Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker, Night War. pgs. 288, Penguin Random House, 2024

Set in 1942 Nazi-occupied France, Miriam Schreiber is a 12-year-old German Jew who fled Kristallnacht in Berlin. When all of the Jews in her neighborhood are rounded up, Miriam gets separated from her parents. At the urging her neighbor, Madam Rosenbaum, Miriam escapes with Mrs. Rosenbaum’s baby, Nora. The duo saved by a Catholic Nun. Nora is placed with a catholic family while Miriam is sent to a Catholic school. Miriam tries to fit in with the students at her school while secretly planning how to escape with Nora. Taken on outings to a nearby castle, Miriam discovers the castle borders the unoccupied area of France. Will Miriam find a way to balance her convictions with playing it safe? Who is the lady that she keeps seeing?

The plot is engaging, well developed, and filled with suspense and action. The characters are likable, realistic, and draw the reader into Miriam’s world. The mix of paranormal and historical fiction blend well together. Fans of the author, historical fiction, and magical realism will enjoy reading this book. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Grades 3 through 8.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

I enjoyed this story a lot. I think it'll be accessible to students new to learning about WWII and will also be a hit with fans of the author's previous works. It had everything: adventure, history, and just a touch of the supernatural. I will be adding this to my library's collection.

I am struggling to review this book. As a Jewish person with family ties to the Holocaust, I think Holocaust education is so important. I know there were many “underground railroads” to get Jews out of various countries and know this book is based on one of those.

My issue comes back to this: Holocaust books should not be written by non-Jews. Full stop. It is gross to me that non-Jews are profiting off Jewish trauma.

I decided to read this book so I could form a real opinion of this book and below are my thoughts.

I liked Miri as a character and even some of the other supporting characters. However, I feel like this book focused more on “oh look how nice these non Jews are”. Were there people to saved and cared for non-Jews? For sure. But the amount of books about people who were deemed “righteous amongst nations” outnumber the actual amount of people who helped their Jewish neighbours.

Another thing that bothered me is the Hebrew prayers written out in the book. There are certain words in Judaism so holy that they should not be written out. And they were right there on the page. A non-Jew using our holy words didn’t sit right with me.

Lastly, one of the girls refer to Jews as “dirty foreign Jews”. In a kids book, especially considering the rise in Jew hatred, I do not think this line was necessary and actually found it quite offensive, especially considering the author.

Finally, while I understand it was a kids book, the ending just did not do justice to the horror and scale of the Holocaust. It seemed too tidy considering how many stories I know and have heard.

While this story does showcase some of the history about this one part of the Holocaust, overall I do not think I can recommend this book in good conscience due to everything I mentioned above.

I loved the author's previous books and so had high hopes for this one. Also, the class I work in is currently learning about World War II and I am always on the lookout for new books to share with them. I was therefore very keen to get approved for this book and it has not disappointed. The story is of Miri, a young Jewish girl, who manages to avoid the Vel d'Hiv roundup and escapes with the young child of a family friend. Miri ends up in a Catholic school, where she has to work hard to fit in alongside the Catholic girls there and increasingly finds herself in more and more challenging situations.

There was a point, around two thirds in, where a revelation almost put me off but I think that the way I chose to interpret it, made it ok. I don't want to give anything away so won't say more, other than if you get to a point and think this maybe isn't for you, keep going!

I would have also liked to read a bit more about what happened after the final chapter. Things are neatly tied up.in the epilogue but I'd like to know how things got there. I am hoping for a sequel!

Wow! Kimberley Brubaker Bradley has knocked another one out of the park!
Young Miriam is Jewish, as are many people in her small French village. In 1942, life is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous for Jews, due to the Nazi occupation. When a roundup occurs that separates Miriam from everyone she knows and loves, she must do everything in her power to remain alive and stay brave, as her father always told her to be. Can she be brave enough to help others who are in even more danger than she is herself?…
The author’s notes at the end were excellent. This book needs to be used in classrooms today, to show young people that they can make a difference in their world.

Poignant and timely this book was wonderful and heartbreaking. So perfectly timed for our world right now. Focused on the Jewish population of France during the occupation of WWII. This is a group you don't hear much about, it was very interesting and while all the characters are fictional the major events actually took place. So needed for our world and the hate being shone to multiple cultures and ethnicities around our world today.

A riveting story of a young Jewish girl living in Paris as the Nazi's take over separating her from her family and leaving her responsible for a neighbor's toddler. Miri, now called Marie, ends up in a Catholic boarding school in the country near a famous chateau but toddler Nora has been given to a family to adopt. With the help of a quick thinking nun Miri becomes part of an underground operation to move Jews to safety. She is trapped by wanting to do the right thing but also wanting to collect Nora cross the bridge and find their families. There is an interesting side story of a helpful mysterious older woman at the chateau that adds to the history of the area. The author does an outstanding job of conveying the danger they all faced and the many moral dilemmas as well as hard choices keeping it in the middle school level. Freedom lies just on the other side of the river but at what cost. The author's other WWII books were informative and heartfelt and this one is no exception. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This was an incredibly powerful WW2 story. I cannot imagine living during that time. This showcases the incredible amount of bravery young people had to have during this time. I was a little hesitant when I read that it had a mystical twist. I wasn’t 100% sure what that meant and how that could work in a historical fiction, but it was so creatively and wonderfully done without taking away from the actual story and intense history.

