How to Train Your Dad by Gary Paulsen

2021 | 192 pages  | 3.25 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-7

I listened to this book and the narrator was great! It is a story about a father and son. The father is very frugal and loves to procure items for free, for bargaining, or from garage sales. Carl is very embarrassed because he is now trying to impress a girl. One day he finds a flyer on puppy training and decides to train his father out of his tightwad ways. Carl just wants to be a normal kid and have a father who is the same.

This book is really funny, it is also short and so it is a great book for kids who don't like long books.  There are a few swear words in the story which is probably nothing that kids don't hear every day.  In elementary school, students are always surprised to find swear words in their novels!

Knowing that Gary Paulsen had a rough childhood, I hope writing this book gave him some of his youth back with delight and humor. Sadly, He passed while he was on tour promoting this book. We will miss him in the children's literature world. 

Alone by Megan E. Freeman

2021 | 416 pages  | 4.5 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-7 

This survival adventure story kept me very engaged. I listened to the audio and it was terrific. It is about a girl who is left alone in a town to survive after the entire population evacuated. It is not just a few days either. She is on her own for a very long time and has to deal with not only her physical needs but also the difficulty of being all alone with no human relationships.  She isn't stranded in the wilderness so this survival story is a new twist on the typical lost and alone type of plot. 

I have lots of questions about why everyone had to evacuate.  and the author doesn't give much of a back story as to the cause. You just have to let this go I guess. 

I think this book would be great for middle school kids. There is an instance of animal cruelty, a few swears and some period talk. It is written in free verse so it is a quick read despite being over 400 pages. 

Jo Jo Makoons by Dawn Quigley

 

2021 | 80 pages  | 1 Hour Audio |  Grades K-3 

This is a book for the beginning chapter book reader. The main character is a first-grade Ojibwe girl and the stories are about her school and family life. It has a humorous slant. Think Junie B. Jones to get an idea of the style of this story.  There are also a few pictures to support the book which is always nice for the younger reader. Best of all, this is the beginning of a new series. 

Teachers in Minnesota could introduce this book to their kids as a window or a mirror into the life of so many Native American kids in our state. This would be a great read-aloud in November during Native American Heritage Month. Dawn Quigley is also from Minnesota and she is Ojibwe.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I didn't have to struggle with pronouncing the words of the Native American language! There is a glossary at the back of the print book to help with this.  

Best Middle Grade Books I Read in 2021

I had a lot of favorite middle-grade reads this year.  Let me tell you briefly about them in this post. If I have a more detailed blog post, I will link it as well on the image. These books are in no particular order because I just couldn't rank them any further!  However, I will start with my favorite and number one middle-grade read for 2021!

I loved imagining this colony of adults and kids on Mars as they pioneer a new life together.  This science-fiction book

is very accessible for the middle-grade reader and is more realistic than fantasy.  I hope there is a sequel! 

This book moved me! I cried, laughed, and identified with Genesis as she struggles with her identity and her appearance.

Karina's grandfather is attacked by a racist and she uses social media to bring the community together. 

The publisher asked this author to write a follow-up book and he nailed it! The penguins are well taken care of when two kids find penguin eggs and make sure they hatch! Mom intervenes to help them find a good home for the penguins. This book is funny and heartwarming.

This book is so beautifully written and tells the difficult story of two girls who were sexually abused by their mother's boyfriend. Every adult who reads this book loves it and it is really a great book for many middle-school kids. Watch the video linked to the image to learn what the author has to say about the reason she wrote this book. 

Stamped (For Kids) is a great introduction to the history of racism for upper elementary students and everyone else too. 

This is such a fun way to learn about Minnesota and Canadian voyageur history. The main character is a red squirrel who goes along on the voyageur's journey. 

The dream team of James Patterson, Kwame Alexander have created a wonderful biography/memoir about Muhammad Ali's youth. 

Efren's mother is deported back to Mexico and it leaves him and his father to take care of the younger kids as well as figure out how to get her back to the family. 

Find out what life is like for a figure skater who is hoping to be in the Olympics someday. 

Ahmed's family moves to Minnesota for their father's medical care. He is trying to fit into a new middle school and deal with family issues too. 

