Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson illustrated by Sally Deng

Subtitle: The woman who rescued a generation of children 

and founded the world's largest children's library

I am a member of IBBY Australia and so I am already familiar with the wonderful work of Jella Lepman but I learnt so much more from this new book. 

Dr Robin Morrow AM, past president of IBBY Australia said, in Magpies Volume 40, Sept 2025:

"... this comprehensive but accessible book (112 pages) is a must-have for public libraries and for upper primary and secondary collections, and an excellent resource for students researching influential women. ... The world has changed but the challenges for those who care about children, and good books and the possibilities for peace remain remarkably similar to those of eighty years ago."

The word that shines through most forcibly reading this book is determination. Jella Lepman acted on her vision that the children of Germany, who had lived through the most dreadful circumstances, children who had seen things no one, adult or child, should ever see, that these children needed to see different ways of living, and imagining and interacting and, she knew, that could come from children's books. But there were so many problems in Germany in 1945. She had to convince the authorities (men in the US army); she needed money; she needed books (lots of them hopefully for free); she needed helpers; she needed to maintain her strong voice and vision; she needed a space for her exhibition of books and children's drawings; and later she needed a space to set up a library. For all of this Jella Lepman used her determination. 

I loved the scene where she has to sneak in at night to use a typewriter and then has to invent 'a demanding high raking officer' who has ordered her to work late into the night. 

Because of her work and vision and fierce belief in the power of children's books as a force for good in the world today we have IBBY (The International Board on Books for Young People). Read more here.

I have read right through Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams twice. There are parts that made me cry. Jella sees a little child in a bombed out city holding a winter flower; Jella follows another little girl who had been begging for treats from US soldiers only to discover older children are using her and taking everything from her begging; Jella is given money for a book mobile but this never eventuates because bureaucrats raise issues of money and staffing; officious men tell her the children will steal the books (this does not happen) and others declare they should not be allowed to touch the books with their dirty hands. I loved the idea of children from all over the world sending paintings to the children in Germany and the way Jella insisted her library should have a space for children to create their own art projects. Imagine attending her conference in 1951:

"But onto her greatest achievement; Jella had been seeking to make peace through children's books since 1949. Perhaps she should gather people from around the world who also gave their lives to children and their books, who might also believe that books could be a bridge for peace. Jella made up a list of people she considered the who's who of children's literature and sent out 60 invitations. Very quickly the acceptances poured in, along with pleas from people who had not received an invitation but who wanted to come."

And did you know that today you can visit her library in Germany - it is in Munich and it is housed in a castle. It is my own dream to one day make a visit to see the now impressive collection of over 600,000 items.

When you pick up this book make sure you look really closely at the cover - there are some famous characters walking alongside the children and then take of the dust jacket (yes I love that this book has a dust jacket) and even better the case reveal shows children having fun with some of those characters from the cover. 

Publisher blurb: Jella Lepman was a woman who stood her ground, challenged convention, and worked fiercely to transform her biggest dreams into reality. In 1945, when Jella was tasked with what seemed like an insurmountable challenge―to create a haven of imagination and joy for the children of a Germany scarred by war—she turned to a steadfast companion: books. As a Jewish woman who had fled from the Nazis, Jella was determined to restore a sense of childhood to the young people who had only known conflict and violence. Despite constant obstacles, Jella persevered, and with the help of publishers and children from around the world, she amassed an extraordinary collection of 4,000 children’s books in pursuit of her mission to promote peace. The roving literary collection would eventually find a home as the International Youth Library in Munich ...

Anyone with a connection to IBBY will want to grab this book with both hands! It is a good price from this online book seller, or you could put in a request your local library might be able to source a copy. I did find this audio book version. You could also read this using Overdrive from your library. 

