The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Jon Klassen

Compassionate and complex. Kirkus Star review

Occupied France, 1944. Lucas Dubois lives in an abbey orphanage. There are rule and constraints but Lucas has some freedom because he works as a delivery boy for a local town greengrocer. Once his deliveries are completed he can enjoy a little free time and some fishing but on this day he sees two of the older orphanage boys stuffing some kittens into a sack. 

"When Marcel cinched the sack, Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do, either. Two against one; the two known to relish brawls. Lucas famous for running from them."

But not this time. Lucas follows the boys the bridge. He desperately tries to bargain with these bullies and hands over his precious fishing lure "but Claude didn't hand over the sack. He swung it out toward the canal and let go. Then both boys ran off laughing."

Perhaps all is not lost. Lucas grabs the bag and yes he saves all but one kitten but what will he do with the five that are left? There is an abandoned stable up in the hills above the town. To get there he has to ride past the Nazi maternity home - this is a place he visits regularly with his deliveries. On arrival at the stable Lucas makes an amazing, and life-changing, discovery. There is a horse in the stable and a girl. Alice is hiding her racehorse because:

"The Germans issued orders ... All healthy horses are to be seized for the war effort. They don't mean the racing horses still here - the Germans love their horse facing too much. But Bia doesn't race, so they would take her. They would probably use her to move artillery in Poland where the roads are gone until she was wounded or dropped dead of exhaustion. Then the soldiers would eat her."

The lives of these two kids in occupied France now collide. Lucas needs help to keep the kittens alive and safe; Alice needs Lucas to keep Bia, her horse, a secret; and then there is the further twist when Lucas steps in to help the local resistance movement helping Mme Garnier headhouse keeper at Lebensborn. 

"Lucas lay wide awake that night. Beneath his pillow was a slip of paper Mme Garnier had dropped. She had been so afraid of those Germans discovering this paper that it could mean only one thing: She was in the Resistance and it was a secret message."

As expected, this all puts Lucas in grave danger - this tension will keep you turning the pages of The Lions' Run desperately hoping Lucas, Alice, Bia and those kittens will all survive. Do NOT flip to the end of the book - the ending you will arrive at is unexpected and more.

This is the second book where I have read about the Lebensborn.

"to be accepted, the pregnant girls must pass all these tests. Not just blue eyes and blonde hair. They measure their heads, they measure the space between their eyes, everything. It's called 'Aryan,' what they're breeding for. Some with the men, the fathers ... Two blonde parents are most likely going to have blonde children."

Adding to all the complexities of this story - Lucas meets and talks with Clare, one of the young pregnant girls. As an orphan himself he is so dismayed when he hears that her baby will be taken away and she will never see him again. 

This immersive story is driven by Lucas’ emotional yearnings and the sometimes complicated relationships among the well-drawn characters, ... the history and the specific setting are accurate and carefully delineated, creating a strong sense of place. Kirkus Star review

... this a book the reader won’t be able to put down. Historical Novel Society

Pennypacker’s tale feels both relevant and necessary. She captures the idea that bravery doesn’t always look grand or heroic; sometimes it’s found in the smallest, most private choices. A Book a Week

Please read this interview of Sara Pennypacker by Betsy Bird. The Lions' run is available in hardcover for a really good price here in Australia (shop around I've seen this book between AUS$18 and AUS$25) so I highly recommend you add this book to your library collection. The cover by Jon Klassen is perfect - you need to stretch it out to see the front and back images together. Listen to an audio sample of Chapter 5 and you can read chapters one and two here.

There are so many books for readers aged 10+ about aspects of World War II but I highly recommend you consider adding this one to your school library. The story is a powerful one and yet also very personal. Lucas is an orphan and this drives his desire to firstly help the kittens and later the baby. Alice is wise beyond her years and a character to cherish. The important work of the resistance is woven into this story and this adds a very real layer of tension. (Click the label Resistance Fighters at the bottom of this post to find other books that explore the heroism of people who worked so hard to thwart the enemy). 

Companion books:

Waiting for the Storks

All the Beautiful Things

Faceless

Birdie

I am a huge fan of Sara Pennypacker.

