Important history tucked into a brisk roman à clef.
Working-class teenagers who secretly resisted fascism during World War II are the subject of this work of historical fiction translated from German.
An introduction by prolific author for young people and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen explains that this novel is rooted in fact: Although they are not well known today, the Edelweiss Pirates really existed. The book opens with Josef Gerlach’s diary entry from late November 1944, describing the killing of his brother, Horst, by the SS as witnessed by Josef and his friends. In 2011, a boy named Daniel, visiting the cemetery where his grandfather was recently buried, meets Josef, who is by Horst’s grave. Josef piques Daniel’s interest with the claim that Horst’s story might interest him especially. Daniel is hooked—and readers will be too. From this point, diary entries spanning the period from March 1941 to May 1945 are counterpointed with scenes of Daniel and Josef at the latter’s modest digs in a home for elderly bachelors. Reinhardt’s energetic novel is both a coming-of-age story and a historic thriller that works best when Josef and his fellow Pirates are in action, ambushing Nazi patrols, hiding from the SS, or breaking into a van to secure provisions. Along the way, Tilly and Floss, two girls, also join the group. While fueled by a sense of romantic adventure, the novel doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war and Nazism.
Important history tucked into a brisk roman à clef. (historical note, glossary) (Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9781782693093
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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