When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Judith Kerr)

A book for young readers (age 9-11), When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is about Anna, a school girl in Berlin with a brother Max, their mom and famous father (he's a writer).  But in 1933, the Nazis come to power, and they're forced to flee- they're Jewish, and their father is a staunch critic of the Nazi party.  They live briefly in Switzerland, then Paris, and the novel ends as they arrive in London (1936).

I like the child's perspective. Unlike some (many?) war-related stories in this vein, you never get the idea that Anna is suffering.  It's annoying to move so often, they have to leave many cherished items (like her pink rabbit) behind, and money can be tight, but her perspective comes out at the end of the novel:

"As long as they were together she could never have a difficult childhood."

She just wanted to be with her family- when they were together, she'd never feel like a refugee.

I also enjoyed this other exchange, which resonated with me:

"Do you think we'll ever really belong anywhere?"
"I suppose not," said Papa. "Not the way people belong who have lived in one place all their lives. But we'll belong a little in lots of places, and I think that may be just as good."

That's how I feel. There's a part of me in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Germany, and England.  And that's okay.  There's no one place I feel at home- there are many.

Rating: A