He can still picture once being happy and safe, but memories of those days are fading as he and his family face the dangers threatening Jews in Hitler’s Germany in the late 1930s. “Daniel barely remembers leading a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. Lucid, incisive descriptions will entice as well as educate readers.' Matas’s extensive research, combined with powerful characterization and compelling narration, creates an intense, provocative novel. When Stefan returns to Denmark, he teams up with Jesper to fight the Nazis. Jesper becomes actively involved in the underground press, which spreads news about what is really happening in the war. He recounts the dangerous events that lead to his confinement in a German prison. Three years later Jesper, 17, is still working for the Danish resistance. In the earlier book Jesper helps his Jewish friends Stefan and Lisa escape to Sweden. “In this sequel to Lisa’s War, Matas again presents a stirring account of a youth’s struggle to fight the Nazis who occupy Denmark during World War II. Through the riveting narration, the rising tension in the country is effectively conveyed. Lisa describes her experiences in the first-person present tense, creating a potent immediacy. Over the three-year period that this book documents, thousands of Danish Jews must flee their country to save themselves Lisa and Stefan risk their own lives helping hundreds of Jews escape safely to Sweden. When Susanne’s parents are killed by the Germans, Lisa, too, becomes as involved as Stefan. Stefan is deeply involved in the movement, undertaking missions to sabotage German-run factories, while Lisa and her friend Susanne distribute pamphlets published by the resistance. Lisa, 12, and her brother Stefan join the Danish resistance when the Germans invade Copenhagen.

“Matas offers a powerful account of a young Jewish girl who fights back after the Germans invade Denmark in 1940. Notable Book, Sydney Taylor Award – Older Readers, 2014 “Inspired by the life of the real Odette Meyers-and written in moving free-verse poetry-this is a story of courage, of determination to survive, and of a young girl forced to hide in plain sight.” But inside, she is burning with secrets about the life she left behind and her true identity. “On the surface, she leads the life of a regular girl-going to school, doing chores, and even attending Catholic Mass with other children. After Odette’s father enlists in the French army and her mother joins the Resistance, Odette is sent to the countryside until it is safe to return. The Nazis have invaded the city, and every day brings new threats. “Odette is a young Jewish girl living in Paris during a dangerous time.

The Secret Seder by Doreen Rappaport