By Susan Meyer
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 320
Lexile: 710L
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years
ABOUT
“This rich story reminds us that America can be at its best as a melting pot. A page-turner for all the right reasons.”—VINCE VAWTER, Newbery Honor-winning author of Paperboy
In this gripping and poignant companion to Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner Black Radishes, Gustave faces racism and anti-Semitism in New York City during World War II, but ultimately finds friendship and hope.
It is January 1942, and Gustave, a twelve-year-old Jewish boy, has made it to America at last. After escaping with his family from Nazi-occupied France, after traveling through Spain and Portugal and across the Atlantic Ocean, he no longer has to worry about being captured by the Germans. But life is not easy in America, either.
Gustave feels out of place in New York. His clothes are all wrong, he can barely speak English, and he is worried about his best friend, Marcel, who is in grave danger back in France. Then there is September Rose, the most interesting girl in school, who for some reason doesn’t seem to want to be friends with him. Gustave is starting to notice that not everyone in America is treated equally, and his new country isn’t everything he’d expected. But he isn’t giving up.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
“I love everything about this poignant story, especially the gorgeous prose, which brings to life such an important slice of American history in a way I haven’t seen before. Simply put, this heartfelt book is a masterpiece.”—SHANA BURG, author of A Thousand Never Evers and Laugh with the Moon
REVIEWS
“The everyday details of the story guide readers, allowing them to enjoy following Gustave’s entry into the United States and his growth toward appreciating all that’s ahead for him in his new home. . . . Strong historical content, rich descriptions, and smart subtleties about the links between history and current events.”—School Library Journal
“[Small] moments add up, and readers may gradually start to think of the characters as close friends. The later chapters of the book involve real danger. . . . And by then, the conflict might feel like it’s happening to people the readers have always known. A sweet book that readers will find sneaks up on them.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Well paced with fully realized characters, this provides a textured look at race, refugees, war, and the process of creating a new life.”—Booklist
