The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Miri is Jewish. She has been living in Germany with her mother and father but then Kristallnacht happens in 1938 and so the family flee to Paris. Sadly, if you know your history, the Nazis arrive in Paris and so the terror continues. The soldiers arrive to take Miri and her family away but her father has already gone into hiding and Miris cannot find her mother. Their neighbour Madame Rosenbaum takes her hand and they leave together with young baby Nora. Madame Rosenbaum knows all their lives are in danger so as they are being unloaded from the bus she tells Miri to hide and run and take her baby Nora to keep her safe. Madame Rosenbaum tells Miri they will be reunited in Switzerland. Miri has taken off the yellow star and when some soldiers march towards her a young nun takes her hand and explains she belongs in the local orphanage. Miri has been rescued but only for now.

It is not safe for Miri to stay with the nuns and so she and Nora are loaded onto a truck and driven far away to a small town. Miri is exhausted from days of hiding and so she falls asleep and cannot stop the drivers who pass young Nora onto a local family. Miri is taken to another Convent School run by different nuns. Her name is changed and she has to hide her faith but she is desperate to find little Nora. There are two other older girls living in the convent over the summer - but can Miri trust these girls with the truth about her life in Paris and her faith?

There is a castle in this town which has been taken over by the soldiers. It has beautiful but badly neglected gardens - for vegetables and for flowers. Miri, now called Marie, befriends an elderly lady who asks her to tend the flower garden - actually she is very demanding - but is she a real person? Her clothes seem outdated and strange and it feels as though no one else can see her. 

Meanwhile several of the nuns are working for the resistance and smuggling Jewish people and wounded enemy soldiers over to the free side of France - the Vichy. One of the nuns is hurt and so it is Miri who takes over the nighttime task of guiding people through the castle grounds and over the bridge to safety. These scenes are so tense you will be on the edge of your seat. 

This was bound to happen - I wonder why it took so long. I began this blog in 2008 and every month I read so many books. I picked up The Night War in a school library last week and by the end of the first page I knew I had read this book already BUT when I checked my blog I had not talked about it - I wonder why. So, this morning when my city visit plans were cancelled, I sat down and re-read the whole book 273 pages - in one sitting and as you can see I gave this book five stars - yes it is that good. In fact it is an utterly engrossing story with some deliciously tense scenes. This book is perfect for readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: It’s 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe. With help and quick thinking, Miri is saved from the roundup that takes her entire Jewish neighborhood. She escapes Paris, landing in a small French village, where the spires of the famous Chateau de Chenonceau rise high into the sky, its bridge across the River Cher like a promise, a fairy tale.  But Miri’s life is no fairy tale. Her parents are gone—maybe alive, maybe not. Taken in at the boarding school near the chateau, pretending to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture, Miri is called upon one night to undertake a deadly task, one that spans the castle grounds, its bridge, and the very border to freedom. Here is her chance to escape—hopefully to find her parents. But will she take it? One thing is certain: The person Miri meets that night will save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

This poignant story moves quickly but takes care to consider with sensitivity the excruciating choices Miri must make at every turn as she’s torn between choosing safety and honoring her heritage and her convictions. A gripping, humane tale that examines what war demands of children and what it costs them. Kirkus Star review

This is a story that will completely engage readers and have them yearning for Miri to survive. Readings

This middle-grade novel is fast-paced, suspenseful, and heart-wrenching. Miri is a sympathetic character who faces terrifying situations, forcing her to make life and death decisions. Her emotions are believable, admirable, and valiant. A fantastical element may catch some readers by surprise, but Bradley places hints along the way that may tip off those who read more closely. Historical Novel Society

I adored two previous books by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley:

The war that saved my life

The War I finally Won

The Adventures of a Girl called Bicycle by Christina Uss

 

This book has so many ingredients that I enjoy in a good Middle Grade book:

• It's a page turner - there is just the right amount of tension
• Our hero is a young orphan of unknown heritage on a mission
• She must rely on her own determination, good sense and luck
• There is a map and a journey in this case right across the whole of the USA
• The journey contains hazards but as a reader you are sure the main character will make it!
• The food eaten on the journey, at times, is delicious and mentioned often enough that I was not worried that Bicycle would be hungry. She also has a comfortable tent to sleep in.
• Friendship is at the heart of this book
• There are wonderful inventions that are mentioned and the bicycles in this book are characters too and one has a collection of utterly perfect gadgets that I guarantee will amaze you

A little girl turns up at the monastery. She is wearing a t-shirt with the word bicycle. Now you know how she got her name.

