Uprising

by Jennifer A. Nielsen Narrated by Gail Shalan

Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg, Jennifer A. Nielsen inspires listeners with a brand-new thriller based on the remarkable true story of a young Polish girl who bravely fought, participating in the Warsaw city uprising, and took a stand in the name of freedom.

Twelve-year-old Lidia is outside her grandfather's house when planes fly overhead, bearing the Nazi cross on each wing. Before the bombs hit the ground, Lidia realizes her life is about to change forever. Poland has fallen under German occupation, and her father makes the brave decision to join the Polish army to fight against the Nazis. Lidia wants to follow him into war, but she's far too young, and she's needed by her mother and brother.

After her family returns to Warsaw, where life has changed irrevocably, Lidia continues to play the piano, finding comfort in Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven. But she also wants to aid the Jewish people held captive in the Warsaw Ghetto. With the help of a friend, Lidia begins to smuggle wheat and food into the ghetto. Still, she feels like she could be doing so much more. She wants to fight. After her brother joins the resistance, Lidia wants only to follow in his footsteps. Soon, she begins to work as a courier, smuggling weapons and messages for the resistance throughout the city.

When the Warsaw city uprising begins-one year after the more well-known Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Polish Jews-with gunfire and bombs echoing throughout the streets, Lidia joins the Polish nationalists' fight, too, and she and her peers fight with everything they've got. Life will continue to surprise Lidia, as she and the resistance fighters do their best to defeat the German soldiers. No matter the consequences, they're willing to defend their freedom and their homes from the Nazi invaders-even with their lives.

Drawing on the extraordinary real-life story of Polish teenager Lidia Zakrzewski, bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen presents an inspiring and dramatic account of the Polish resistance fighters who struggled to force out their Nazi occupiers and reclaim their nation's freedom from tyranny.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Uprising:

* "A riveting, seamless combination of fact and historical fiction." —School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for Lines of Courage:

"A powerful, absorbing story that shines a light on an often overlooked chapter in human history." — Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

Praise for Words on Fire:

* "Gripping... Audra's story deserves a place on the shelf next to Lois Lowry's Number the Stars and Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief." — Booklist, starred review

"[This] adventure about a little-known place and time... delivers action and suspense." — Kirkus Reviews

"There is much on offer in this novel: family love, patriotism, magic, and the importance of books... Highly recommended." — School Library Connection

Praise for Resistance:

A Sydney Taylor Notable Book

"The edge-of-your-seat climax places readers amidst the gritty, horrifying street battles of the Warsaw Ghetto and pays tribute to those who sacrificed themselves so others would live... Historical fiction at its finest, this informs, enlightens, and engages young readers." — School Library Journal

"Highlight[s] moments of resistance via cinematic action sequences." — Kirkus Reviews

"Suspense mounts continually as Chaya survives her ordeals, gaining strength and faith in her mission. The courage and self-sacrifice of many characters is inspiring." — Publishers Weekly

"Fast-paced and suspenseful." — School Library Connection

Praise for A Night Divided:

ILA-CBC Children's Choices List selection

"Absorbing and deeply suspenseful, with plenty of ticking-clock tension... an eye-opening glimpse of history." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A marvelously crafted historical novel about courage, perseverance and the will to survive, A Night Divided excels in every regard." — Reading Eagle

"Distinct supporting characters... demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story... The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page." — School Library Journal

"History buffs will drool over the magnificently told tale, but even reluctant readers will become immersed in the tension-filled exploits." — Voice of Youth Advocates

"Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger." — Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Ascendance Trilogy:

A New York Times Notable Children's Book

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

A Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's Book

A Cybils Award Winner

* "An impressive, promising story." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] pageturner." — New York Times Book Review

"Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel." — The Wall Street Journal

"A swashbuckling origin story..." — Los Angeles Times

"A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up." — School Library Journal

"Gripping." — Kirkus Reviews

"Should appeal to fans of... Suzanne Collins... [A] surefire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense." — The Horn Book

School Library Journal

★ 06/21/2024

Gr 5 Up—Nielsen brings to life the true story of Lidia Durr, who grows from sheltered girl into fearless spy as Germany ravages Poland and her Warsaw home during WWII. From the moment the first bombs fall in September 1939, 12-year-old Lidia wants to help defend her country. Spanning more than five years, the first-person narrative captures Lidia's fierce commitment to the resistance and why she was willing to jeopardize her life more than 70 times. Details of Lidia's love for the piano, her brother Ryszard, and her complicated relationship with her mother show her vulnerable side and serve as a reminder that while the genre is historical fiction, the Lidia in the novel is based on a real person, a teenage girl. Written from Poland's perspective on the war, Lidia challenges the Allies' failure to defend her country from Germany—and from Russia—offering readers a different understanding of geopolitics and how those issues are relevant today. The extended climax focuses on the 1944 Warsaw City Uprising; wartime action drives the plot, but characters and dialogue carry the novel's emotional weight. Brief back matter includes photos of Lidia, her family, and the final stories of the people who readers will have come to care about over the course of the novel. VERDICT A riveting, seamless combination of fact and historical fiction; recommended for all middle grade collections.—Marybeth Kozikowski

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-05
A fictionalized account of a real-life Polish resistance fighter.

Talented pianist Lidia is just 12 when the Nazis invade Poland, and her whole life is abruptly upended. With their home bombed and then claimed by the Germans and Papa gone to join the Polish army, the Christian Durr family relocates to a crowded apartment adjacent to Warsaw’s Jewish quarter. At the mercy of their occupiers, Lidia helplessly watches family, friends, and strangers suffer cruelty and injustice. Desperate to fight back, she finds ways to rebel, like enrolling in an underground school and sneaking food to people in the ghetto. Her brother, Ryszard, is maddeningly tight-lipped about his mysterious work for the resistance, but Lidia eventually finds her own path to participating in the uprising. Once admitted into the circle of those planning Operation Tempest, Lidia—code name Cello—quickly rises in the ranks, thanks to her bravery and willingness to take on the most dangerous assignments. Ferrying everything from messages to grenades across the war-torn city, Lidia hopes for liberation but fears that the world has forgotten Warsaw. Although the true story that inspired this novel is compelling, Nielsen’s characters are one-dimensional, and they populate a landscape that never seems to truly come to life. Furthermore, major tragedies lack sufficient setup and execution to elicit the intended emotional gut punch in readers.

An unremarkable addition to the already crowded field of World War II fiction. (photos, author’s note) (Historical fiction. 9-13)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160278667
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	762,748
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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