Jella Lepman established IBBY and the International Youth Library. Here is a quote from her biography:

We are looking for ways to introduce children in Germany to the children's books of other nations. German children have almost no books left after the children's and youth literature of the Hitler era was eliminated. Educators and publishers also need books from the free world for their orientation. Children are not to blame for this war, so let your books be the first messengers of peace! They are to be compiled into an exhibition that will first travel to Germany, and later perhaps to other countries. To overcome foreign language difficulties, we ask above all for picture books and illustrated books. But good narrative literature should also be made accessible to the children in group work. We hope that German publishers will be able to acquire the translation rights to many of these books. We also ask your country for children's drawings and children's paintings. These pictures speak an international language and will delight the children. (Lepman 1964, 51 f.) Read more here - the IBBY Congress in Trieste

One bookseller said this book is perfect for:

• Librarians, educators, and parents seeking engaging history and nonfiction books for kids
• Fans of true stories, biographies, and fascinating facts
• Anyone interested in learning about children’s literature and children's book libraries
• Special occasion or thank you gift for teachers and librarians
• Fans of Katherine Paterson and her award-winning books, including Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, and The Great Gilly Hopkins

White Rabbit books said:

WORLD HISTORY FOR KIDS: This book reflects on the aftermath of WWII and its effect on children in Germany. By Jella Lepman’s inspiring example, readers will learn how working together and being part of a community can help bring peace after war, displacement, and loss.

FASCINATING TRUE STORY: This picture book biography introduces a little-known historical figure who changed the world through children’s books. Anyone who loves history, biographies, or children’s literature will find themselves inspired by the life and work of Jella Lepman.

IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS & LIBRARIES: Featuring inspiring illustrations of global cooperation, crates of international books being shipped to the library, and children in the harshest of conditions finding solace in reading, this book is perfect for celebrating librarians and their positive impact on young lives. It also highlights the ongoing work of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization that represents an international network of people who are committed to bringing books and children together.

A stirring, singular tribute to a woman well aware of the importance of children’s books in times of trauma and recovery. Kirkus Star review

Dr Robin Morrow mentioned Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams could benefit from an index - but for my reading I wish there was a timeline - this would be an excellent way to gain an overview of Jella's work. I love these words from the Kirkus review I just quoted: The subject’s dedication, candor, and sheer chutzpah burst off the page.

Companion books:

The Lady with the Books

Katherine Paterson, as a supporter of IBBY and a HCAA winner, is the perfect person to take on creating this wonderful book so that children and adults can have a glimpse into the life and work of this incredible woman. I imagine she would have spent many years completing her research. You can see a list of all the awards given to Katherine Paterson. She is a Life Member of IBBY and a past winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Here are all the US winners of the HCAA:

• 1962 - Meindert DeJong (Author Medal)
• 1970 - Maurice Sendak (Illustrator Medal)
• 1972 - Scott O'Dell (Author Medal)
• 1978 - Paula Fox (Author Medal)
• 1992 - Virginia Hamilton (Author Medal)
• 1998 - Katherine Paterson (Author Medal)
• ​2020 - Jacqueline Woodson (Author Medal)

​

Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz

Max is an only child living in Berlin with his parents - his father is a watchmaker and his mother takes in clothes that need alterations and repairs. They are not wealthy but they are happy.  But this is a Jewish family, the year is 1939 and it is clear they are all in danger then comes the dreadful night - the event named Kristallnacht. His mother and father have been negotiating to send Max away and now this is urgent. Max absolutely does not want to leave his parents but they take him to the train and he sets off to England. He is taken in by a wealthy Jewish family, the Montagus, so culturally things feel slightly 'normal' but all Max wants to do is to find a way back home.

Max is a child genius. He can solve complex problems and he is an expert with radios. At school he has a problem with horrid bullies - he solves this using his brain. Also at school he is expected to take part in a brutal rugby game - again he solves this using his brain - I adored what he did to avoid this match. Over time his actions come to the attention of the uncle in his adopted family. Uncle Ewan is actually a Lieutenant Commander who works for British Naval Intelligence. He is the person who takes Max to a set of houses and a mansion owned by the wealth Rothschild family and this is the place where his training begins. Max is being trained to be a spy - to go back to Berlin and potentially do something involving radios - we don't know much about this in the first installment. For now, Max just has to pass this training in fact he has to be extraordinary.