Pax; Pax: The Journey Home

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Leeva at Last

Sparrow Girl

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

What's in your pocket, Peg? by Penny Byrne illustrated by Lauren Radley

What's in your pocket, Peg? A story of life in occupied Jersey

I mentioned in a recent post that I visited the Channel Island recently and in particular I spent time in Jersey. The Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans during World War II. Here are a few facts:

• 19th June 1940 The population of Jersey is 23,000. On this date 6,000 islanders left on advice of the government
• 28th June 1940 The island is bombed and 44 islanders are killed.
• 2nd July 1940 Jersey surrenders
• 1940 Islanders instructed to change their clocks to German time and the curfew is 11pm. Cars now have to drive on the right and people can only listen to German radio stations. Everyone is issued with an identity card
• 1941 there are 12,000 German soldiers on the island and fishing is banned
• 1941 the Germans deported 2,300 islanders
• 1942 radios are banned
• 30th December 1944 the SS Vega arrives with 120,000 food parcels, medical supplies, 5 tons of salt and 4 tons of soap.
• 9th May 1944 Liberation Day

The end papers of What's in your pocket, Peg? are filled with photographs of islanders and original documents such as a curfew pass, fuel coupons, Jersey stamps, an identity card, a letter from King George VI, coins, and the Red Cross parcel distribution notice. 

What's in your pocket, Peg? recounts the events of the occupation through the eyes of a child and in a dual language text. Jèrriais is the traditional language of Jersey. During the occupation islanders used it as a secret language.

So, what was in her pocket? You can see some of these things on the front cover. At first, she had some sweets - humbugs and barley sugars. When the neighbours leave, she has a photo of her friend. After the bombing and all the potato trucks are destroyed Peg collects a small piece of shrapnel. On the day the islanders surrender people hang out white flags. Peg has her Aunt Edith's white bloomers which she uses as a flag. On the next page Peg is holding her papa's watch because now they live under a curfew. The family hide their radio. Peg has some copper wire in her pocket. To keep up morale the islanders produce a secret newspaper, and they make small badges from coins. Peg has a victory badge in her pocket. 

Food is now scarce but there are blackberries in the hedgerows. Then Peg finds a turnip in the fields - it is not much but they will share it. Finally, the ship arrives with supplies. On this page we don't see Peg's pocket, instead we see inside the parcel - cheese, coffee, butter, sugar, raisins, sardines, soap and best of all a bar of chocolate. On the final page Papa comes home with a wonderful gift for Peg - an orange!

I did a one-day tour in Jersey and the guide told lots of very interesting stories about this time. In the market one of the fruit sellers used the inside of paper bags to pass on messages to the resistance. One day a young worker accidentally placed some fruit purchased by a young German solider in one of these bags. When he saw the writing he demanded to know what it said. This girl was young and a bit dreamy, but she quickly invented a story that this was a love poem to her sweetheart and luckily the soldier believed her.

This book will probably be quite impossible to find in Australia but if you live in the UK it is available from their major book sellers. The ISBN is 9781838532543 and the publisher is the Independent Publishing Network. This book was published in 2020.

EDIT - Penny Byrne replied to my Instagram post and she said:

Thank you for this! Am heading to Perth in Feb 2025 if anyone needs me to bring copies with me to post from there! I have done 12 children’s books that are either based in Jersey or have some link to it - pop onto my website for a peek pennybyrneauthor.com Always grateful to have readers around the world 🌎 💖

Here is a photo of the author with her books:

"I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book about the Occupation, and the Liberation 75 celebrations seemed the perfect time to do it. The book is designed to work on a number of levels – to appeal to younger readers who might enjoy guessing what is in Peg’s pocket, as well as to older children who want to discover what life was like under German rule. There is plenty of other information for teachers and adults as well. Thanks to our very generous sponsors and the Co-op, all proceeds from the sales of the book will be shared equally between four local charities."

See inside this book here. And check out the other vibrant work by the illustrator Lauren Radley. 

Here is the statue in Liberation Square in St Helier Jersey.

Alias Anna by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson

Alias anna: A true story of outwitting the Nazis

“I don’t care what you do,” her father told her. “Just live.”

Zhanna and her baby sister Frina have a happy life in the small resort town of Berdyansk, Ukraine. Papa plays the violin and the family have a true love of music so it is natural that Zhanna and later her sister are sent to music lessons. The family are not wealthy but they do manage to buy a small piano and it is very clear, early on, that Zhanna is a gifted musician. She receives scholarships and begins to play at concerts. Then everything changes:

Happy times

for Zhanna and her family

were swallowed up

when a power-hungry dictator

named Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili

started to devour their country in the early 1930s.

He was better known as Joseph Stalin,

an alias he assumed meaning 'Man of Steel.'

