hand account of the events. Readers are left teary eyed at the big and small sacrifices others were willing to make just so someone else could have a chocolate bar and a smile. Themes of everyday heroism, sacrifice, and compassion, are persistent throughout the book. One WWII pilot's mission to lift the spirits of children living in war-torn Berlin in 1945 comes to life in this moving middle-grade historical account. After World War II the United States and Britain airlifted food and supplies into Russian-blockaded West Berlin. US Air Force Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen knew the children of the city were suffering. To bring a bit of hope, he began dropping chocolate and chewing gum by parachute.

What began as a one-time gesture of compassion turned into an official U.S. Air Force operation. "Operation Little Vittles" grew, as more and more pilots volunteered to drop the parachutes, and donations of candy and cloth poured in from all over. This inspiring story of one man's contribution to the rebuilding of a country after war is a unique look at history.

Illustrated with archival photographs, personal photographs from Lt. Gail Halvorsen--the Chocolate Pilot--letters, and documents, Candy Bomber is an important and interesting addition to studies of World War II.