*A few of my reading friends recommended this middle-grade title to me. The novel sat in my TBR pile for quite some time. Today was a typical Minnesota January Sunday with lots of snow and gloomy skies. The perfect day to hunker down with a great book. This was the one I grabbed from the pile.
What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*World War II is coming to an end and the Russians are on their way to East Prussia.
*After Liesl's father goes missing, her mother packs up what they can carry, and flees with Liesl, and her two younger siblings.
*While on the run, the three children are separated from their mother during a horrific blizzard.
*It is up to Liesl to keep her family together and safe from all the dangers in the "forest".
*The three children find refuge in a variety of places and with a variety of people. Some of whom bring safety while other bring danger and the unknown.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections
*I started the story early Sunday afternoon and wrapped it up a couple hours later.
*It was interesting because I just finished All the Broken Places by John Boyne which is a novel published for adults dealing the the aftermath of WWII.
*I found the story to be engaging, heart-wrenching, and quite the page-turner.
*This subject matter was not something I was completely familiar with so I learned quite a bit while reading.
*The story was broken into a variety of "sections" all dealing with the various stages of being a wolf. This format worked so well for the overall plot.
Who Should Read It:
*I think the book would make for a strong and meaningful class read aloud in grades four, five, and/or six. Middle-school classrooms would also be perfect to listen to the journey of Liesl and her siblings. Upper elementary, middle-school, and high-school readers would be perfect to read the book on their own. Happy Reading!
Rating: 5 STARS out of 5 Stars
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