Skip to main content

Peter's War: a boy's true story of survival in World War II Europe


Written by: Deborah Durland DeSaix and Karen Gray Ruelle
Illustrated by: Deborah Durland DeSaix
New York: Holiday House, 2020. Biography. 

As a twelve-year-old would you have been able to survive World War II on your own? That is what Peter Feigl, a German-Jewish boy did in 1942. His family were secular Jews who didn't practice their faith but because they were of Jewish descent they were still in danger. Peter's parents tried to keep their son safe by staying one step ahead of the Nazis. They spent years moving from country to country, leaving and moving again each time the Nazis took over.  Eventually they ended up in France but as the German's began to infiltrate France Peter's parents began to get nervous so they sent Peter to a summer camp. While he was at this summer camp his parents were arrested and he never saw them again.

The holocaust was a dark time in our history but we can learn a lot from the experiences of the those that survived. Peter's story was inspiring and I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations depicting the events in his life leading up to his escape into Switzerland . This book is an informative account of the Holocaust and what one young boy did to survive. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...

If You Like...Dungeons and Dragons

Great news for adventurous, imaginative tweens: we are starting a Dungeons & Dragons program! Nine- to twelve-year-olds are invited to join a tabletop role playing quest in the Story Room on Monday September 14 from 6:30-8:00PM. All experience levels are welcome. Registration opens on September 1 at 9:00AM. In the meantime, here are some books to inspire your upcoming campaign!  The Lionharts Written and Illustrated by Mike Lawrence New York : Abrams Fanfare, 2026. J Comic. 233 pages. The Lionhart family is in the business of adventuring. Alder and Flynt are desperate to be included in the dragon-fighting and monster-slaying quests. When their parents Lenna and Gerard go missing after accepting a mysterious job, the boys set out to save them, soon followed by their famous questing Grammy and Baba to help keep Alder and Flynt out of trouble. The journey brings challenges and opportunities, magic and mystery, but it also reveals a troubling family secret that threatens to tear th...