Hitler’s Canary by Sandi Toksvig Reading level: grade 5 and up
Interest level: grade 6 and up
Hitler’s Canary offers an alternative view to WWII than most books on the topic. It gives a sense of the time without the horrors of the Holocaust, and shows how the war affected children’s lives (as opposed to seeing the war from an adult, military, or political viewpoint).
Bamse, the ten-year-old main character, and his Jewish best friend, Anton, grow up in Demark during the Nazi occupation. Bamse eventually becomes part of the Danish resistance, maturing as the struggle becomes more intense. Parts of Bamse’s story are touching, funny, and scary, in turn. Because Bamse’s family is in the theater (his mom is an actress, his dad builds sets) the line between reality and fantasy can feel a bit blurry in this book. The sometimes quirky characters add a bit of humor, but the juxtaposition of the seriousness of the setting and the lightness of these characters can make the story feel a bit off. Overall, a good view at an often overlooked area of World War II.