April and her father are living on an arctic island called Bear Island while her father does climate research. April becomes friends with a polar bear that lives on the island. 

The Peach family is going on the road with a food truck one summer in order to heal and come back together as a family unit after the death of their mother. 

Sila makes friends with an elderly man and a classmate and together they work to save and take care of a circus elephant. 

Ellie is bullied for her weight by kids and school and even her mother and brother at home. Ellie's father connects her with a therapist to help her cope with these difficult relationships. 

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

2021 | 256 pages  | 3.5 Hours Audio |  Grades 5-7 

Ellie is in middle school and is bulled every day for her weight. It comes not just from peers at school but also from home. Ellie's mother is always on her case for what she eats and gives her strict rules for food.  Her brother is embarrassed by his sister's appearance.  

Ellie does have some great allies. Even though her best friend has moved, she meets a new girl in her neighborhood and they form a fast friendship.  Ellie's father is also loving and supportive and connects her with a therapist who can help her get through her emotional issues. 

Swimming helps Ellie feel free and weightless.  She can even spread out as much as she likes just like a starfish.  Learning how to do this in her regular life is one of the themes in this book.  She usually wants to make herself as small as possible or even invisible so that others won't make fun of her. 

This book is written in beautiful poetry and is a pretty fast book to read.  Ellie's family is Jewish and her friend, Catalina is Hispanic and those family heritages are also a part of the story. 

I think this book will touch a lot of adults who probably can identify with Ellie.  The author, Lisa Fipps, was encouraged to write this story for middle school instead of her intended young adult audience because this story needs to be told for younger readers.  I think she is a very gifted author and look forward to reading more from her. 

Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj

 

 2019 | 192 pages  | 4 Hours Audio |  Grades 5-8 

Karina Chopra is Indian-American and lives in Texas. Her grandfather comes to live with them and he is such a delight. In fact, he ends up tutoring the boy who lives next door in math. He just has a way of bringing people together and Karina and Chris become friends too.  One day a terrible racial attack happens to the three of them.  The book shows the aftermath of this incident and how Karina uses social media to help heal and bring a community together. 

I gave this book five stars because I loved the characters so much, especially the grandfather. This book gives attention to the immigrant experience as well as the hate that also exists. Kids and adults have to figure out how to react and come to terms with situations that are, unfortunately, too common. 

Best Books I Read in 2021

 

 

This is my bookshelf of favorite books in 2021 in no particular order.  I read 105 books this year and my goal was 100. Of course, at least 50% of the books I read are middle grade and therefore I can read them much faster. Overall I had a good reading year and most of the books I read were 3, 4, or 5-star books.  I had a handful of 2 and 1-star books.  Typically I do not finish books if I don't like them and therefore they never get a star rating.  

I don't have a #1 favorite book to name this year.  Taking a look at my list, I just can't pick out one and so I will just leave it at that. These are the titles that I have most recommended others to read or I have actually just lent out.  

I did participate in The Bible in 90 Days reading this year and I was happy to be able to start and finish it in 90 days. Basically, you read about 30 minutes a day from the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in 90 days. What a great accomplishment.  I will have to do this again. I used the You Bible App for reading and pacing. I liked changing the version and sometimes even listened to the day's reading portion. 

I did some blog posts about some of these books titles and I have linked them below.  In 2022, I plan to keep this blog for my middle-grade books that I read.  I will post my adult reads on Instagram and Facebook with a short review.  

I also enjoyed keeping track of my books on Good Reads this year.  I have a handful of friends who also track their reading this way and it was so fun to see what they were reading over the year.  You can find me on Good Reads by my name, Diane Yliniemi. Try it out!

I am going to keep my Book of the Month this year too.  I really enjoy this subscription book service. I actually picked three books for January since I anticipate lots of reading around a cozy fire during the cold winter months. 

Scribd is another new service I now subscribe to.  It has audio and eBooks that I can listen to or read. It is like Netflix for books!  This was so good when I was traveling this summer because there were so many audiobooks to choose from.  It also has so many middle-grade books and that is a bonus for keeping up with reading books for school. 

Here is my list. If I have written a review, I have linked the books. Otherwise, I have a short summary. 

The Story of Arthur Truluv, Night of Miracles, The Confession Club

Big Lies in a Small Town 

Two timelines of 1940 and 2018 tell the story and mystery of a post office mural that was created and then later restored.

The Kitchen Front

If I Were You, The Wishbook Christmas

The first story, If I Were You,  is about two girlfriends who served in England during the blitz in London during WWII. One if from the working class and one is from nobility but the war evens the social classes. One of the women ends up pretending to be the other in order to survive after the war. 

The Wishbook Christmas is a novella follow-up about the women and their families after the war.  

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

The Midnight Library

The Four Winds

The Last Thing He Told Me

Too Small Tola by Atinuke

2021 | 96 pages  | 1 Hour Audio |  Grades 2-4  

I highly recommend this book for the younger elementary group of readers.  It is truly a window into another world and culture. It is set in the modern city of Lagos, Nigeria where Tola lives with her grandmother, older sister, and brother. They are poor and live in a busy apartment building that is run down and prone to electricity outages and broken down elevators. 

The book consists of three stories about the problems and situations Tola experiences.  She is an energetic and loveable character who is happy to let us share her everyday life. She interacts with her grandmother, brother, and sister and the reader learns how this family genuinely loves and supports each other.  

This book would make a great read-aloud for lower elementary kids.  I think this is the start of a new series but I have not seen any hints of future titles as of this writing. 

Check out my book review video: 

The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan

2021 | 256 pages  | 5 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-8 

Sila and her father are struggling.  Sila's mother had to go back to Turkey because of problems with her immigration papers. She thought it was going to be a weekend and it is almost a year.  Sila's father takes her with him when he goes to repair a truck. She meets the lonely elderly man who has recently moved to a home in the country.  They become friends and discover a connection. When they rescue a circus elephant, they find purpose and hope again.  

I loved this book! It is a very unusual story with heart and humor.  The main characters are all different but find connections and friendship. I think this is such an important lesson for all of us to learn.  Friendship can be found in unusual places. 

 

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie by Erin Soderberg Downing

 

5 Stars | Erin Soderberg Downing | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 3-7  | 256 pages 

I think this book is perfect for elementary middle-grade. It is a road trip story with humor, some pictures, a heartwarming family adventure, and a lesson or two.  

The Peach family lives near Duluth, Minnesota with their father, a 7th-grade sister named Lucy, and two younger brothers named Freddy and Herb. They are looking forward to a summer vacation where Lucy plans to read all the books on her 7th-grade reading list, Freddy has art projects to do, and the youngest, Herb wants to swim every day. 

Father comes home and tells the kids that he has purchased a food truck with the million dollars they just received from their mother's invention.  Their mother passed away from cancer several years ago. He tells them that this is what they had always talked about doing together as a family. And so they learn how to make pies and go on a road trip to try and become successful business owners and they even hope to win a food truck festival contest.  Of course, it isn't easy or smooth sailing. Deep down, everyone is dealing with the grief of losing their mother and this crazy summer plan may be something that pushes them back into a cohesive family again.

If you like The Penderwicks or The Vanderbeekers, then you will get a similar vibe with this story.  It is also going to be a series.   The last chapter gives you a hint on the next task the Peach family tackles.  I highly recommend this book!

Favorite Middle Grade Books from Summer Reading

 

I will admit that I read a lot more adult books this summer, however, I still ended up with 10 terrific books to recommend for a middle-grade reader. Check out my favorites!

Hattie Big Sky  

This book is based on a true story about a young teenager who goes to Montana to homestead her Uncle's portion after his death. I loved this book back when it first came out in 2006. I listened to the audio a few years back and loved it again. On my summer trip, while driving through Montana, I listened to it again. That's high praise for a book when I can say I read it three times.  I think I loved the sequel even more. Check out the next link. 

Hattie Ever After  

Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year

The Comeback

Inkling

This is a fantasy about a little ink blot who comes to life and befriends a boy and his family in their struggles. Lots of pictures will make this a great book for kids and I loved the heartwarming story. 

Stamped (for Kids)

City Spies: Golden Gate

This is the second book in the City Spies series. This time the kids end up in San Francisco with lots of mystery, adventure, and spying. 

Red, White, and Whole

Reha is an Indian American girl who feels torn between two cultures and also has to deal with her mother's serious illness. This book is written in verse and is beautiful and heartbreaking. 

