Stolen Girl

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Overview

A companion to Making Bombs for Hitler and The War Below, this novel follows a Ukrainian girl who was kidnapped as a child to be raised by a Nazi family.

Nadia is haunted by World War II. Her memories of the war are messy, coming back to her in pieces and flashes she can't control. Though her adoptive mother says they are safe now, Nadia's flashbacks keep coming.Sometimes she remembers running, hunger, and isolation. But other times she remembers living with a German family, and attending big rallies where she was praised for her light hair and blue eyes. The puzzle pieces don't quite fit together, and Nadia is scared by what might be true. Could she have been raised by Nazis? Were they her real family? What part did she play in the war?What Nadia finally discovers about her own history will shock her. But only when she understands the past can she truly face her future.Inspired by startling true events, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch delivers a gripping and poignant story of one girl's determination to uncover her truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338233063
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	234,974
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

MARSHA FORCHUK SKRYPUCH is a Ukrainian Canadian author acclaimed for her nonfiction and historical fiction, including Making Bombs for Hitler (Faire des bombes pour Hitler), The War Below (Soldat clandestin), Stolen Child (Enfant volée,et), and Don't Tell the Enemy (Ne dis rien l'ennemi). Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario, and you can visit her online at www.calla.com.

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Read an Excerpt

When it is my turn, Mutter tugs at my hair and braids it up more tightly than she needs to. "There," she says with a cold edge in her voice. She hands me the mirror. "Don't you look lovely?"The face that looks back at me is the same one as always. I never think of myself as lovely.A long black car with a small swastika flag on each side of the hood idles in the driveway as we walk outside. A uniformed man opens the back door. Mutter gets in first, then Eva, then me. The upholstery is lush black leather that gleams from a fresh buffing. The car door is closed with a firm click and we speed away.It takes half an hour of fast driving to get into the city. The streets narrow. Our driver slows down so we can wave to the blocks and blocks of cheering crowds.When we get within walking distance of the stage, the car stops. Soldiers push the crowd away so we can get out, and then they lead us to the steps on the side of the stage. Most of the chairs are taken by Nazi officers, but there are a few other mothers and children as well. We take our spots in the front row, behind the podium.The crowd roars as another long black car pulls up. When the führer steps out, the crowd goes wild. Vater gets out of the car just behind the führer.The crowd chants "Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler!" as the führer steps onto the stage, but it is as if he doesn't notice. He walks up to me and crouches down until we are eye level. He is so close to me that I can see his nose hair and smell the slightly spicy scent of his hair pomade."What a perfect specimen of Aryan youth you are, my dear," he says, pinching my cheek. I smile. What else can I do? Vater stands behind the führer, bursting with pride, but Eva looks like she is about to cry and Mutter's lips are a thin white line.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Stolen Girl: "A gripping exploration of war-induced trauma, identity, and transformation." — Kirkus Reviews"In addition to helping children understand conditions that immigrants face in current times, this stands as a deeply personal, relatable study of the long-term psychological effects of war on children, making it a useful addition to a Holocaust or World War II curriculum." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Filled with historical detail, it highlights a forgotten and horrifying aspect of WWII . . . A fascinating, compelling read." — Booklist"This is a strong addition to World War II historical fiction collections, shining a light on a little-known aspect of the Nazi regime's insidious programs." — School Library JournalPraise for Making Bombs for Hitler: "A gripping story that asks: What would you do to survive?" — Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Prisoner B-3087 "Inspired by real, historical accounts, this is a powerful, harrowing story of transformation." — Booklist"Skrypuch draws on real-life stories of survivors in telling Lida's poignant tale, and she creates a cast of young people who are devoted to one another in both thought and deed... A well-told story of persistence, lost innocence, survival, and hope." — Kirkus Reviews"The story [has a] strong undercurrent of friendship and loyalty; an author's note gives further background on this important piece of history." — Publishers Weekly "Students will admire Lida's pluck amid such heinous conditions . . . An absorbing read about the lesser-known Ukrainian experience during World War II, this is a solid choice for curricular ties and for middle school historical fiction collections." — School Library Journal "Skrypuch has written a gripping, emotional novel of one Ukrainian girl's perseverance during the horrors of war . . . This is a vivid picture of what youth experienced during World War II and the hopelessness of displaced populations of all backgrounds and religions." — Voice of Youth AdvocatesPraise for The War Below: "The subject matter is powerful and grows occasionally quite intense. A page-turning window into a complex piece of World War II history." — Kirkus Reviews"Skrypuch offers a compelling, visceral novel of survival that provides an unusual view of the war and the almost legendary Ukrainian Insurgent Army. . . the suspenseful story carries the reader along to its satisfying conclusion." — Booklist"This story, full of numerous acts of compassion and valor, sheds welcome light on a less familiar battleground of World War II." — Publishers Weekly"A riveting read." — YA Books Central

From the Publisher

Winter 2018

Gr 4–8—In 1950, 12-year-old Nadia emigrates from Europe to Canada and lives with people she's been instructed to call Mama and Papa. Nadia knows these are not her parents; she doesn't know why she's with them, but they've promised to keep her safe. Periodically, she has fragments of memories: living in a large house, speaking German (though she knows Ukrainian is her first language), being unhappy and afraid despite being well fed and cared for. She's blonde and blue-eyed and is teased by classmates who call her "Hitler girl." With only foggy memories of her life before Canada, she's afraid she was a Nazi—she even remembers meeting Hitler. With patient support from her adoptive parents, her memories grow clearer and she comes to understand her history. Excellent back matter about the Lebensborn program, a Nazi plan to increase the Aryan population, gives context to Nadia's story. The narrative is clear and straightforward, staying focused on the pain and confusion of Nadia's journey. The secondary characters are fleshed out just enough to make the story work, each serving to frame Nadia's experience. VERDICT This is a strong addition to World War II historical fiction collections, shining a light on a little-known aspect of the Nazi regime's insidious programs.—Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, Oakland, CA

School Library Journal

2018-10-28

A 12-year-old Ukrainian girl arrives in Canada after World War II and struggles to make sense of her jumbled memories of battle-scarred Germany.

After five years in a displaced persons camp, Nadia Kravchuk arrives in Brantford, Ontario, accompanied by her adoptive mother, Marusia. When Nadia's fellow classmates are convinced by her blonde hair and blue eyes that she is a Nazi, Marusia repeatedly assures Nadia that's not the case. Eventually, Nadia safely relives her trauma in order to solve the puzzle of who she really is—not Nadia Kravchuk nor Gretchen Himmel, the German identity she assumed to survive, but someone else entirely…Larissa, the younger sister of Lida, the protagonist of Skrypuch's Making Bombs for Hitler (2016). The author once again deftly sheds light on lesser-known aspects of the Ukrainian experience during WWII. Via flashbacks and nightmares, she gradually fleshes out Nadia's painful history of abduction from her original family and subsequent placement in a German household. As further explained in the author's note, this was part of the Lebensborn program, an effort to identify and mark blond and blue-eyed Ukrainian children as Aryans and force them to live with Nazi families in order to augment the building of a master race.

A gripping exploration of war-induced trauma, identity, and transformation. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews