Book Title: One Boy’s War | Author: Nancy McDonald | Category: MG | Publisher: Iguana Books | Release date: April, 2020

Raves for Boy From Berlin by Nancy McDonald:

“Inspired by a true story, Boy from Berlin shares a unique voice in the Holocaust. Highly recommended!” – Jennifer Roy, author of Yellow Star, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award.
 
“A compelling introduction to themes of war, courage and identity, certain to engage young readers.” – Trilby Kent, author of Stones for my Father, winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Literary Award.

Book Description: ENGLAND, SUMMER 1940. Following a brush with death in the Irish Sea, 10-year-old Käfer Avigdor unexpectedly finds himself back in London. There, he stumbles upon a sinister Nazi plot that targets hundreds of people in Britain—including the most powerful man in the country. The one person who might be able to defeat Adolf Hitler. With the Germans threatening to invade England at any moment, Käfer musters all his courage and ingenuity in a valiant effort to thwart the Nazis. But will he succeed in time to save the day? One Boy’s War, the sequel to Boy from Berlin, is inspired by real people and historical events.

My Thoughts: After a harrowing adventure in Boy from Berlin, the first installment of this historically-based series, 10-year-old Käfer Avigdor is on the move again. This time, as he tries to flee to Canada with his mother and siblings, a disaster strikes at sea. It takes all his courage and quick wits to escape a sinking ship in time and rescue the family’s fortune before it’s too late. Reunited with his father back in London, Käfer discovers that Hitler has his father on his list of “most wanted” and he finally learns the reason why. One Boy’s War continues the saga of the Avigdor family in a quick-paced, action-packed story about a brave young boy in the throws of World War 2.

Weaving a wonderful combination of fictional storytelling with historical events, One Boy’s War is at once exciting and saddening, heart-racing and sobering. Tragedy strikes the Avigdor family from multiple angles in this continuation of the story of their escape from Hitler’s reach. While the realities of war hit close to home, the author expertly communicates these atrocities in a gentle manner. The emotional effects are conveyed differently in each of the children showing how they handled their sadness in unique ways which was refreshingly realistic.

I enjoyed reading the second book in this series and learning the fate of the Avigdor family. It’s a fascinating, well-told story and I look forward to more middle grade books from Nancy McDonald.

Book Title:  Boy from Berlin | Author: Nancy McDonald | Category: MG (Ages 8-12) | Publisher: Iguana Books | Release date:  May 7, 2018

Book Description: Berlin, April 1938. One night, eight-year-old Käfer Avigdor uses his specialty toilet-paper roll binoculars to spy on his Mama and Aunt Charlotte. The whispered conversation he overhears alerts him to a danger he didn’t know existed and starts him rethinking who he really is and where he belongs. Within hours, Käfer and his family flee their comfortable life. In a desperate race to stay one step ahead of the Nazis, Käfer is called on to be braver and more resourceful than he ever imagined possible. But will it be enough? Boy from Berlin is based on real people and actual events.