The monastery is a very different place. The monks who live there are mostly silent. Actually that should say Mostly Silent. There is, however, one person who lives there who is allowed to talk - Sister Wanda Magdalena. She is a retired nun who works at the monastery doing all the "things that require a lot more talking than silence, like answering phones, making sure deliveries got where they were supposed to go, scheduling washing machines repairmen."  Sister Wanda previously belonged to the order of Nearly-Silent-Nuns but now that this little girl has turned up she will need to take care of her.

"If you don't live near a Mostly Silent Monastery, you may wonder what they are. The Mostly Silent Monasteries are part of an old an venerated order, founded centuries ago by a monk named Bob. One day, Bob observed that the human body is made with two ears but only one mouth. He felt this meant that we humans are supposed to listen more than we speak, so he vowed to be Mostly Silent and dedicated his life to listening to others."

Young Bicycle grows up in the monastery and she learns to be a good listener but Sister Wanda worries that Bicycle has no friends her own age so she organises to send the young girl to the Friendship Factory. Bicycle does not want to do this. She just wants to enjoy riding her own bike called Clunk. She also loves to read magazines about bicycles and watch movies about bicycle races. Watching these she discovers a famous bike rider named Zbigniew Sienkiewica or Zbig. He is from Poland but the exciting news is that he is coming to America. He will be at the blessing of the bicycles in San Fransisco on 8th July. Bicycle lives in Washington DC.  It is now late April. Bicycle has her bike, $154.20 in cash, her bike Clunk and a map of her route right across the country. Will she make it in time to meet her hero? What will Sister Wanda do? 

How did I come to buy this book?  A large chain store was having a book sale. I am always determined to find a book at these sales. I know books that mention the Texas Blue Bonnet award are usually splendid. Kirkus gave this book a star. AND most importantly I really like the cover. It is designed by Jonathan Bean.

There are a wealth of additional resources to use with this book (you could consider it as a class read aloud) here on the Texas Blue Bonnet page. Here is a list of  bicycle books curated by Christina Uss. This is her debut novel,

I won't explain this but here are the eight sacred words the silent monks can use:

yes, no, maybe, help, now, later, sleep (and) sandwich.

Publisher Blurb: Introverted Bicycle has lived most of her life at the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, D.C. When her guardian, Sister Wanda, announces that Bicycle is going to attend a camp where she will learn to make friends, Bicycle says no way and sets off on her bike for San Francisco to meet her idol, a famous cyclist, certain he will be her first true friend. Who knew that a ghost would haunt her handlebars and that she would have to contend with bike-hating dogs, a bike-loving horse, bike-crushing pigs, and a mysterious lady dressed in black. Over the uphills and downhills of her journey, Bicycle discovers that friends are not such a bad thing to have after all, and that a dozen cookies really can solve most problems.

Readers will eagerly join Bicycle and “pedal headfirst” into this terrific adventure, which is chock-full of heart and humor. Kirkus Star

The better news is that the book is also a hoot and a half. Filled to brimming with a good smattering of healthy quirk, it’s a quixotic quest book, a paean to the American landscape, and there are pigs. What else could you want? ... I can’t wait to read this one to my daughter when she’s just a little bit older. Elizabeth Bird School Library Journal

About the Texas Blue Bonnet Award:

The Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) reading program was established in 1979 to encourage Texas children to read more books, explore a variety of current books, develop powers of discrimination, and identify their favourite books. How does a book become a Bluebonnet book?...  In January, students vote for their favourite title. The author of the book receiving the most votes wins the Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) which is presented at the Texas Bluebonnet Award presentation held in the spring. You can see previous master list titles here. And here is the 2022-23 Master List. 

One more thing - you might like to investigate these Polish words. The first part here is what Bicycle intended to say:

Cześć, jak się masz
Mam na imię rower i przebyłem długą drogę, aby cię poznać

But what she says is: 

Chcesz włożyć zebrę do nosa?