I am David (1963)

The story follows young David from his life in a eastern European concentration camp to freedom, traveling through Italy, Switzerland, Germany to Denmark. Despite the rigors of life in a prison concentration camp, abandoned by his mother and seeing his only friend die, David is a kind person by nature who feels compelled to help people without asking for anything in return, although he does not consciously know all the time that by doing so, he is performing acts of kindness. His valiant effort in saving a young Italian girl from a fire was truly heroic, but he has trouble overcoming the damage inflicted by the prison guards/life. ( )

Match found in the German National Library.

Reading children's books as an adult is always so interesting. I love how Holm preserved his childhood innocence while maintaining the reality that David grew up in concentration camp and saw things no boy should have. The book was expertly written and I am glad I finally took the opportunity to read it. ( )

Simultaneously a heart-rending and uplifting story about a twelve-year-old boy helped to escape from a concentration camp, with the barest of instructions on how to make his solitary way through several countries to get to Denmark. His trials and triumphs, his appreciation for the beauty around him, his longing for freedom and love, all make this a very poignant story. Anne Holm writes with such heart. ( )

A 12-year-old boy escapes from a concentration camp and makes his way north to Denmark.
This one is tough on the feels, folks; although at times I was irritated at the boy, my heart was breaking for him throughout the story. It felt like a [[John Boyne]] novel, but not quite so well written, and the ending was way too abrupt. ( )