Spoiler alert- I devoured this book in just one day BUT I have to give a huge warning. The final page is a total cliff hanger - Max arrives outside Berlin after being dropped from a plane on a parachute but his guide is lying dead on the ground. Luckily there are only two books in this series so I anticipate things will be resolved in the next installment and hopefully Max will be safe and (do I dare to hope for a fairy tale ending) reunited with his Mama and Papa. While we are in a spoiler paragraph here, I should also mention Max does meet Winston Churchill - this is another scene that is so well written. 

The suggested age range for Max and the House of Spies is 8-14 - that in my opinion is ridiculous. I highly recommend Max and the House of Spies for mature readers aged 11+. Notice the label 'Magical Realism'. Max has two little characters on his shoulders - you can see them on the cover. The reviewer at the School Library Journal explains them this way: Berg is a kobold (from Merriam-Webster: an often mischievous domestic spirit of German folklore) and Stein is a dybbuk (from the Jewish Virtual Library: an evil spirit which enters into a living person, cleaves to his soul, causes mental illness, talks through his mouth, and represents a separate and alien personality).To me they represented optimism and pessimism, and also at times they feel like a way to hear Max's own thoughts. Whatever their role I loved the way they added humour to some incredibly tense and dangerous situations. 

Australian children will enjoy the inclusion of a kangaroo (yes this will be a surprise) but we would want her to eat vegemite not marmite but I guess there would not be any vegemite in the UK in 1940.

This book is a hilarious page-turner that successfully raises, but does not solve, the problem of evil. It’s also a well-researched historical novel that eventually sends Max to British spy school. He’s trained for undercover work in Nazi Germany, smuggled back to Berlin… and then something truly awful happens, leaving the reader hanging. Historical Novel Society

Fun, fact-filled, exciting, and unafraid to ask the tough questions, dip deep into this one when you can. Then get ready to want to read the next one immediately. Fuse 8 Betsy Bird - read this whole review Betsy gives some really great insights into this book. 

True to its title, this is a book about spy craft and espionage during World War II. But it's also a book about figuring out who you are and about being true to that person once you do. This is a book about history, antisemitism, bullying and the dangers of group think. It's about friendship and families: those you are born into and those you choose. But most of all, Max In The House of Spies is a book about love. Library Girl

Check out my very recent post about the Kindertransport. 

Here is the sequel to Max in the House of Spies - and YES I will begin reading it tonight because I just cannot leave Max stranded in that field near Berlin.

Stars of the Night by Caren Stelson illustrated by Selina Alko

Save one life, save the world

This book begins in Czechoslovakia 1938. The children are enjoying life in their city of Prague - skating and drinking hot cocoa with whipped cream. 

"All through the year, we played with our friends, went to school with them, laughed and told our secrets to them. We were Jewish. They were often not. It didn't matter to us."

But in November of 1938 life changed. In Germany dreadful things were happening to Jewish citizens and so many refugees arrived in Prague. The children in Prague, kids who had lived there their whole lives were subjected to name calling and bullying. The parents had to make the heart wrenching decision to send their children away to England. 

"There will be times when you'll feel lonely and homesick. Let the stars of the night and the sun of the day be the messenger of our thoughts and love."

These children were rescued by Nicholas Winton. He saved 669 children but he never talked about this until decades after the war his wife found a suitcase filled with documents about these children. In 1988 Nicholas Winton was invited to appear on a television show. If you watch this you will see all adults in the audience - these are the children he saved. 

Stars of the Night has extensive back notes, a timeline, source list, bibliography, author and illustrator notes and a list of books for further reading.

Walker Books blurb: The incredible true story of the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II.

"When we were seven or eight or nine or ten, our home was the old city of Prague."

