Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (The threat of violence against Jews, a father is murdered by Nazis, the aftermath is on page. Peril, reference to work camps, concentration camps and pogroms. Bullets flying by, racist language, Nazi mischief - breaking toys and such, just being mean because they can)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
When Ukrainian teen Nataliia is given a stack of old letters by her grandmother, she reads about a Jewish boy, Eliezer, who is in hiding during WWII. After the murder of his father, Eliezer tries to support his sister and mother and keep them out of the grasp of the Nazis. Told in dual perspectives, Nataliia's current suspension from school over an incident with another girl is put into a different perspective when she is moved by Eliezer's story and wonders how her grandmother is connected.
This narrative non-fiction is engaging and moving. The modern story takes place in 2010 in The Ukraine. This isn't just another story of a Jewish family hiding from the Nazis. We connect with the families and people who are helping, sharing, hiding, and caring about Eliezer, his mother and his sister. We see how a community can stand by while their neighbors are taken away or even killed, and what turns people to do things they know are morally wrong. There are also examples of people doing good despite the very real chance they could lose their lives for helping. Peppered with pieces of news articles or descriptions of places to help put everything in context. I would not be surprised to see Honor show up on a 2027 YMA list - either for Non-Fiction or a Sydney Taylor. Well written.
Lisa Librarian
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