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 Her clothes seem outdated and strange and it feels as though no one else can see her.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

One Day by Michael Rosen illustrated by Benjamin Phillips

"A true story of courage and survival in the holocaust"

Begin here where Michael Rosen talks about his book.

Michael Rosen was commissioned to write this book. He had been researching what happened to his father's uncle and aunt in France during the holocaust. "They didn't come back."

Publisher blurb: “Get through one day and then on to the next. One day at a time. One day after another.” Eugène Handschuh was a Jewish member of the Resistance in occupied Paris. After he was captured by the Nazis, he was placed on a convoy to Auschwitz. Against all the odds, with the help of strangers and fellow members of the Resistance, Eugène and his father escaped the convoy and survived – when so many others did not. Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen was inspired to tell this story after discovering his father’s uncle and aunt were on the same convoy as Eugène but never returned. With powerful illustrations from Benjamin Phillips, whose work has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, this sensitive true-story picture book reminds us of the best of people, in the worst of times.

Rosen uses a refrain to capture the determination of Eugène and his fellow prisoners: ‘Get through one day and then on to the next. One day at a time. One day after another.’ Elsewhere, Rosen celebrates other forms of courage, for instance the French couple who put themselves at risk to hide Eugène’s father. ‘I’ve never forgotten them,’ Eugène tells us, inviting us also to pause and reflect on their selflessness. This would be an excellent book to share with readers across the primary age range, particularly around Holocaust Memorial Day: for younger readers it introduces the topic in a safe and respectful way, and might lead into discussions around how we treat those who are different from us; for older readers it might inspire further research into Handschuh or other members of the Resistance. Just Imagine

Companion books:

Let the Celebrations begin

White Bird

I am also keen to find Stone Angel by Jane Yolen; The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren; What Rosa Brought by Jacob Sager Weinstein; and The Harmonica by Tony Johnston.

All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

"It feels like all the beautiful things have to be hidden away ... "

"The world is a jigsaw puzzle, every person a unique piece. There's a space for each one, but it must be the space made just for them. And if we leave one piece out, no matter how small, plain, insignificant or odd it may seem, the jigsaw puzzled remains incomplete. 

The picture looks ugly because there is a gap."

In the world of Germany in 1939 to 1945 every child has to be perfect. Anna is perfect - the perfect German girl. She is athletic, clever and has that perfect blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her sister however is not perfect. She has a disability and Mutti and Anna know if little Eva is found she will be taken away. 

"Eva was born with a disability that weakens her body and makes it hard for her to learn new things. Eva didn't walk for a long time and she's still a bit wobbly. Words came much later .... It's unlikely she'll ever learn to read. And she's so very small and thin, more like a toddler than a seven-year-old."

Eva takes delight in making paper dolls. The family have to keep her hidden, but Anna is able to collect tiny treasures - a piece of lace, a ribbon, a small piece of coloured paper - and Anna weaves a magical story for Eva as they work together to create new outfits for dolly. 

"Eva fetches her square biscuit tin and returns to the kitchen table. She opens the lid and gasps with delight even though she knows exactly what's inside - Dolly, a flat cardboard doll with woollen hair and tissue paper underwear, and eight flat dresses. They're all made from scrap paper and other treasures Mutti and I have scrounged from floors, streets, bins, barns. ... Every piece of the dress needs a story."

Anna and her friend Udo work hard to keep Eva a secret but there is danger everywhere. A boy in their neighborhood - Manfred is especially dangerous. "He is fourteen, tall, strong and handsome. He is in the special patrol group, Hitler Youth's very own police." 

Woven into All the Beautiful things we meet Eva Braun, visit the countryside home of Hitler, and in some awful scenes witness the indoctrination of the children in class against anyone who is not perfect - people with disabilities, people who are different and of course Jewish people. In one scene we see brave Anna quietly taking Nazi propaganda posters from her school and at home she burns them.

Luckily Anna and Udo do find friends in their town and one of these is seamstress Fraulein Linz. Little do they know that this lovely woman will be the one to hide little Eva when it becomes too hard to keep her at home and keep her safe. Fraulein Linz is living a double life. The Nazi wives visit to have her make their beautiful clothes and she even appears to be friendly with Eva Braun but this is all just a ruse. 

"How do we tell the monsters and the angels apart?"

