Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen, 336 pages. Scholastic, OCTOBER 2019. $18.
Language: G (0swears, 0‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Audra and her parents live a poor, but loving life in a small village in Lithuania near the border with Prussia in 1893. Her dad is away a lot with his peddling and Audra overhears her parents talking about secret plans the same night that the Russians arrest them and send them off to Siberia. Audra escapes and finds refuge with a group that secretly smuggles Lithuanian language books from house to house, village to village, and across the border, after Russia tries to abolish the language. The Russian soldiers are vicious, and they are caught, they will probably pay with their lives.
Nielsen writes with her normal aplomb. The only reason this is rated optional and low is that the time period is obscure that will need to hand sell to help this find its audience. I loved this look at a part of history that I have never read about before. I hope all of us librarians can help it find its audience. There are some dangerous situations and some non-graphic deaths.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
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