So begins this powerful story of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II as Hitler's campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Told from the collective perspective of the children, the narrative starts in 1938 and follows them as they journey to foster families in England for the duration of the war, return to Prague afterward in an unsuccessful search for their parents, and eventually connect with Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker who was instrumental in bringing them to safety.

A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others. Kirkus Star review

This searing account is all the more heart-rending because it is collectively narrated by the young people saved by Winton, delivered in the innocent, matter-of-fact voice of a child. Kirkus Star review

A necessary and inspirational book about a little-known light amid a dark period of history, this book should find a home in all libraries. School Library Journal

For younger readers ... I hope they realize, besides their parents, there are good people in the world who, even as strangers, will take care of children as if they were their own — particularly under difficult circumstances. There are people in the world like Nicholas Winton who see the necessity to act to help children, even in the face of danger. The Dalai Lama said of Nicholas Winton, “We must carry [Nicholas Winton’s] spirit from generation to generation … Then humanity’s future will be brighter.” Bookology Magazine

Here are some very detailed teachers notes with excellent background reading ideas. 

This video will give you a look at the illustrations in this book. 

Awards for Stars of the Night:

• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year, Outstanding Merit
• ILA Honor Award for Social Justice
• National Jewish Book Award Finalist
• New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
• Notable Books for a Global Society List Selection
• Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
• School Library Journal Best Book
• Texas Bluebonnet Master list

Photo of Nicholas Winton who died in 2015

Kindertransport Memorial at Liverpool Street Station, London

Here is a fascinating interview of the author and illustrator with Roger Sutton at The Horn Book. And another with The Lerner Blog. And on the author webpage. 

Check out my two previous books which explore the topic of the Kindertransport:

Saving Hanno

Anna at war

Companion book:

Listen to a four minute podcast about this book

Read this detailed blog post from Reading Opens Doors

And just today I picked up this book - the cover looked interesting then I read the blurb - and saw the word Kindertransport. 

Kirkus review

Saving Hanno: The story of a refugee dog by Miriam Halahmy illustrated by Karin Littlewood

Rudi is nine years old. He is living in Frankfurt. The year is 1938. Hitler is on the rise and daily life is changing for Rudi and his Jewish family. Things are becoming very dangerous. His parents make the heartbreaking decision to send Rudi and his sister Lotte on the Kindertransport to England. 

Rudi has no English. Rudi has witnessed terrible violence. And now Rudi is told he cannot take his best friend Hando to England. 

"He's my little dachshund, and he's the best dog in the whole wide world. I've had him since he was a puppy. He's two years and one month old now. He goes everywhere with me ... Hanno's coat is very smooth and a sort of chocolate brown. His ears feel like the velvet on Mutti's best dress. His legs are quite short, but he can walk and run long distances."

Luckily there is a solution. Someone offers to take the little dog to England. It will be a while until the friends are reunited because Hanno will need to stay in quarantine but eventually Rudi will have his special friend by his side. Rudi is sent to live with a very kind older couple. His sister is not so lucky. She is forced to work as a servant but this will only be for a short time Lotte has plans to leave as soon as she turns seventeen but the war intervenes and as this story ends Lotte and Rudi are evacuated again so they can be safe away from the bombs that are about to drop on London.

Publisher blurb: Nine-year-old Rudi and his beloved dog Hanno escape from Nazi Germany, but Rudi soon learns he’ll have to protect Hanno from an entirely new threat in this thrilling reimagining of a little known World War II event. What if you had to leave your dog behind when you fled? Nine-year-old Rudi has a chance to leave the dangers of Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport to England. However, he cannot bring Hanno, his wonderful dachshund. Luckily, his family finds a way to smuggle Hanno to London. But with England on the brink of war, Hanno is still not safe. As a German invasion of England becomes imminent, many British people decide their pets will suffer as well as drain limited resources, and thousands of pets are euthanized. To save Hanno, Rudi joins a group of scrappy London children who hide their pets away in a vacant lot. Just as London’s children are about to be evacuated to the countryside, the group finds a wealthy animal lover willing to care for the menagerie on her country estate. This fast-paced and accessible novel is full of courage and excitement.

