Book Review of Freedom’s Game
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The Children’s Book Review
Freedom’s Game
Written by Rosanne Tolin
Illustrated by Vali Mintzi
Ages: 10-13 | 248 Pages
Publisher: Reycraft Books/Benchmark Education (2024) | ISBN: 978-1478876199
What to Expect: Historical fiction, World War II, Survival, and Resilience.
Told from the dual perspective of two young Jewish refugees in Nazi-occupied France, this heart-rending story introduces readers to a side of WWII that is less frequently explored—that of the children who made it into hiding, only to live with fear, uncertainty, and grief for those they left behind.
Being a refugee child in Nazi-occupied France is not easy. For Ziggy, the world is full of fear—for children like Greta, who is too young to really understand the danger they are in, for his mother, whom they left behind in Nazi Germany, and especially for himself when he does not know which of the people around him can really be trusted. Elka just wants to be a runner—but as well as her fear for her own safety, she is fighting with the deep shame of the last time she ran… away from the little sister who needed her. As well as their memories, both children have a very real threat to worry about—the smiling, blond-haired gym teacher Georges, whose mysterious meetings and cheery demeanor may hide sinister intentions. For these children, playing at spies is definitely more than a game—it is survival.
Elka and Ziggy are brave, inquisitive, and resourceful, and readers will love watching them battle the odds to find hope and look out for the other children around them. The richly descriptive text brings the story’s historical setting to life through food, language, and the day-to-day details of home and school that are sure to feel intimate and familiar to any child reader. Firmly grounded in real-life events, the story’s breathtaking twists and turns have real urgency that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.
Freedom’s Game is a deeply emotional and inspiring story about children’s resilience and power to survive.
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About the Author
Rosanne Tolin was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and is the author of More Than Marmalade: Michael Bond and The Story of Paddington Bear, and Freedom’s Game. A respected journalist, her work has focused primarily on children’s publications. She was the creator of an ALA-notable website for kids, the managing editor of a children’s magazine, and a Hoosier State Press Award-winning feature writer. Rosanne lives in Chesterton, Indiana, with her husband. When not working, she can be found hiking with her dogs in the Indiana Dunes or Colorado’s Tenmile Range.
To learn more, visit https://www.rosannetolin.com.
About the Illustrator
Vali Mintzi, the cover artist, is an illustrator of children’s books, a graphic designer, and puppetry designer. She was born in Romania and she graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem where she lives and works.
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