Max & the Midknights

The author of Big Nate has a new series set in the middle ages. This funny story is about Max and the quest to become a knight. It is a graphic novel-style book and is sure to be a hit with young readers. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Zoe learns that her father is in prison and starts to write to him discovering that he was falsely accused of his crime. As she gets to know him, she wants to help him get out of prison. 

End of Summer Favorite Books!

This summer, I read 10 books that earned four or more stars!  Since I was on vacation over the summer, I did not keep up with writing blog posts. Instead, I will just give a brief summary of each title.  I recommend these titles. 

 

This is a story about a child who was sent to live with her grandparents shortly after World War II in Kyoto, Japan. Because her father is Black and her mother is Japanese, she is shunned and an embarrassment to her family of royalty. She should have been a princess but instead, she struggles to find significance as she grows up. 

Hannah receives a note from her husband one day that simply says "Protect her." The day's news reveals that he may not be who he said he was. Hannah realizes that protecting her 16-year stepdaughter must be the meaning of this note.  Together the two of them set out to figure out what has gone wrong. 

This story is a combination of Downton Abbey and The Great British Bake-Off.  Set during World War II in England, four cooks enter a contest to develop recipes that help homemakers use rations well.  The winner will be cohost to a popular radio show.  Each cook is as unique as the recipes they create. 

I knew that reading about "The Great Depression" and "The Dust Bowl" would not be light reading.  Everyone told me that this book is really sad and that is true.  But I loved the perseverance and resilience of women and men who struggled during this time period.  This book was a great reminder of our American history.  

I related to the new girl in this book.  Rachel takes her first teaching job on an island in Newfoundland, Canada teaching high school french in 1985. Little Cove is small and only about 400 people live in the town. I was also a first-year high school teacher around that time in a small town in northern North Dakota.  This story felt somewhat familiar. I love reading about small towns where you get to know many quirky characters.  This book was a good choice for me.   I listened to the audiobook and that was great because the narrator read the Newfoundland dialect and I experienced the sound of the speech as I listened to the book. 

This is a story of a bank robber who takes a roomful of apartment hunters hostage. I had read plenty of reviewers who said you might have to get to the middle of the book before you really get into the story. They were right. The first half is really crazy and I kept wondering how so many people could be so idiotic. I think the author takes us on a bit of a ride with this one.  It turns out that there are some heartwarming plot lines and everything ties up nicely despite being so far-fetched. 

I read this series like potato chips.  I couldn't read just one and I had to hunt down the entire series.  It is another small town set in Missouri where you learn about some pretty interesting characters. In the first book, elderly Arthur Truluv is grieving the death of his wife and visits her grave each day while eating his lunch.  A teenager who is escaping school life befriends him. Meanwhile, his neighbor faces love loss and turns to Arthur for friendship.  There are a bunch of baking classes in these titles that were fun to read about.  Although there were a few cringy language parts and some short steamy scenes....you could skim or skip them. All three books could stand alone but are also great to read in order as a series. 

The Comeback by E. L. Shen

4 Stars | E. L. Shen | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 4-6  | 272pages 

| 4 1/2 Hours Audio  

I read this book while I was watching the summer Olympics and found myself counting the months until I can watch Olympic ice skating.  This book gives you an inside view of what an ice-skating athlete has to do in order to be an excellent ice skater with hopes of being in the Olympics. 

Maxine is twelve years old, goes to middle school, is Chinese American, and lives in Lake Placid, New York. She is also a very talented ice skater and has hopes of being good enough to go to the Olympics someday.  She practices, competes, goes to school, and deals with the complexities of middle school. One of her classmates bullies her with unkind remarks and jokes about her ethnicity. She also learns that she has feelings of envy with some of her friendships on the ice.  In a typical middle-grade book, Maxine has to navigate new experiences and emotions as she leaves childhood and moves into her future teen years. 

I recommend getting this book especially since the Winter Olympics will be here soon!  

Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year by Nina Hamza

4 Stars | Nina Hamza | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Grades 3-7  | 320 pages 

| 7  Hours Audio 

I preordered this book when I heard it was written by a Minnesota debut author and was about a Muslim American family who was moving to Minnesota from Hawaii.  A diverse book with a Minnesota connection and my favorite state of Hawaii made me interested.

