A dry account that nevertheless imparts significant historical lessons.
A Jewish girl survives the Nazi occupation of Denmark.
In 1940, when Mette is 5, the Germans invade Denmark. Raised in a secular, assimilated family, Mette doesn’t even know she’s Jewish. When she’s 8 and her father shares the dangerous secret with her, she understands so little of what it means to be Jewish that she responds, “But I thought I was Danish.” Meanwhile, in 2009, an older Mette brings her American grandchildren to visit Copenhagen. As she tells them her story, she can offer more than she understood as a small child: Factual recitations (King Christian X’s family tree, the messy Treaty of Versailles, the planned mass deportation of Denmark’s Jews, and the complex pragmatism of Danish surrender) mix with tales of stubbornly patriotic anti-Nazi resistance. Older Mette’s narrative follows both her memories of the mass rescue of Danish Jews in October 1943 and the story of real-life resistance fighter Svend Otto Nielsen. Shayne concludes by drawing comparisons between past and present and reminding readers of the importance of learning from history. Though at times the artwork is emotionally moving, for the most part the illustrations are cluttered and static, and the book relies more on telling than showing. As a result, the work feels surprisingly dull and even confusing—as the narrative jumps back and forth in time, it’s often unclear who is being depicted and when.
A dry account that nevertheless imparts significant historical lessons. (Graphic historical fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781499813586
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
Stimulating and encouraging.
Letters to the future left by a class in 1900 prompt sixth graders in 2025 to consider what their school might be like a century from now.
Drawn from a time capsule unearthed during building renovations, the letters celebrate innovations at the then-new school including indoor plumbing and large windows, marvel at such exciting recent inventions as automobiles and electric lights, and wonder whether the future will bring cures for all diseases. Meanwhile, the modern students discuss upcoming renovations, such as replacing the drafty old windows with weather-tight ones and adding both a rainwater collection system and a rooftop garden. The kids envision great things for 2125, including playground equipment that actually harvests kinetic energy, zero-fuel hover skateboards that use magnets, and extensive uses for leftover food and plastic. Into the bustling mix of monochrome missives from the past and graphic color posters and cartoon panels of the present and future, Fyvie slips nods to five actual “time capsules,” including the arctic Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the wreckage of the Titanic. The book closes with suggestions for readers inspired to create depositories of their own. Along with making lively connections from past to present to future, the modern students engage in ongoing classroom discussions of energy flow and storage, environmentally sustainable practices, and the need and benefits of recycling, all of which will prompt younger audiences to dream along similar lines.
Stimulating and encouraging. (glossary, resources, index) (Graphic nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781525306686
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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