did i read this just because it was short and i could fit it in before the month ended? maybe.

but it’s poignant and compelling for the middle grade/younger readers, in the same way that Anne Frank’s diary was for me as a kid, telling the story of a girl in a world far more corrupted and unsafe and terrifying than any kid should ever experience. (this one is set in the dominican republic and is based on the author’s own life!)

also… did anyone else go through a major world war two reading phase as a kid? i read SO MUCH about the holocaust and survivors and that time period, which seems bizarre looking back??? but also i’m grateful for the awareness and empathy those stories instilled in me at a young age ❤️‍