This story describes the hardships of two young boys in Vienna, Austria during World War II. One of the boys, Karl, is forced to leave his home after his mother is taken away by soldiers. He goes to his best friend Emil’s house. Emil is Jewish, but Karl is not. Emil’s father has been killed, and his mother has lost her mind. Together, Emil and Karl go into the city, meeting some kind people, others not, while searching for a safe place to stay.
I really enjoyed this book. The book showed the power of friendship. I liked the many different characters, and how they each resembled different people’s reactions to what was going on around them. Some people were too afraid to speak out against hate, others were taken in by hate, while other people tried to fight back against hatred. The book also showed that in the midst of hatred, there are still kind people. I thought the translator’s introduction was touching, giving the reader a picture of who was reading this book when it was released in Yiddish in 1940. It reminded the reader that this story cannot just tell about the past, but also reminds the reader to remember the challenges faced by children around the world.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana , Illinois United States of America
