Hidden by Loic Dauvillier

The Hook: 

A young girl wakes to hear her grandmother’s nightmare. Hoping she can help her grandmother; the little girl listens to her story about her experiences during World War II. During the war, her parents were deported to a Nazi concentration camp, and she is hidden by neighbors until the end of the war.  She then had to go to a different country where she had to lie about her name and her beliefs. The story and the illustrations are mesmerizing, yet heart wrenching too. If you like World War II history, you'll like this graphic novel!  

We have this book in our library. It is 0.5 points. 

My Thoughts (Careful! There Could Be Spoilers!) 

I could not put this book down! There are not many words in this book, yet they tell a captivating story, and the illustrations are superb. At the beginning of the book, Dounia (the grandmother at a young age) is so young that she does not understand the war. She is told they have to wear stars because they are pretending they are sheriffs in the town. But as the events unfold, understanding and horror take their place. Dounia’s feelings ping-pong between confusion, sorrow, betrayal, guilt, and resignation. This book does not hold anything back. It is beautifully written and illustrated. I give this book 5 stars. 

Recommendations: 

I recommend this book for 5th graders-adults. It is one to share together and will lead to great discussions of WWII.