Hesse, Monica. Girl in the Blue CoatApril 5th 2016 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Hanneke is grieving the death of her boyfriend, Bas, who was killed after he joined the army. To help her family survive in war-torn Amsterdam, she works for a local butcher and sells things on the black market. During one of her deliveries, an older woman who has lost her sons, Mrs. Janssen, asks for her help. Mrs. Janssen was hiding a Jewish girl whose family worked at the Janssen's shop, but the girl has disappeared. Mirjam is nowhere to be found, and Hanneke learns a lot about the resistance movement while trying to find it. She reconnects with Bas' brother, Ollie, and becomes instrumental in helping to rescue other Jews while trying to find Mirjam.
Strengths: This had a nice mystery, and had a lot of good details about what it was like to NOT be Jewish at this time but to suffer nonetheless. Definitely a different twist, and the way in which Hanneke got involved in various activities was realistic.
Weaknesses: This fell apart at the end a bit.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. The 8th grade girls will love it.
I've had this one on my shelf for too long. I am glad to hear it is a good read and a bit disappointed that it falls apart in the end. I will try to keep an open mind when I read it. Thanks for your review!
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