Select language, opens an overlay

Summary

Community summary are the opinions of contributing users. These summary do not represent the opinions of Omaha Public Library.
Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany quickly changed the world of 13-year-old Gabriella Schramm. Many of her friends and those of her parents were Jewish. Suddenly they were denied schooling, jobs and various freedoms. Then they were persecuted. Some were able to flee the country, but many were taken away. Other people, once trustworthy, became Nazis. There were new rules for everyone, and many freedoms were taken away. It was a tumultuous and dangerous time, and Gaby took refuge in the comfort of her books. Then books, too, were threatened. Gaby and her best friend, Rosa, loved reading the stories of authors such as Jack London, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and other authors. Such books, however, were deemed by the Nazis to “offend the purity of the German spirit”, and they were banned. Many other books were declared to be “unGerman”, and these books were burnt. Gaby was horrified. She knew then that her world – Berlin, and Germany - had become entirely irrational. Gaby’s parents also recognized the instability and danger of the Nazi regime. They realized that fleeing the country was the only safe option for the family. The suspense, compelling story of the Schramm family, their escape from Germany and Hitler’s rise to power, is based on real events and real people. Kathryn Lasky is a Newbery-Award winning author of many children's books. ** Recommended for ages 10 to 14 years of age.