Germany

Materials from Germany

Play to the Angel

In February 1938, in Vienna, twelve-year-old Greta Radky is devastated to learn that her mother plans to sell the family piano. Greta’s brother, a concert pianist, died the previous April, and her mother thinks of the piano as his. But Greta is an equally committed musician, and when she meets a mysterious piano teacher who agrees to work with her, she proves it. With his help the piano is saved, and inspired by his tiny angel doll, Greta practices furiously for her first recital. Then, on the day of the performance, the Nazis invade Austria. Suddenly Greta discovers her teacher’s secret and knows that his life is in danger. Having stood up to her mother, Greta must now confront the Nazis.

Waiting for Winter

Deer has told Squirrel how wonderful snow is, so he sits outside and waits for winter. He waits, and he waits. All his not-so-patient waiting has woken Hedgehog, who decides he’d like to see it snow too. They wait, and they wait. And it’s still boring, even when there are two of you. All the not-so-patient waiting and the not-so-quiet singing has woken Bear. He’ll have to help Squirrel and Hedgehog find the snow if he wants to get any sleep this winter. Deer said it was white and wet and cold and soft.

Sacred Shadows

When her German hometown becomes part of Poland after World War I, Lene, a young German Jew, struggles to come to terms with the anti-Semitism and anti-German hatred that seems to be growing around her.

T4: A Novel

It is 1939. Paula Becker, thirteen years old and deaf, lives with her family in a rural German town. As rumors swirl of disabled children quietly disappearing, a priest comes to her family’s door with an offer to shield Paula from an uncertain fate. When the sanctuary he offers is fleeting, Paula needs to call upon all her strength to stay one step ahead of the Nazis.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 2

After the Train

Peter Liebig can’t wait for summer. He’s tired of classrooms, teachers, and the endless lectures about the horrible Nazis. The war has been over for ten years, and besides, his town of Rolfen, West Germany, has moved on nicely. Despite its bombed-out church, it looks just as calm and pretty as ever. There is money to be made at the beach, and there are whole days to spend with Father at his job. And, of course, there’s soccer. Plenty for a thirteen-year-old boy to look forward to. But when Peter stumbles across a letter he was never meant to see, he unravels a troubling secret. Soon he questions everything—the town’s peaceful nature, his parents’ stories about the war, and his own sense of belonging.

When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize

The boy in this book is having trouble admitting – much less closing – the large gap between his aspirations and his everyday actions. This boy knows that when he’s older he will love his neighbor, but for now he’s all too happy to pick on his sister. This boy even knows that one day he will be given the Nobel Peace Prize: for standing up to bullies, helping the poor, protecting animals and the environment – for all his good deeds. But with his bold claims continually contrasted by pictures that tell a very different story, even this boy eventually has to admit it’s time to stop boasting and take the first step.

Featured in Volume I, Issue 1 of WOW Review.

And What Comes after a Thousand?

Otto and Lisa are special friends. Otto may be old, but he can still spit cherry pits, make slingshots and grow delicious raspberries. He and Lisa share a fascination with numbers, tell stories, and gaze at the stars. But when Otto gets ill and dies, Lisa struggles to understand. Her rage, confusion and mourning are reflected in the heartwarming illustrations, as she slowly comes to understand that while people die, memories last forever.

Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue

Little guinea pig is obsessed with his favorite TV show and with its star, Super Guinea Pig. Every day he tunes in to watch Super Guinea Pig save the world from evil and terrible disasters. And every day he ignores his friends—an old hound dog, a yellow bird, and a plump goldfish—to watch his hero. When they start making fun of little guinea pig and asking why his new best friend never visits him, he dresses up as Super Guinea Pig to teach his friends a lesson. Leaping and acting like his hero, little guinea pig gets himself into a bit of trouble and calls upon Super Guinea Pig for help. His real friends save him the day.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn’t understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them? Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind. Based on the gripping real-life story of the author, this poignant backlist staple gets a brandnew look for a new generation of readers just in time for Holocaust Remembrance Month.

Inkdeath

The Adderhead–his immortality bound in a book by Meggie’s father, Mo–has ordered his henchmen to plunder the villages. The peasants’ only defense is a band of outlaws led by the Bluejay–Mo’s fictitious double, whose identity he has reluctantly adopted. But the Book of Immortality is unraveling, and the Adderhead again fears the White Women of Death. To bring the renegade Bluejay back to repair the book, the Adderhead kidnaps all the children in the kingdom, dooming them to slavery in his silver mines unless Mo surrends. First Dustfinger, now Mo: Can anyone save this cursed story?