Description
A castle, a bridge, and dangerous secrets - in this page-turning story, set in Nazi-occupied France, a12-year-old Jewish girl must learn who to trust and how to find her courage.
'We don't choose how we feel, but we choose how we act. Choose courage.'
From the two-time Newbery Honor-winner and a #1 New York Times bestselling author of The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won comes a new middle-grade novel, in which a girl who has lost everything must decide whether to risk her life to bring others to freedom.
In 1942, much of France is occupied by the Nazis. Twelve-year-old Miri is Jewish, so she is not safe. Separated from her parents, she rescues her neighbours' two-year-old daughter Nora and escapes to a village, where she is given a new name and pretends to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture. Miri is at first wary of the convent school nuns, but soon learns that there is much more than meets the eye to these knowledgeable women. One night she is asked to undertake a terrifying task that could allow her to escape. But what about Nora? The person Miri meets that night could save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.
The Night War is a captivating and often funny story that explores history, moral dilemmas and friendships.
Review
France in 1942 is a dangerous place to be, especially for Jewish people after the Nazis invade. Twelve-year-old Miri and her two-year-old neighbour, Nora, become separated from their parents during a round up of her Jewish neighbourhood.
Fortunately a kind-hearted nun saves Miri and Nora, and sends them to a village far away from Paris. Nora lives with a new family, and Miri gets a new name and lives in a catholic convent school.
She doesn’t know if she can trust her new school friends or the nuns. What are some of the nuns hiding? When Miri gets asked to help them one night with a dangerous trip through the village, her life will change forever.
This is a fantastic story of friendship, and even though it is set in war time it is also often funny and a really enjoyable story. Miri is a great character and faces many moral dilemmas throughout the book. When someone tells her “We don’t choose how we feel, but we choose how we act. Choose courage.” Miri takes this to heart and shows incredible bravery for a 12-year-old.
This book will be loved by those who enjoy history, adventure and a fast-paced story with great characters. Perfect for readers in lower secondary and above.
Teacher Notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
Reviewed by Michelle
