In this historical fiction novella (based on a true story), France is occupied by the Nazis and French children have been grouped by age and sent to board at countryside schools for their protection. This story is the account of twenty French school children who, along with their teacher, are asked to house and protect ten Jewish children who have no families, no food, and no place to go. After readily accepting, friendships are forged, sacrifices are made, and trouble inevitably ensues. The French children are called upon to spontaneously hide and protect their new refugee friends when their worst fears are realized and the Nazis come to the valley. Teamwork, perseverance, love, and the importance of every life and role are themes that run throughout the children’s page-turning account of outwitting the Nazis with creativity and courage. Although packaged as a first-person children’s story, this is a beautiful portrayal of how the human soul longs after his fellow man and is willing to risk everything for the lives and wellbeing of others.
My thoughts on this book
Writing Style
First-person narratives have opportunities not shared by other points of view in humor, irony, observation, and thought. Janet tells her story in a manner that is matter-of-fact yet anything but bland. On the contrary, her perspective gives this book a flavor that is both genuine and engaging. Janet’s thoughts and emotions, such as misgivings, fear, excitement, and relief, are those readers can empathize with (in regards to the story and otherwise). Relatable characters are meaningful ones. So too, as Janet plainly shares what she is thinking and feeling throughout her narrative, she shares details that might not seem important yet contribute to the reader’s overall understanding of how she and her schoolmates perceive and are affected by the events. And while she doesn’t take pains to make her descriptions flowery, she always ensures that they mean something to herself and her readers. This mirrors the book’s general brevity–at 76 pages, it isn’t a long story but it is a meaningful one.
Another note on style – if you read my last review (The Mysterious Benedict Society), you know I love chapters that open and close with style (intrigue, purpose, humor, irony, matter-of-factness, etc.). This book only has five chapters, but all five of them begin with intention and end with either suspense or foreshadowing (except the final chapter, which ends with a rhetorical question–bonus points!). If you’re looking to improve the writing of your students, your children, or yourself, jot down a few notes about the opening and closing sentences of each chapter. What do they tell you and how do they make you feel?
(I love a book from which I can learn something about writing, and this one definitely has a few hidden gems.)
Characters
This book has a few key characters. While there are twenty French children and ten Jewish children caught up in the adventure, only a few of them are given dialogue and specific purpose. (Pro tip: Narrowing the character focus like this keeps readers from being confused or distracted by too many details.) The characters that carry this story feel real and relatable–they are friends who play games, squabble over meaningless disagreements, and lament over their trying circumstances. At the same time, they are capable of thought, bravery, and teamwork in the face of terrifying, impossible circumstances. Young readers will be both entertained and inspired by the words and actions of these heroes in which they see a little of who they are today and who they want to be tomorrow.
Story
The plot of this story isn’t complex. At first glance, it has a clear beginning, middle, and ending without any subplots to speak of. But if you look carefully, each event builds on the next. Each thing that happens becomes important later on. Things that seem trivial at the time are later shown to be instrumental in resolution, and personal motivations drive decisions that end up becoming lifelines. I like this story for its brevity, simple cleverness, and its age-appropriate picture of what life was like in a darker time and place.
There’s even the smallest hint of elementary school romance that shows up in a couple of lines, which is cute and in no way overbearing.
Humor
Not a lot to say here that I didn’t cover in writing style. This story isn’t “funny” –in fact, as you might guess if you’ve read this review up to this point, the plot is pretty heavy for young readers. You will undoubtedly smile at the climax, but it is more satisfying than it is innately humorous.
Note to parents and teachers about the historical aspect of this book:
If you read the synopsis, you know this is a World War II novel about how a group of children save their Jewish friends from the Nazis. I hesitate to pass this story off as mild because of the severity of that topic in general. You may want your child introduced to this topic and you may not; that is completely your call. This is a localized story and no mention of specific historical figures or motives are made. Facts covered in these pages include:
- Jewish children are hiding because they are in danger
- The Nazis are trying to find and either imprison or kill the Jews
- The Jewish children are already orphaned on account of the Nazis
That said, this book is completely tame and written for elementary schoolers. There is nothing intense or horrifying, just a little realistic suspense. I would recommend this book as a great introduction to literature about World War II for that very reason. It’s short and tactful, yet doesn’t shy away from how serious or frightening this period of history was for people everywhere.
Emma Scale 8/10
What a great book! It doesn’t need to be any longer or shorter–it tells the story it intends to tell in enough words to immerse you in the setting and invest you in the characters, but with no unnecessary filler. The writing style is simple but leaves nothing to be desired, and the story is suspenseful and satisfying at intervals. I really enjoyed this quick read and I think your child will as well.