This book is about a boy who is struggling to fit into a new middle school and has to deal with the emotional situation of having a father who is very ill. In fact, they move to Minnesota in order to get treatment for the Dad.  He is put into a reading class that assigns three classic books to read over the summer: Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  As a reluctant reader and classic underachiever, Ahmed figures he can fake his reading efforts.  However, he finds out that his class is depending on him to put forth more effort.  

Teachers will love this book because of the great connections it has to literature. It is also a great back-to-school book!

Chirp by Kate Messner

4 Stars | Kate Messner | 2020| Mystery | Grades 4-6 | 4.6 Reading Level | 240 pages | 5 Hours Audio

I was fascinated with the idea of eating crickets and making them a normal part of our American diets which was one of the plots in the book. I am not sure I am ready to add them to my diet! But Mia's grandmother sure wants everyone to love eating crickets from her farm. 

The main character is middle schooler Mia who has moved with her family to Vermont. Her grandmother needs help with her cricket farm but also suspects that some sabotage is happening behind the scenes. Mia and her friends try to figure out what is going on. Meanwhile, Mia is also recovering from a broken arm from gymnastics but is learning new skills in the summer camps she is attending. You learn what happened to Mia and why she is avoiding gymnastics classes. Mia learns to speak up and deal with some things that have been bothering her for some time.  

I enjoyed reading this book and I thought it was a great story for middle grade.  

Check out the author reading the first chapter in her book!

5 Star Reads | Mid-Year Reading List

 

It is July first and time to take a look at my favorite 5 star reads for the first half of the year.  I have been reading a lot of adult fiction this summer and was feeling a little bit guilty for ignoring my middle-grade book pile. (It is 6 feet tall!)  It turns out that 9 out of 11 books on this list are middle-grade. So I was relieved to see I still had so many great books to recommend to my younger readers.  

I have already written reviews for many of the books but I did get a little behind in May and so I opted to link a few of the books to the author's book video. I always love to hear what the author has to say about their own book. Click on the links to see a book review or video.  If you want to check out my very favorite books from 2021 then this is your list.  Happy Reading!

Facing the Dawn

The Midnight Library

Hattie Ever After (Audio)

When Stars are Scattered (Audio). I had already read this book but decided to listen to the audio. I was so good. I highly recommend it.  It includes a full cast of readers and sound effects. Don't miss this one. 

Genesis Begins Again

Fighting Words (Audio) I listened to this book and the audio was fabulous. 

Becoming Muhammad Ali

Stamped (For Kids)

The Last Bear

Efren Divided 

The Lion of Mars

Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson

 

5 Stars | Kirby Larson | Historical Fiction | 2013 | Grade 6 and Up | 240 pages | 4.6 reading level | 6 hours listening time

When Hattie Big Sky came out in 2006 I loved it. I even listened to it on audio and loved it just as much. I never picked up the sequel when it came out seven years later. But, on a recent car trip, I listened to the audio of Hattie Ever After and I loved it.  Why did I wait so long? 

If you have never read Hattie Big Sky, then I recommend starting with this title. It is the story of an orphaned teenager from Iowa who gets the chance to take over her deceased uncle's homestead in Montana.  I really admired her spunk and determination. This book was imagined from the author's own family history.  

Kirby Larson didn't plan on a sequel, but so many people asked her about Hattie that she decided to tell the rest of her story.  Hattie Ever After takes her to San Francisco where she dreams of being a reporter in the 1920's. She also solves a mystery along the way.  

I listened to this book and it was so charming and well done. Even though this book is aimed at the young adult audience, I will recommend it to adults too.  It is a great read!  5 Stars!

June Book Club: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

5 Stars | Matt Haig | 2020 | Fantasy Fiction | 304 pages | 9 Hours Audio 

I was not sure if I was going to like this book but it turned out to be a very encouraging story for me. I might even say it was therapeutic. 

It starts with our main character, Nora, feeling like her life is on a track to nowhere and so she takes matters into her own hands to end her life. When she awakes she finds herself in a library full of green books. The librarian in charge turns out to be the same one from her school days. She tells her that all of the books are different versions of Nora's life and she has the opportunity to try them out and pick the best one. The story continues as you explore all of the different life possibilities. 

