Nielsen makes us care about each of these characters, and she connects them in ways that were, to me, plausible and interesting. I am the product of the schools of my time, and I was taught next to nothing about WWI. This book gave me a fascinating look into this confusing and tragic war. Like Nielsen’s other books that I have read, this book is squeaky clean, historically interesting, and well-told. I think that this could be a wonderful teen book club because there are a lot of layers to all of this.
Tag: Jennifer A Nielsen
Resistance
“Defense in the ghetto has become a fact. Armed Jewish resistance and revenge are actually happening. I have witnessed the glorious and heroic combat of the Jewish fighters.” -Excerpt from the last letter of Mordecai Anielewicz, April 23, 1943
A Night Divided
Nielsen does an excellent job of helping us to understand why so few tried to escape East Germany – because of the danger, because of retribution to the loved ones who stayed behind, and because of uncertainty that the West was really any better. But the realities of life inside the wall are chilling.
Words on Fire
The story is based on true events that did depend on the work of the old and the young working in tandem to preserve Lithuanian culture through underground schools and book smuggling. The adults in this book are courageous and of excellent character, but they are also wise enough to see the bigger picture and to be fearful that the teens will martyr themselves unnecessarily.