May 15, 2010
Grades 4-7 Kerz immigrated to Canada as a child in the 1950s, and she drew from her own experiences of the journey in this lively, detailed novel that follows a Yugoslav family from a refugee camp in Austria through a horrific ocean crossing in a crowded ship and finally to their arrival in Toronto. Young Theresa personalizes the struggle, as she describes in her honest narrative her anger at having to leave her friends behind, her failure as she gets Ds at school, her hostile classmates who tell her to go back to where you came from, and her grandmother, who calls her homely. Theresas mother finds works as a cleaner and her father as a tailor, but even after they are employed, the family tension and fighting remain. Theresa knows some German, and that helps her reach out and connect with Yiddish neighbors. The immigration drama will hold readers: at first she cannot talk and understand in the schoolyard, but it is a milestone when she learns to stand up for herself and say, Shut up!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)
August 1, 2010
Gr 4-7-Post-World War II life in a refugee camp in Austria is difficult for 10-year-old Theresa and her family, but new challenges arise with the opportunity to emigrate to Canada. From the long train ride and stormy ocean voyage to the new surroundings in a tenement house in Toronto, Theresa copes with her fears and emotional strife caused by everything that is new-neighbors, school, language, and making friends by relying on a "magical stone" she received from her friend Martin before her departure. A vivid imagination helps her to believe that the "gnome's eye" will protect her from all the evil she is to encounter in her new country. Through a kind teacher, Theresa learns a most important lesson about exhibiting courage when life's struggles seem to present themselves in new ways each day. This immigration story, while similar in many ways to other postwar novels, presents itself through a strong first-person voice deft in creating an empathetic and engaging response in middle grade readers. Both laughter and genuine concern will be evident through Theresa's imaginative storytelling and descriptive narrative.-Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI
Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.