The Silver Sword

When their parents both get taken away to the camps, a family of three children manage to survive for three years of WWII in a bombed-out cellar in Warsaw before learning that their father had escaped and sent word to them via another young war orphan to try to meet him in Switzerland. So they set out with their new young friend in tow to make the long trek to a new home, facing perils and meeting with helpful folk along the way.

This is one of the better middle grade books about children during the war within the subset of not-too-horrific, kiddos-with-gumption stories. It's not too saccharine and still hints at the horrors of the war, which makes for an easy, uncomplicated read. Recommended if you like this sort of thing (and I do).

I read this when I was about 10, as I played Joseph in the Windsor Arts Club Junior Drama production. Apart from 2 or 3 bits, I didn't remember most of the events in the story. It's interesting in that so much of the book takes place after the end of the war - it shows the allied occupation, and how the different countries managed their sectors (I don't want to overplay this though - it's interesting, but it isn't one of the major parts of the book).

The structure of the book is quite interesting - it feels like a bunch of vignettes, rather than having an overarching narrative. You could drop one of the sections, without it significantly affecting the narrative. Still, it is a fascinating story, very evocative of the broken Europe left show more after World War 2. show less

I read this book over 7 years ago and found it to be incredible. When reading this book one can expect to go on a rollercoster of emotions. The suspense and the action in the sotry adds a great sense of drama to the novel. Overall an amazing read.

I remember reading this book a very long time ago; like, maybe 15 years ago (Before any of you say anything, 15 years ago is a long time for me, when you remember that I’m only 24 years old). The copy I have at home is quite old, and if you remember my review of Ben Hur, then you can imagine how old this is. The pages are brittle, the writing looks like it was done on a typewriter, and there’s one of my family member’s initials in dark fountain pen ink on the front page.

The story is about a family, the Balickis, who are a Polish family living in Warsaw when the war breaks out. Because of circumstances beyond their control, the whole family – three children, father, and mother – are all separated from each other. The story show more mostly follows the children on their wacky adventures through war-torn Europe as they try to find their way back to their parents, not even knowing if they’re alive or not. But their unwavering hope and optimism keeps everyone going and they always find a way in the end!

I think that what adult readers of this novel have to keep in mind is that it is written for children under the age of 12. The story is very feel-good, even if they do have a lot of mishaps and problems coming their way, but you do know that they are going to be just fine in the end.

It’s a cute little family novel that does well in introducing children to the severity of World War II, and what the real situation was for a lot of families during that time – separation, not being able to contact each other, death, and illness. It’s all in the book, and it’s all tied up with a nice little ribbon made of happy endings at the end.

Final rating: if this is for a child below the age of 12, then definitely a 4/5. The writing is very babyish but I’m sure that a child would enjoy it more than an adult would. show less

A fast-paced children's adventure that doesn't shirk describing realities of its time - World War II Poland and Germany. A little too young adult for my adult taste but still an enjoyable quick read.

This book has got a great rhythm to it, the chapters are the perfect size & the action is well paced. I appreciated the balance of discussing the impact of war in a way which was honest & informative, but also not too upsetting for younger readers.

What also struck me is that it hasn't really aged. Yes, there are a couple of twee sayings in it, but on the whole it could have been written yesterday.

I enjoyed it as an adult reader, it was one of those books I wish I'd discovered when I was younger. I'll definitely be keeping it for my son to read in a couple of years.

Another childhood favorite is "The Silver Sword", which I recently reread. The story is based upon true events from World War II, mainly taking place in Poland, but especially in Warsaw.

Three Polish children find themselves on their own and struggling just to survive after both of their parents are forcibly taken away by Nazi soldiers. Ruth, about 13 years old, is thrust into adulthood in order to care for her younger brother Edek and baby sister Bronia, as well as other orphaned children living in the rubble of war-torn Warsaw.

There is a real 'ring' of authenticity to this book: the characters are believable, even rascally Jan, the pickpocket/thief/guardian who accepts Ruth as a substitute for his own long-lost mother, a woman he show more cannot even recall.

I have reread this several times, and will keep a copy of the book on my shelves, for a future reread. show less