I knew after only a few chapters that this book would be just as good as "The War That Saved My Life." I decided to read it out loud with my daughter, and after only a couple of nights I was regretting that choice ONLY because I wanted to read the story straight through. In the end, I'm glad I chose to read it out loud in small chunks because I was able to really savor and appreciate the story that way.

It's rare to find a middle grade World War 2 novel with as much as heart, tension, and rich detail as I found in The Night War. The most impressive parts to me were the ones that created an opening for my eleven-year-old daughter and I to talk about religion, diversity, prejudice, kindness and true friendship. I loved how the characters in this book have to overcome their own prejudices to see that although their friend might have a different belief system, they CAN still respect, love, and serve one another.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review. I will be adding this one to our home library and I highly recommend it!

"The Night War" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley intricately weaves a tale of resilience and hope amidst the backdrop of a tumultuous period in history. Set during World War II, this middle-grade novel manages to capture the essence of a dark era with both grace and sensitivity.

Bradley's prose is beautiful, drawing readers into the lives of her characters with imagery and emotion.

What sets "The Night War" apart is its ability to tackle complex themes in a manner accessible to both children and adults.

As a middle-grade novel, "The Night War" offers valuable insights into history while also serving as a poignant reminder of the power of resilience. Bradley's characters are authentic and relatable, making their triumphs and tribulations all the more impactful.

“The Night War" is a beautifully written book that sheds light on an ugly period of history. Its universal themes of courage, friendship, and hope make it a must-read for children and adults alike. Bradley's storytelling prowess shines through, leaving a lasting impression on readers long after they've turned the final page.

Set in 1942, Jewish Miri’s family have fled to Paris but are caught up in Nazi sweeps that leave Miri separated from her parents, homeless, and caring for a toddler neighbor. The two are separated and Miri is sent to is sent to a convent school, where she discovers that two nuns are secretly helping to smuggle Jews across the border.

This is an unexpected take on a historical fiction novel written for middle school age students, It shows how people stepped up to do impossible or unlikely things because they knew it was the morally right thing to do.

Librarian's verdict: Exciting addition to the Historical Fiction collection; recommended for ages 12-14.

I love this author and this book is the opposite of an exception. This book gives a broader perspective to something that many people know of, but not about.

Another riveting, thought-provoking historical fiction story from Bradley that kept me reading past my bedtime. I appreciated her twist on making a certain historical figure come alive for the main character (and the reader), as well as the well-rounded, authentic characters who grappled with difficult decisions during WWII. Highly recommend!

This was another excellent historical fiction from Bradley - this time with a little bit of magic. As the Second World War ramps up, Miriam's Jewish neighborhood is rounded up by the French police and forced to house at the Veledrome before being sent to concentration camps throughout Europe. Miriam is able to escape with a neighbor's baby and rescued by a nun watching the roundup. She is quickly sent away to a Catholic boarding school in the Loire Valley and is forced to answer to the name Marie. The school is close to the Chateau de Chenonceau, the last place of escape to "free" (Vichy) France from the Nazi-occupied zone. Marie inadvertently becomes a guide to the chateau for those looking to leave when the nun who usually ferries them to safety is injured. On her first night she is saved from capture by a mysterious old woman in black, who Marie assumes to be the current owner of the chateau's mother, but is in fact the ghost of Catherine de' Medici, the Queen of France from the fourteenth century. While Catherine wants Miriam to focus on restoring her gardens, Miriam can think of nothing more than finding her young neighbor and escaping to Switzerland where she hopes to reunite with her family. However what Miriam is doing is dangerous and she is not sure who she can trust. She will also begin to question what she believes and begin to realize that not everything is as it seems. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to learn about history and would like to expand their understanding of France during World War II and beyond.

I am not that targeted audience for this book, and as much as I do enjoy middle grade I think that did affect my rating. However I did find this to be interesting, and I didn't ever feel like it was too slow. The author did a great job with pacing and making this an interesting read

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Wow, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley does it again! I was so excited about this book after enjoying “The War That Saved My Life.” She has a riveting way of storytelling that I love as an adult and I know I also would have devoured as a child. Her author’s note showed how much research she put into this book which I always love to see in historical fiction. I found myself looking things up frequently throughout my reading process to learn more about this little slice of WWII history. The only thing I was left wondering was the meaning behind the title…would love to hear from Kimberly why she chose it. Highly recommend this 5 ⭐️

It is clear to see why Bradley is a celebrated author with some impressive awards to her name. The Night War should undoubtedly bring her more accolades. The story takes no time to become action-packed, keeping even an adult reader's attention throughout. The perspective of a Jewish girl in occupied France was a new one amongst the many WWII books out there. I was anxious to hear where Miriam would head next, and the many characters and history lessons throughout didn't disappoint. My next objective is researching more from this point of view, and the many Jews captured during that time, especially children. I found myself googling the Chenonceau Castle, as well as Catherine de Midici to see pictures and learn more. And finally on to read some more Bradley books!

Great story! I have loved all the books she has written! Wonderful story, with some tears as well. Interesting spin on a World War II Holocaust storyline, that kept the reader wondering how the ending would be.