When the Nazis announce that all orphans in Athens are to be rounded up and sent to Germany, Theo and his older brother Soc travel to a small village where they can hide and join the resistance movement. But Soc is executed for sabotage, leaving Theo to be taken in by the resistance fighters Patir Alex and his wife. Now Theo’s only companion from before the war is his shadow puppet, Karagiozis, a beloved and heroic character in Greek puppet theater. The young puppeteer puts on shows with Karagiozis, depicting scenes of Nazi defeat and re-enacting tales about the history of Greece, as he struggles to understand the meaning of heroism and to make sense of what is happening in the world around him. Against the bleak backdrop of the fiercely beautiful Greek landscape, this moving, dramatic story is about kindness, bravery, and the perseverance of humanity even in the most devastating of times.

Related: Germany, Greece, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14)

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• ISBN: 9780899199597
• Author: Harrison, Barbara
• Published: 1999, Clarion Books
• Themes: Occupation, Resistance, World War II
• Descriptors: Germany, Greece, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14)
• No. of pages: 176