Chil­dren who are bond­ed to their pets, as well as oth­er sym­pa­thet­ic ani­mal lovers, will appre­ci­ate Rudi’s love of Han­no and the efforts he makes to save him, and will under­stand that war is a painful and com­pli­cat­ed time. Jewish Book Council

Rudi’s direct, child-centred narrative voice compellingly portrays the feelings of a child refugee facing the loss of everything familiar. It has a modern resonance for the plight of child refugees all over the world. Books for Keeps

Here is a video with the author Miriam Halahmy where she talks about her book. Here are some teachers notes to use with this  book.

Companion reads:

Anna at war

What about me?

The little Riders

Vinnie's War

Honey Cake

Anna at War by Helen Peters

"The worst thing was choosing which books to take. How could I possibly decide? 
It seemed more sensible to take one I hadn't read yet, but that was such a risk. What if it wasn't any good? Then my only book would be one I didn't even like.
In the end I decided on Heidi. I loved that book and I knew it would be a comfort. After all Heidi also had to leave home and live with people she'd never met, and everything worked out well in the end."

"I shall never forget the night my life changed forever. It was the ninth of November, 1938, and Uncle Paul had come for supper."

Anna is a Jewish child living in Germany. Uncle Paul has made plans to leave the city and head to Paris. He tries to persuade Anna's parents to leave and leave now but they are convinced they are safe.  The ninth of November, 1938 is Kristallnacht. Their home is raided. Possessions are destroyed and Papa and Uncle Paul are taken to the concentration camp called Buchenwald.  Papa does come home eventually but it now seems impossible for the adults to leave Germany. Children, however, have a way to escape - the Kindertransport. Papa and Mama make the heart breaking decision to send their only child Anna to England in the hope she will be safe. Saying good bye at midnight at the train station her mother says:

"Try to be happy, ... Always be kind. And make the most of every opportunity you get. Fill you head with good things. And remember, we'll be thinking of you and sending our love to your every moment of every day."

The train journey across the border into Holland and then the boat trip to England are described in great detail. Luckily Anna is taken in by a beautiful family who work on an estate in Kent. Things are, however, not so easy at school especially when one boy decides Anna is a spy.

One afternoon the children - Anna, Molly and her brother Frank find a soldier hiding in their barn. He claims to be an English soldier who needs to assist his mother. He has an injured ankle and says he just wants to take a few days with his mother before returning to his regiment. The children believe his story until Anna overhears this man - "Peter Smith" swearing in German. He must be a spy but the children cannot tell the adults because they realise this man has overheard Molly and Frank talking about a visit by no one less than Winston Churchill. This is of course highly confidential information and the children are terrified their father will be hung for treason. How can three young children foil a German spy?  Anna shows enormous courage and resourcefulness especially during the moments when the German solider is aiming a riffle straight at her heart.

Helen Peters has clearly done meticulous research to write this magnificent historical fiction, and every step feels real and immersive, even Anna’s grand adventure in England, which makes the novel zip along at some pace with its spy adventure. The parts that deal with the Jewish experience and the Kindertransport are sensitively and delicately handled, taken from real life experiences, and it is the voices of the actual Kindertransport who sound loudly throughout. Minerva Reads

Read an interview with Helen Peters where she explains all her decision making in relation to this book. It is interesting to read how many changes she made to her plot ideas as she delved deeper into the Kindertransport and read first hand accounts from survivors.

Here are some more books to add to your list if you want to read about children caught up in the confusion of WWII.

• When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit
• Carrie's War
• The Silver Sword
• Good Night Mister Tom
• The War that saved my Life
• Vinnie's War
• Our Castle by the Sea
• What about me?
• The Little Riders

Here is another book on this topic which I have added to my own 'to read' list:

About six years ago I read another book by Helen Peters. The Secret Hen House Theatre.