This is a quick read and but even though it sounds like it could be sad, it is really an uplifting read. There were some lessons that Nora learned that were things that I needed to hear as well. Maybe we all need to be reminded that even though the choices we have are infinite in life, we are where we are supposed to be.  I enjoyed it a lot and give it 5 stars!

Weekend Binge Reads! - Christian Fiction

I got a few new books from a recent Christian Book haul from christianbooks.com and I binge read the following over the weekend.  I loved them..let me tell you about them. 

5 Stars | Cynthia Ruchti | 2021 | Christian Fiction | 320 pages | 10 Hours Audio 

I really enjoy Cynthia Ruchti books. She always writes stand-alone books with unique characters, settings, and issues.  They usually are very character and plot rich which is my favorite type of book.  In Facing the Dawn, you will read about friendship, family, and grief and probably will need a box of tissues too.  This book will move you. 

Mara is struggling to raise her three teenagers in Wisconsin while her husband is doing humanitarian work in Uganda.  He has been away for three years and it is taking a toll on the family. That is about all I can tell you without spoiling things. Don't read any reviews or summaries. Just dive in on this one. I read it in a day and loved it. I rate it a 5!

4 Stars | Melody Carlson | 2020 | Christian Fiction | 352 pages | 8 1/2 Hours Audio  

If you want a happy and light-hearted read then read The Happy Camper. This is how it goes... Dillon has quit her job and moves back to Oregon to live with her grandfather and mother.  Quarters get tight, so when her grandfather gives her a vintage trailer, Dillon falls in love with refurbishing her camper into a perfect home for herself.  Of course, she spends time reacquainting herself with her hometown and finds the local hardware store owner very attractive. 

This book is exactly like a movie on the Hallmark channel.  I was just happy reading about Dillon's work on fixing up her trailer and learning how to take care of it. It is a cozy read with some humor and lots of sweetness. I read it in a day and enjoyed it. I rate it a 4. 

Pumpkin Falls Mystery Series by Heather Vogel Frederick

3.5 Stars | Heather Vogel Frederick | Mystery | Grades 4-8 | 5th Grade Reading Level | Around 350 pages

This is a cozy mystery series for middle-grade with the main character named Truly Lovejoy who is in middle school. The Lovejoys move from Texas to Pumpkin  Falls, New Hampshire to help run the struggling family bookstore. Mr. Lovejoy, the father has been injured in a military accident in Afghanistan and is looking for a new start. Truly is in the middle of the family with two older brothers and two younger sisters. Each book includes a mystery as well as lots of family and friendship plotlines.  Truly's friends form the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes to help solve the mysteries in their little town. 

Book One:  Absolutely Truly

Truly finds an unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte's Web which also goes missing and she and her friends go on a treasure hunt to solve the mystery. 

Book Two: Yours Truly  (check out my previous review)
It is the annual maple sugar festival and someone is sabotaging the maple trees. Truly also finds a diary in the floorboards of her home written by her namesake centuries ago. 

Book Three: Really Truly

Truly is sent to Mermaid Academy and uncovers the mystery of the sunken treasure from pirates during the founding of Pumpkin Falls. 

These books are very sweet,  light,  and cozy.  The mystery and family and friends share equal space.  Enjoyed the first ones more than the third one.  The mystery seemed a side plotline. I did think going to a Mermaid Academy was interesting and fun!  I also loved the cover art for book three. Such a beautiful summer scene. Look closely for the mermaid tail!  

Catherine's War by Julia Billet

 

4 Stars |Julia Billet | 2020| Graphic Novel | Grades 3-7| 3.7 Reading Level | 176 pages

This graphic novel is based on a true story about a girl named Rachel Cohen who discovers her passion for photography while she is living in a children's home outside Paris.  With World War II ramping up, she find herself sent into hiding because she is Jewish.  She has to change her name and is always wary of getting found out.  Her camera goes with her and she continues to document her life. 

The author writes this book based on her mother's childhood and what she faced during the War. You will find notes and photos detailing this information in the back of the book. 

The illustrations in this book are lovely and the story is another great one to add to stories of Jewish children who experienced World War II.  This book was translated from French as written by the author.