Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Lily Pond by Annika Thor

Jewish families were often separated during the war.  The parents tried to protect their children and make sure they had a nice place to stay and good food.  Growing up can be hard to do, especially when you feel displaced.

Delacorte Press sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  This is a follow up to "A Faraway Island."  The sequel has already been published and is in your local bookstore.

Stephanie and Nell have been living with relatives on the faraway island, but now it's time for Steph to move on to school on the mainland.  She's both excited and scared.  She's got a scholarship and loves learning, but she'll be starting anew again.  The good news is that Sven will be there.  He's five years older and she loves him.  Surely, with time, he'll come to realize that and love her back, won't he?

She's boarding with Sven's parents.  They are a bit cold to her, but that's not unexpected.  They are not relatives.  And school is a bit of a challenge, too.  Some teachers are harder than others, some of the students don't like her, and she's not sure how to act or who to trust.

Changing schools and where you live is tough enough, but worrying about your parents is even harder.

This is good introduction to what life was like for the Jews that had move away to avoid Hitler's troops.  Let your young ones read this story based on history and they will learn about the effects of World War II on the people who lives were impacted.

Happy reading.

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