About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle-schooler is beginning to ask deeper questions about history, human rights, or how people find the strength to carry on after a tragedy. While many stories end with the liberation of the camps, Carol Matas explores the often-overlooked aftermath, focusing on a fifteen-year-old girl named Ruth who must navigate a fractured Europe to find a sense of home. It is a powerful choice for children who are ready to move beyond simple hero stories into more complex discussions about resilience, identity, and justice. Through Ruth's leadership of a group of child refugees, the book models extraordinary bravery and the importance of community in the face of immense loss. It is a poignant, historically grounded narrative that helps young readers process the weight of the past while emphasizing the hope that fuels a new beginning.
