{"id":7168,"date":"2021-01-13T21:59:49","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T21:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/?p=7168"},"modified":"2022-04-12T20:19:29","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T20:19:29","slug":"traitors-among-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calla.com\/wordpress\/traitors-among-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Traitors Among Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Originally from Ukraine, Maria and her older sister Krystia have made it through separate ordeals during World War II and are now back together again. They cannot believe their luck: Hitler is dead, and the war has ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, they are not as safe as they thought. As the sisters settle into their shared bunk with other exhausted refugees in the Displaced Persons camp, a familiar girl steps through the door, claiming to be Bianka, a Polish forced laborer who worked on a farm with Maria during the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria is outraged. This girl is not Bianka, but Sophie Huber, an enthusiastic member of the League of German Girls. She’s a Hitler Girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Maria can turn her in, Sophie claims that Krystia and Maria are Nazis, and the Soviet soldiers don’t seem to be terribly particular about whom they’re taking. The girls are taken away, now in a danger they never imagined. Will they be able to prove their innocence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2605 \u201cThis is ultimately a story of the strength of the human spirit. Krystia and Maria are survivors, and they never give up, drawing strength from remembering their parents\u2019 belief in them as they struggle to stay alive. Gripping, harsh, and superbly written<\/strong>.\u201d \u2013 KIRKUS<\/em>, starred review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Ukrainian-Canadian author has based her story on family members who gave their lives to free Ukraine from tyrannies of the right and left in the 1940s. Told from the alternating points of view of Krystia and Maria, this novel for older middle grade is well-paced, with an economy of description that conveys setting without slowing down the action<\/strong>.\u201d \u2013 HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA sophisticated <\/strong>approach to storytelling \u2026 Nuanced<\/strong> \u2026 Morality and the intricacies of geo-politics are among the themes in this fast-moving suspense novel which will have young readers racing through it<\/strong> to find out if, with all odds against them, the sisters can escape their captors. The novel is a good example of what some people call \u2018edu-tainment,\u2019 teaching important lessons and at the same time entertaining restless young readers<\/strong>.\u201d \u2013 SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPowerful, heart-wrenching<\/strong> historical fiction that takes place right after WWII. Heart-pounding action<\/strong> as the sisters learn that they need to rely on each other in order to survive being held by Soviet troops. A very satisfying<\/strong> addition to other Scholastic books in the Making Bombs for Hitler<\/em> trilogy.\u201d \u2013 YOUNG ADULT BOOKS CENTRAL<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSkrypuch has a talent for middle-grade writing. Her ability to set a scene and create tension is admirable, and it makes for exciting reading<\/strong>. Traitors Among Us<\/em> is a high-stakes<\/strong> look at the \u2018after\u2019 part of World War II \u2026 Traitors Among Us<\/em> is a fast-paced read that will appeal to a wide cross section of readers<\/strong>.\u201d \u2013 CRACKING THE COVER<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA fascinating <\/strong>read \u2026 A harrowing<\/strong> tale of the often overlooked war refugees that were stuck in Soviet areas \u2026 A must-read<\/strong> for children who wish to learn more about the people who were focused on putting their lives back together post-WWII.\u201d \u2013 THIS BLISS LIFE<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From The Children’s War<\/a> review: I started Traitors Among Us<\/em> one evening and sat up until about 3:30 AM reading to the end, because I couldn’t put it down and needed to know what Krystia and Maria’s fate was going to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From CanlitforlittleCanadians<\/a>, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch<\/strong> [is] a master storyteller … [who] takes us to those war-torn countries to travel with the girls as they walk dusty roads with thousands of refugees, toil on farms, hide from dangerous people, and find and offer support, even as they endure hunger, cold, fear and uncertainty. Every atmospheric scene is one of edge-of-your-seat nerves, worry that the next ally they make may not be one, shock at executions witnessed, and solace from a sisterly bond and fleeting memories of home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTraitors Among Us\u201d is exciting and easy to read. The moral decisions the girls face are interesting enough that adults can also enjoy the book. This excellent novel is a great choice for parent\/child discussion groups. Off the Shelf, Rabbi Rachel Esserman<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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