During the early days of the 20th century, Mama asks Johann to write the story of their journey from Germany to America because she wants all the children to remember everything they lived through. Describing the entire process in vivid detail, Johann tells of his family’s life in their village in Austria-Hungary, and their decision to emigrate. Papa leaves first and they wait anxiously for him to send money so they can join him. Others have gone with such promises, never to be heard from again. When they finally take their leave, they must travel many miles by train before reaching the ship. Then comes the long journey in steerage with all its hardships and tragedies. Adjusting to life in Youngstown, Ohio, is not easy for any of them. It is an ever-changing, confusing kaleidoscope of economic opportunities and disappointments, dwelling places, and decisions. As was common in immigrant families, the children find themselves more accepting of this new American culture, while the parents are slower to adapt. Johann’s description of his sister Regina’s first attempt at dressing American-style to attend a dance and still adhere at least a little to her parents’ traditions is both poignant and amusing. Gündisch’s technique of telling the story from the point of view of a growing child is successful here. Johann’s perceptions change and grow as he matures. It also helps to overcome Skofield’s somewhat stiff translation, if the reader accepts that it is written by a child unsure of his English. Gündisch’s research and use of primary sources serves her well; the result is believable, interesting, and entertaining. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8126-4875-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Cricket
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2001
Budding billionaire Greg Kenton has a knack for making money and a serious rival. When he issues his first Chunky Comic Book at the beginning of sixth grade, his neighbor and classmate Maura Shaw produces an alternative. Their quarrel draws the attention of the principal, who bans comics from the school. But when they notice all the other commercial messages in their school, they take their cause to the local school committee. Without belaboring his point, Clements takes on product placement in schools and the need for wealth. “Most people can only use one bathroom at a time,” says Greg’s math teacher, Mr. Z. Greg gets the message; middle-grade readers may ignore it in favor of the delightful spectacle of Greg’s ultimate economic success, a pleasing result for the effort this up-and-coming young businessman puts into his work. Clements weaves intriguing information about comic book illustration into this entertaining, smoothly written story. Selznick’s accompanying black-and-white drawings have the appearance of sketches Greg might have made himself. This hits the jackpot. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: July 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-689-86683-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2005
Fast-paced and plot-driven.
In his latest, prolific author Gratz takes on Hitler’s Olympic Games.
When 13-year-old American gymnast Evie Harris arrives in Berlin to compete in the 1936 Olympic Games, she has one goal: stardom. If she can bring home a gold medal like her friend, the famous equestrian-turned-Hollywood-star Mary Brooks, she might be able to lift her family out of their Dust Bowl poverty. But someone slips a strange note under Evie’s door, and soon she’s dodging Heinz Fischer, the Hitler Youth member assigned to host her, and meeting strangers who want to make use of her gymnastic skills—to rob a bank. As the games progress, Evie begins to see the moral issues behind their sparkling facade—the antisemitism and racism inherent in Nazi ideology and the way Hitler is using the competition to support and promote these beliefs. And she also agrees to rob the bank. Gratz goes big on the Mission Impossible–style heist, which takes center stage over the actual competitions, other than Jesse Owens’ famous long jump. A lengthy and detailed author’s note provides valuable historical context, including places where Gratz adapted the facts for storytelling purposes (although there’s no mention of the fact that before 1952, Olympic equestrian sports were limited to male military officers). With an emphasis on the plot, many of the characters feel defined primarily by how they’re suffering under the Nazis, such as the fictional diver Ursula Diop, who was involuntarily sterilized for being biracial.
Fast-paced and plot-driven. (Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781338736106
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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