This story covers part of WWII history that I had never read about before: a prison camp in China run by the Japanese whose prisoners included many missionary children who were in boarding school in China. Their teachers use the Girl Guide Code to keep their students positive and hopeful. I really enjoyed learning about this facet of history I had never heard of before. I thought even the more gruesome parts of this story we're handled in a way that young people would be affected but not overly so. (That being said: this is a book about a prisoner of war camp, so if you are ultra sensitive this is a book you might need to pass on.) I really enjoyed how the story unfolded quickly but with care in not glazing over or dwelling on the more difficult plot points.

This was a part of history unfamiliar to me. I had heard about European concentration camps, American camps, and POW camps in Asia. I didn't know about camps in occupied China. That alone, that lesser known bit of history, makes this book worth reading. Without the setting context, it's a pretty standard concentration camp story. We see cruelty from most captors and the captives trying to find a way to keep living. It's puberty in captivity, heading towards adulthood in the worst possible circumstances and the way that shapes the person these kids will become. It's the struggle to keep your circumstances from turning you into a bitter and twisted person. The plot is a little vague and unfocused at times but it remains a decent choice to supplement a unit on World War II.

This story is about a group of girls who were imprisoned in Weishen interment camp during World War 2. The story revolves around the girls and their teacher who is relentlessly positive during the most horrific experiences. This is going to be an excellent book for middle grade libraries because it is super compelling, the story has historical connections that will send kids diving to do research to find out if these things were really true, and it was a great story. I can't wait to put it in my library.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I loved getting to read a piece of WWII historical fiction about a topic I hadn’t read much about before. I’ve read one other book about a Japanese internment camp in China, but I’d never read about the Girl Guides during that time. I agree with some of the other reviewers that there were some relationships I would have liked to have closure with. The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the pig slaughter scene. I get what the author was trying to accomplish - even children could not be protected from seeing such things during that time. But it was incredibly graphic and I was a little taken aback. Besides that, I thought it was a well-written read!

A fascinating story about a young girl named Gwen and her classmates who were students at Chefoo school. This book documents their lives in the Weihsein internment camp which is run by the Japanese imperial army.

They eat nothing but Broomcorn, eggplant and stale bread, sleep on pallets, and disease runs rampant through the camp. When two of the young boys escape life become even harder for the prisoners.

I loved the girls teacher Miss E. their Girl Guide leader who continues to practice the Girl Guide codes and keep them positive throughout their whole terrible imprisonment. She kept her head high and helped the girls always look on the bright side even when it seemed impossible.

As a lifelong Girl Guide I really loved to see how the Girl Guide codes helped these girls through the worst time of their lives.

At the Weihsien Internment Camp, 13 year old Gwendolyn and her fellow classmates are prisoners of the Japanese. Gwendolyn idolizes Miss E, one of their former teachers. In order to maintain hope, Miss E. has the former class follow the Girl Guide Code. The Code requires them to do good turns, act courageous, and maintain standards, all amidst the horrifying and terrible conditions of the camp.

I thought this was an excellent middle school book. Gwendolyn was a likeable and relatable character. The book did not shy away from the horror of the camp, but rather tried to show the hope and despair of the children. Overall, well worth reading.

Gwen and her classmates were students at a school in Chefoo before the Japanese Imperial Army invaded and took over. Then they were transferred to the Weihsien Internment Camp where they become prisoners. There was never enough food or water, and the students were always in fear of the soldiers. Their teacher, Miss E., is a constant source of optimism, but even she has her limits.

As soon as two of the students escape the Camp, life becomes even more difficult as the soliders buckle down and become even more brutal. The students and their teacher have to do things they never imagined themselves doing just to survive. But will it be enough?

Gwen is based on a real life survivor of the Weihsien Internment Camp and a testament to what optimism can do to help a person through a nearly impossible situation. I appreciated this story because it chronicles a time and place during the war that is not usually talked about.

I am a huge fan of WWII era fiction and nonfiction, but surprisingly I had never read much of anything about the Asian continent during the war. I was really surprised to learn about the internment camps and look forward to reading more about them. Thus I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to read this ARC by Netgalley. It is mid grade historic fiction told from the perspective of Gwen, a 13 year old daughter of an American missionary who has been interned since the Japanese took over her school upon invading China. She and her classmates are under the watchful eye of their teacher and Girl Guide Leader, Miss E, who encourages them to follow by the Guide Law in order to keep their spirits high. She is reminded me a bit of Mary Poppins, unerringly positive and practically perfect in every way. About halfway in we see some cracks in this facade which shows us just how strong of a woman she really is. I really liked the idea of this book but overall it felt a bit rushed and incomplete. Some might chock that up to being for younger readers but to me it felt like maybe the author was in a rush to meet her deadline. I would have liked more closure in regard to Matthew as well as what happened after the Americans liberated the camp. The story hinted at some discord or disconnect with Gwen’s parents so I would have loved to see them reunite before the finish of the book. A good effort but it needs more.

I wasn't sure about this one at first, because I'm not all that familiar with this particular part of history. However, it was very well written and appropriate for middle schoolers. It showed the bad parts without being graphic or overbearing. It concentrated on the positive and teaching life lessons. It included true stories from real people, and incorporated Christian principles without being a 'preachy' story. I would definitely incorporate this into my classroom when doing a unit on China, Japan, or World War 2. It provides another aspect to the concentration camp element of history.