Stalin had a plan for ridding the country

of the old ways and looking to the future. 

By 1935 the family are forced to flee their home and move to Kharkov a city of nearly one million people. "The Arshansky's home was not a house, but one room in a run-down apartment."

Luckily they still have their piano and both girls are accepted for scholarships which provide enough money so the family don't starve. In 1939 Stalin made a deal with Hitler that their countries "would not attack each other for the next ten years" but just two years later Hitler invaded Ukraine and for Zhanna, her sister, parents and grandparents, as Jews, we watch as their nightmare begins. 

Publisher blurb: The moving true story of how young Ukrainian Jewish piano prodigies Zhanna (alias “Anna”) and her sister Frina outplayed their pursuers while hiding in plain sight during the Holocaust. A middle grade nonfiction novel-in-verse by award-winning author Susan Hood with Greg Dawson (Zhanna’s son). She wouldn’t be Zhanna. She’d use an alias. A for Anna. A for alive. When the Germans invade Ukraine, Zhanna, a young Jewish girl, must leave behind her friends, her freedom, and her promising musical future at the world’s top conservatory. With no time to say goodbye, Zhanna, her sister Frina, and their entire family are removed from their home by the Nazis and forced on a long, cold, death march. When a guard turns a blind eye, Zhanna flees with nothing more than her musical talent, her beloved sheet music, and her father’s final plea: “I don’t care what you do. Just live.” 

A harrowing and remarkable story of strength and survival. Kirkus review

Hood tells Zhanna’s sto­ry through both free verse and a rich array of forms. One chap­ter uses the full alpha­bet as ini­tial let­ters of cat­e­gories for Stalin’s vic­tims. Ele­gies, haiku, cou­plets, and ter­cets, also cap­ture the essence of dif­fer­ent points through dif­fer­ent lens­es. The use of poet­ry is effec­tive, echo­ing in its com­plex­i­ty the music of a sin­gu­lar life caught in the chaos of history. Jewish Book Council

Awards:

• 2023 Winner of the Christopher Award
• 2023 Sydney Taylor Notable Book
• Finalist for the 2023 National Jewish Book Awards
• The 2022 Nerdies: Poetry and Novels in Verse
• The New York Public Library Best Books of 2022
• The Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2022

The verse format and harrowing narrative make this a quick read for reluctant and striving readers. VERDICT This powerful work of persistence and hope is highly recommended.   School Library Journal

Here is the web page for Susan Hood who wrote this book with Greg Dawson - son of Zhanna. Kisten to an audio sample from the beginning of this verse novel. Susan Hood is the author of Ada's Violin. 

This is a powerful true story told as a verse novel suitable for readers aged 13+. I am certain this story will linger with me for years to come partly because it is a true story but mainly because, even though things are utterly dreadful for these two sisters there is that all important (important in read life too) happy ending. I also loved all the refences to the music they played and the way Zhanna saved one precious piece of sheet music reminded me of another powerful story The Red Piano by Andre Leblanc illustrated by Barroux.

This book also contains a map, authors’ note, photographs, letters, afterword, list of music, historical note, poetry notes, sources and an extensive bibliography. In this interview we hear Greg Dawson and his mother Zhanna. Zhana died early in 2023 aged 95.

Read more here - Playing to live: Pianist survived Holocaust by performing for Nazis

The piece of music that sustained Zhanna was Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor op.66 by Chopin. There is a full list of all the music mentioned in Alias Anna at the back of the book.

The five sheets of music of Chopin’s “Fantasy Impromptu” that she tucked under her clothes and survived with her. “How she preserved five sheets of music is beyond me,” Greg Dawson says. “You know how perishable paper is.” The sheet music was Zhanna Arshanskaya Dawson’s treasure; it kept her going all those years when there was so little hope for survival. It is safely locked away now in a bank safety deposit box, something for newer generations of her family to look at – and remember a survivor.

I would read Alias Anna alongside these:

Beyond Belief

To Hope and Back

Let me Whisper you my Story

We are Wolves

Waiting for the Storks by Katrina Nannestad

"Then he takes a smaller tool, like a ruler with little sliding bits, and measures my ears 

and ear holes and earlobes, the thickness of my lips, the distance between my eyes, 

the length and width of my nose and lots of other bits in between. 

Herr Doktor takes one last lap around me, staring, then declares, 

'It is a perfect head!"