This book has 327 pages, and I read it all in one sitting - YES, it is that good. In fact, this book is wonderful! I actually read this book about 3 weeks ago but I just wanted to sit and think and let it settle before penning something here on my blog. I actually feel I am quite inadequate as a blogger and lover of middle grade children's books to even begin to talk about this amazing book. One of the most precious parts of this story is the emotional intelligence of young Eva. 

There are some quite terrifying scenes in this book which I think demonstrates the power of this writing. One that has lingered with me is when Anna is stopped and told to empty her pockets by a member of the Gestapo. They have been watching Udo. He is part of the resistance and their communication is via train tickets. Udo has slipped it into Anna's pocket and now Anna needs to take it to Pastor Almendinger.

"The railway station's a perfect exchange for messages. Always busy. ... I'm there all the time, looking for discarded tickets for Dolly's dresses. In fact, there are four in my pockets right now. ... 'I'd like to see what's in your pockets.' ... I stick my hands into my pockets, grab the lining at the bottoms and turn them inside out. Everything that was inside spills. The tiny folding scissors, bottle tops, acorns and buttons fall into the snow, but the wind grabs the rest and sends it fluttering along the street. Including the very important train ticket for Pastor Almendinger."  

All the Gestapo see is a collection of rubbish.  

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"We're crying for Eva, who is safe, but whose life has grown smaller yet again. How many times must her world darken and shrink? How long can she live this way without the light in her eyes fading, before hugs in her arms slacken?"

"And then I shudder. Not because of Manfred's fanaticism. That's old news. It's just I've never been called a traitor before. I realise that a person can be both a hero and a traitor. It depends on your point of view. To Eva and Mutti, I'm a hero. To Hitler and Manfred, I'm a traitor." 

All the Beautiful Things is certain to be a CBCA Younger Readers Notable, and I am also sure it will be shortlisted. Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher. I highly recommend All the Beautiful Things for readers aged 11+. 

This is a great read, suffused with love and humour. As usual Nannestad has got the balance just right, presenting the reader with thought provoking situations while keeping them enthralled with suspense, some mystery, and lots of giggles. A must for every school  and home library. Storylinks

All the Beautiful Things is as much a story of resistance as it is about loyalty and family, but also, finding out what it means when the rules you think exist start to crumble, and your world changes in so many ways. It is a book that will make you question prejudices and what we assume disabled people are like, and ponder how we can help people who need it. And I think makes us ask ourselves what we would do if we ever found ourselves in a similar situation. Another wonderful novel from Katrina Nannestad. The Book Muse

History can be tough to understand, especially when it comes to things like war and prejudice. But Nannestad takes the real stories of the past and wraps them up in a way that is both accessible and heartwarming for kids. You’ll not only get to see the struggles of people who lived through WWII, but you’ll also learn about what it was like to be different in a world where difference meant danger. Better Reading

Some things to think about:

• It is interesting that Katrina named Anna's little sister Eva and Anna also meets and 'befriends' the famous Eva Braun. 
• When you read a book like this as a reader you put your trust in the author that there will be a 'happy ending' and that characters you love will be kept safe. What happens if this 'rule' is broken?

In November I attended a terrific 'fireside' chat at Gleebooks Kids with Katrina Nannestad.  Here are some things I discovered:

• Katrina will appear at our Sydney Writer's Festival in May 2025
• Her favourite character from her books so far is Udo (from All the Beautiful Things) and also Sasha from Rabbit Angel Soldier Thief
• Silver Linings is her personal family story and a sequel is planned
• Katrina reads and researches history through personal accounts. She likes to find lesser-known stories of World War II
• She plots her stories and has a clear plan of the way the plot will be structured
• When Katrina is writing one of her novels, she writes every day of the week and often becomes totally absorbed in the journey of her characters. Each book from this series takes 8-9 months to write.
• Her new books - another Lottie Perkins title and a new series about a character named Frances Bloom.

In November Katrina Nannestad ran a competition where people sent in their own paper doll creations. Take a look here.

After reading All the Beautiful Things you will want to read every book by Katrina Nannestad especially her stories set during World War II -   

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief; Waiting for the Storks; We are Wolves

Here are some other companion books:

The Little Riders

I am reading this one at the moment so I will talk further about it here in the coming weeks. 

Check out the Kirkus review.

Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes

The setting for this book is Italy in 1944. Florence is occupied by the German army but the Italian resistance movement are hard at work rescuing captured prisoners and sabotaging the Nazis. Paolo is a young teen. He just cannot cope with being kept at home so each evening he takes his bicycle and he rides for hours over Florence and the surrounding countryside. His mother is English, not Italian, so she has to be extra careful and her beloved husband has left to assist with the fighting. She knows about Paolo's night time riding but she is not sure she can stop him.

One evening Paolo is stopped by some men and they give him a cryptic message for his mother. Paolo has had no idea his mother has previously helped the Partisans. On his night ride he decides he should join the freedom fighters but when he does catch up with them they attack him. Luckily he is rescued by their leader - the mysterious Il Volpe (the fox).  Little does he know their paths will cross again and even though the most dreadful things have happened Paolo can indeed be a hero on a bicycle.

"The sight of his mother in conversation with three armed men gave his stomach a lurch of fear mixed with excitement. He was pretty sure who they were. The Partisans. The men whom he had admired so much for so long but had never met until last night. And now here they were, armed, in his own back garden. He couldn't imagine why they were here or what business they could possibly have with his mother."

Two young men are hidden in the family cellar over night. Late the next night Paolo takes them to the next safe house but they have been betrayed and there is an ambush. One man is taken prisoner and Joe, the Canadian, is badly hurt. 

"He motioned for Joe to follow him but, looking back, he saw that Joe was not in a good way. He was staggering, and blood had soaked through the left arm of his jacket and was dripping down his hand. ...  The way home was the worst journey Paolo had ever made. He took the back streest out of the city dreading at every turn that they would fun into anther German patrol."

I first read about this book back when it was published in 2012 but I didn't read it back then (it is still in print and there is an e-book version). Luckily for me there was a copy for $1 at our recent Lifeline Bookfair. I have been grabbing time to read this book over the last few days but be warned this book does contain some distressing scenes and at times I just had to put it down and take a breath. I was sure Shirley Hughes would keep me and the family (mum Rosemary, Constanza and Paola) safe but, as a said, at times, the tension she created was so real and so frightening. I would recommend this for readers aged 11+ and Young Adults. 

Taut, tense and vivid, this book will bring out the hero in any young boy or girl. You can almost hear the tanks rolling by and the fighter planes zooming overhead. And it’s a nice surprise to discover that Paolo is not the only hero found in Florence. The others might catch you unaware. The story is dramatically told, with warm and believable characters. Hughes captures the fears and frustrations of a young person thrust into war. Historical Novel Society

The first novel from much-loved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes is a thrilling and moving story with a touch of romance, set against a dramatic background of war-torn Italy. Based on Hughes' own experience of visiting Florence not long after the Second World War, it is a warm, tender tale of courage against the odds, which deals frankly with the brutality of war, yet maintains a distinctive sensitivity and lightness of touch. Book Trust

If you are a fan of books about World War II especially different aspects such as the situation in Italy I do recommend this book - it is sure to be in many public libraries.  Here are some other books about resistance fighters and World War II which might be in your library.

• What about me? by Gertie Evenhuis
• The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin
• The upstairs room by Johanna Reiss
• Letters from the lighthouse by Emma Carroll
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Belle and Sebastien

This is such a wonderful book but it is very old and long out of print.

You are sure to be familiar with Shirley Hughes and her wonderful picture books for very young children. In this video she talks about Hero on a Bicycle. 

Shirley Hughes illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the best-loved writers for children, with beloved classics including the Alfie and Annie Rose stories, and Dogger. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children's literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK's favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time. She passed away in March 2022 at the age of 94.

Letters from the lighthouse by Emma Carroll

Following on from books such as Goodnight Mister Tom, Carrie's War, Vinnie's War and The War that saved my life we now have Letters from the Lighthouse.

Olive and her brother Cliff are living in London. The bombs are falling. Their father has died while serving with the air-force and then their older sister goes missing. Sukie had taken the younger children to the movies. She leaves them on a pretense of needing the toilet then the air raid sirens sound. Olive rushes outside looking for her sister but she sees her with a young man.

"It didn't look like a normal chat about the weather either, because their heads were close together and the man kept glancing behind him. He gave Sukie a piece of paper before taking her hand and squeezing it in both of his."

