It is early 1840's in Venice. Some boys scrounge up enough money to see an American Cowboy movie. What a rare treat. Just after the movie begins, the film stops and heavy boots come stomping down all the aisles. What's going on? The theatre full of boys is rounded up and forced into labor, without shelter, little food and horrid conditions. The main character finds himself way away from his home and family, frozen, injured and heartbroken. ( )

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is about two little boys living in an Italian village and one day they go to see a movie together. While in the theater, German soldier raid and take everyone in the theater onto a bus to a concentration camp. Samuele, one of the boys, has a secret he is hiding and if the Germans discover it it could be a matter of life or death. The book shows the struggles between the two boys and what life was like being taken to a concentration camp and trying to survive. The author uses chilling, descriptive words to capture the setting and tone of the book. I enjoyed this book a lot because I enjoy reading about the Holocaust and what life was like for people who were affected by the rule of Hitler. I would recommend this book to someone who also enjoys learning about the history of the holocaust and the struggles these people went through. ( )

This is one of my favorite books! I have read it several times over the last 10 years. Great book for middle school students who have an interest in the Holocaust. ( )

RGG: More about a brave boy's struggle than the Holocaust; simple read.

RGG: More about a brave boy's struggle than the Holocaust; simple read.