Skip to main content

When the World Was Ours

 


Written by: Liz Kessler
Aladdin. 2021. Fiction

Three young friends, Leo, Elsa, and Max, spend a perfect day together in 1936 while the world around them begins to change as the beginnings of World War II start to creep into Europe. As the years go by the three friends drift apart and their lives take them all in different directions. They all remember their friends with fondness but as they grow older the experiences they each have because of the war makes them realize that the world is no longer theirs and friendship doesn't last forever.

This is a beautiful but heart wrenching story that was based on an experience the author's family had during the Holocaust. As you follow the characters through this difficult time period you feel the pain of their struggles as they loose their childlike innocence and experience the horrors of war. This is a story about love and friendship, hate and war and the effects war has even on small children. This is a story that brought tears to my eyes as I followed the stories of these three young friends growing up in a very difficult time in history. I would recommend this book for older middle-grade readers.


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: Teddy's Top Picks

  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...

Review: Nell O'Dell Hates Quests

Nell O'Dell Hates Quests By Emily B. Martin Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2026. Fiction. 324 pgs. Unlike her parents, famed ex-questers who founded the inn at the Golden Crossroads, Nell O'Dell has no interest in questing. In fact, she has had quite enough of the hoards of questers who crowd the inn each year. Questing, Nell thinks, is a waste of time. But alas! A government mix-up means that Nell will need to travel to the office of the Exchequer to show her family's deed and save the inn. This important mission couldn't possibly be a quest, could it? How about after the deed is stolen by a mysterious girl with a dragon in the middle of the night? Whether she likes it or not, Nell is on a quest—big time - it's up to her to save the crossroads and protect the future of the world. Part quest fantasy and part satire of a quest fantasy, this series opener is a riotous good time. Nell's dry reluctance to engage in questing makes for a humorous plot point, especially a...