Olive grabs hold of Sukie's coat and at that moment a bomb falls nearby. When Olive wakes up she finds herself in hospital. Lying in a box under her bed is the coat - actually it was her mum's coat, that Sukie had mysteriously chosen to wear for their outing. Sukie is now missing and things have become very dangerous so mum decides to send Olive and Cliff to Devon. The children are set to stay with Sukie's pen pal and Olive imagines Queenie will be waiting for them with a warm welcome, delicious food and a comfortable home. Their reception is completely the opposite. The two children climb the stairs to their attic room feel sad, displaced and very hungry. Cliff falls asleep but Olive is restless and cold so she puts on her coat and reaches into the pocket only to discover a note in the lining. It is coded message. It is important. Now Olive just has to discover the truth.

Here is an interview with Emma Carroll. If you use this book with a class the chapter headings would make interesting discussion and research points:

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
DO YOUR DUTY
KEEP IT UNDER YOUR HAT
WHEN IN DOUBT, LIGHTS OUT
V FOR VICTORY

I do love the cover of this book and when you pick it up you will discover the title is embossed.

Illustration by Julian De Narvaez http://www.juliandenarvaez.com/read-me-3/

You probably know I do love lighthouses too and this one is quite perfect.

"It was perhaps the nicest room I'd ever seen. For one thing, there was so much light. I counted at least six windows - little ones, arched at the top and set deep into the walls. Everything was painted white, even the floor. On either side of the room two bed hugged the curved lighthouse walls. Above each was a shelf of books from which hung beautiful, sea-blue lanterns."

I would recommend this book for readers 10+. Pages 190-194 could be used as an extract especially if you are discussing the plight of refugees both in WWII and in our modern context. Click these review quotes to read plot details. Here are a set of chapter by chapter questions. Listen to an audio sample which begins part way through Chapter One. The comments below from Just Imagine are especially good.

This is historical fiction at its best and would sit nicely alongside wartime study including the subjects of evacuation, rationing, use of animals, spies, codebreaking and even military tactics alongside ill-treatment of the Jewish population.   Just Imagine

This book should be in every school library and shared with as many children as possible. If children are to understand the world around them, it is books like Letters From The Lighthouse that will set them on the way. I really cannot recommend this book enough! Mr Davies Reads

As Olive's story unfolds, Carroll also provides the reader with a window though which to see and understand just what it means to be a child and live in a country at war and under siege, realistically depicting the fears and the privations, as well as the importance of family. the value of friends and neighbors, and need to learn trust and tolerance. Heading each chapter with expressions, warnings, and advice that were common during the war also helps give the novel a sense of authenticity. The Children's War


I did enjoy another book by Emma Carroll - In Darkling Wood.  You might also look for Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett and The Amazing Mind of Alice Makin.

What about me? by Gertie Evenhuis

Years ago I found What about me? in my school library.  This is an obscure little book which I first read in about 1997 but somehow the story lingered.  I often recommended it to students who read Number the Stars, The Silver Sword or The Upstairs room. Sadly our library copy disappeared and ever since I have had this book in my mind as a title to look for in used bookstores. Fast forward over 20 years to my recent holiday in UK.  While I was in Suffolk I visited a very messy and huge second hand bookshop. I was browsing the small selection of children's titles when to my huge delight and surprise I saw What about me? tucked away on the shelf. And it only cost 70 pence.

The scene I remember so vividly did not disappoint. Dirk is about to turn 12. The Germans have invaded Holland. Dirk is anxious to know what is happening. He sees change all around him but his older brother, who he once idolized, keeps telling him he is too young to understand. Dirk suspects his brother is involved with the resistance. He knows his brother has 'illegal' papers and posters in his room.

"I looked round hurriedly, Yes, there were forbidden newspapers. I snatched a handful. It was the least I could do. After all, the pamphlet had said: pass this on. I would be able to do something for my country at last. I might not be able to kill Hitler, but I could do something to help."

Dirk posts some of the papers on walls around the town and passes one onto his beloved teacher.  The next day word reaches the class that Mr De Lange has been arrested. Dirk now has the awful task of disposing of all these papers. In one terrifying scene he even tries to flush them down a toilet all the time sensing terrible danger for himself, his brother, his teacher and his whole family.

Gertie Evenhuis (1927-2005) was a Dutch children's author of over thirty books. This one was originally called En Waarom ik Neit? which translates as And why not me? and published in 1970. The translated by Lance Salway, the Puffin edition was published in 1976.

I would follow What about me? with The Little riders by Margaretha Shemin and Honey Cake by  Joan Betty Stuchner. Both are set in Holland and feature the work of the resistance during WWII. The art work on the cover may look familiar.  Richard Kennedy has quite a collection of book covers from past favourites.