Krakow, Poland is a dangerous place. Zofia Ulinski, her Mama and Tata (father) know there are huge risks now that the Nazis have invaded their city. Zofia and her family are Catholic not fewish but these German conquerors have banned so many every day things.

"They marched into Krakow, acting as though it was their city, not ours. ... they started closing libraries and schools, radio stations and newspapers, synagogues and universities ... burned books (and) ... started rounding up teachers and writers and doctors and artists and priests and professors and sending them off to concentration camps."

Tata is a tailor and he is also working for the resistance. As this story opens there are some parcels that need to be delivered. Mama and Zofia offer to take them and of course they promise to stay in the shadows and avoid crowded busy streets. They carry the carefully wrapped parcels in two baskets. One parcel contains a green striped velvet suit for Mr Wojcik. It is almost impossible to find materials for new clothes so this strange colourful suit has been made from his dining room curtains. On their way to make their deliveries they meet three German soldiers. I think I held my breath through the whole scene as the SS guards ripped open the parcels and threw their precious contents onto the muddy gutter. Zofia knows should stay quiet, she should not draw attention to herself but this is all so outrageous. She screams stop - and she screams it in German. 

"The first soldier puts his finger under my chin and lifts my face. He gazes into my eyes and his smile widens. ... The second soldier pulls off my headscarf. He takes one of my long blonde plaits in his hand and holds it out. All three chatter about my clear blue eyes, my pale skin, my shiny golden hair."

What does all of this mean? Read this statement (found on the very first page of this book):

"I really do have the intention to gather Germanic blood from the whole world, to rob it, to steal it wherever I can. Heinrich Himmler, Commander of the SS, 1938."

Little eight year old Zofia has no idea that she is about to be kidnapped, taken to Germany, held in an orphanage where she will be re-educated as a perfect German child.  In this horrid place the children (all blonde and perfect) are given clothes, shoes, and plenty of food but the punishments are brutal and their are constant medical and psychological tests. She will be told, over and over again, a new story about her life and a will be given a new name and new identity. And of course there is the constant cry of Heil Hitler. 

During one of the medical examinations, an important doctor arrives - Doctor Engels (adult readers are sure to shudder at the mention of this infamous name). He takes a special interest in young Zofria who is now named Sophia Ullman. 

"Once I was Zofia Ulinaki, a stupid Polish pig. Now I am Sophia Ullman, a good German girl, a princess, with a perfect head, golden hair, blue eyes and hairless arms."

Doctor Engels takes Zofia to his home. Bavaria looks like the land of fairy tales. At his farm she meets her new Mutti (mother).

"This is just like a fairy tale where a girl thinks she's an orphan but, after many years of hardship is found by her mother and father and not only are they kind and loving, but they are also the queen and king of a very grand kingdom. Of course this isn't a fairy tale. This is a lie. The girl is me and I'm not an orphan or a long-lost princess, but a Polish girl who already has a mother and a father. But the lie is all I have. It's the only thing that will keep me safe".

Yesterday I picked up Waiting for the Storks and by 8pm I had read the whole book - yes it is, as I expected, another fabulous page turner from Katrina Nannestad and another book where she gave me an insight into an aspect of history - specifically of World War II and dreadful programs in Germany, which were entirely new to me.  Each section of the book is prefaced with a question which mirrors a game Zofia used to play with her parents - a game of choices:

• Cream on your salami or gravy on your poppyseed cake? Make a choice!
• German or Polish? Make a choice!
• Real life or a fairy tale? Make a choice!
• A sausage dog in a bonnet or a cat in a cardigan? Make a choice!
• A happy traitor or a miserable hero? Make a choice!
• A crimson spotted velvet skirt or a green striped velvet coat? Make a choice!

There were times in this book when I was SO tempted to jump to the end. I always know I am safe inside a middle grade book and that the author will protect me (and keep the loved character safe) but I deeply feared a sad ending. I just couldn't imagine how Zofia could possibly escape from this dreadful situation return to her real life. I am going to predict that this book will be a Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Readers notable title and I am sure it will also be short listed (6 books). 

Nannestad refuses to patronise her readership (while remaining age-appropriate) and her clarity and emotional intelligence will make it easy for younger readers to put themselves in Zofia’s shoes. Sydney Morning Herald

I think this is a powerful and important book that can start conversations and introduce readers to a different aspect of history that they may not know about or know much about – and that is why I love Katrina Nannestad’s historical fiction books. They give voices to people who might have been left out of history and allow us to gain insight into important history that might not be taught often. The Book Muse

Further reading:

US Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Lebensborn program also became involved in the kidnappings of thousands of foreign children. During the war, the SS sought out ethnic Germans living in foreign countries and “repatriated” them to the Third Reich. Thousands of children—mostly from eastern and southeastern Europe—were kidnapped because they had German ancestry or simply the “appropriate racial features.” The Lebensborn program then helped place these children with German families. Adopting families believed that the children had been orphaned by the war.

New York Times, November 2006

Teaching notes for Waiting for the Storks from the publisher

When you share this book or gift or borrow this book for a mature reader aged 11+ try to also find a copy of the Aesop fable - The Fox and the Stork.

You will want to read these previous books by Katrina Nannestad which also explore the impact of events during World War II on young children. I love these covers by Martina Heiduczek. This morning I discovered the Star review by Kirkus of We are Wolves. 

We are Wolves

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

In all three novels Nannestad shows the intense personal cost to children caught up in wars not of their making, forced to adapt and become strangers to their true selves in order to survive. Storylinks

Carefully and sensitively written, meticulously researched, the whole is a dissection of how the choices we make every day affect our lives and the lives of those we love. This (Waiting for the Storks) is the bleakest of these three novels but also the most powerful, most moving and most memorable. Storylinks

Image Source: Facebook

Let me whisper you my story by Moya Simons

"I must be quiet. I could hear the thud of boots, Nazi boots, and voices laughing. Why did they laugh? I heard a soldier say 'There's one person missing from this list, a child called Rachel Schwarz. She wasn't with her parents. Her father said she'd gone to visit a friend down the road. Not likely. Search under the beds.'... Someone came into the kitchen. The cupboard door opened with a creak. ... The solider looking sideways at me, stared. 

(Then) suddenly the young man ... walked away. He had left me there."

Publisher blurb: Rachel is German, Jewish and lives in Leipzig just before the outbreak of WWII, with her doctor father, mother and older sister Annie. Life is comfortable, revolving around Sabbath meals shared with uncles, aunts and cousins. When the Nazis arrive, the family is 'relocated' elsewhere in the city, and then taken away to a labour camp. Rachel's father saves her by making her hide in a kitchen cupboard, forbidding her to speak. The damage is done. Rachel remains mute - for years - as a result. Rachel is discovered by a neighbour, Gertrude, who conceals her in her own home until Rachel is taken into care by the Red Cross and sent to an orphanage in England. But where are Rachel's family?

Let me Whisper you my story is a powerful novel written with a gripping immediacy as Rachel navigates the frightening times of World War II witnessing the power of Hitler.  Rachel has no voice that others can hear but we can hear her.  This book was published in 2010 and it is Australian but somehow I missed it. I am amazed to discover it is still in print. You might also find a copy in a school library. I do keep an eye out for books about World War II especially books which offer different perspectives. 

You can read a chapter sample from this book here. 

The publisher list this book for ages 9-13 but I would suggest a older reader aged 10+. Let me Whisper you my Story is the perfect next read for students in Year 6 or junior high school who have read any of the book series by Morris Gleitzman which begins with Once, or they have read or are curious about books like The Story of Anne Frank or perhaps they have read Hitlers Daughter by Jackie French or better yet, if they have read and enjoyed any of these:

 

Girl 38 Finding a Friend

Beyond Belief

Anna at War

We are Wolves

When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit

Vinnie's War

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.

Honey Cake by Joan Betty Stuckner

When I am looking for simple and satisfying junior fiction I can never go past titles from the Stepping Stone series by Random House. Years ago I read O’Diddy by Jocelyn Stevenson and although this has long been out of print it remains a firm favourite.

I recently used Horn Book to identify junior novels for our children in Years 1-4 and ordered over twenty new titles for our library. One of these was Honey Cake by Joan Betty Stuckner. Set in Copenhagen just after the Nazi occupation, David is caught up in the work of the resistance when his dad who is a baker asks him to deliver a box of chocolate éclairs. Through David’s eyes we see how this lovely city has been horribly changed as the Germans begin to exert their influence.

This book is very short and quick to read but it still manages to convey much of the history of that time and the fears and anxiety’s that would have been common experiences for young children living through these dangerous and confusing times. This book would make a good introduction to this subject for children in Years 3 and 4.

I would recommend reading this book along side The little Riders by Margaretha Shemin which is about the Nazi occupation of Holland and What about me? by Gerte Evenhuis which is also about the resistance.