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El niño que no quería morir (Castellano - JUVENIL - PARALELO CERO)

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En el verano de 1944, Peter y su familia emprenden un viaje que se convierte en una aventura inolvidable, al menos desde la perspectiva de un niñ duermen en una tienda de campaña o a cielo abierto, exploran una fábrica abandonada, cazan mariposas, etcétera. Pero, de pronto, a las afueras de Viena caen las bombas y Peter comprende que en realidad está viviendo una pesadilla. Cuando él y sus padres llegan a un campo de concentración, los horrores que han tratado de evitarle resultan imposibles de ocultar. Sin embargo, pese a afrontar pérdidas tremendas y dificultades indescriptibles, Peter y su madre no se nunca dejarán de intentar volver a casa. La extraordinaria historia real de uno de los últimos supervivientes de Bergen-Belsen que aún viven.

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2024

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435 people want to read

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Peter Lantos

7 books3 followers

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5 stars
194 (44%)
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150 (34%)
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71 (16%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Sophie Breese.
451 reviews83 followers
August 19, 2025
A very powerful memoir for children about Lantos’ actual experience in the war as a Jewish child deported with his family from Hungary to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Although he had already written a memoir for adults, apparently he wanted children to know the story too so we don’t forget what humans are capable of. It was a 9 year old who recommended it to me and now I need to talk to her about it. I found it very upsetting and very graphic: I would hesitate recommending it to young children. She told me it was one of her favourite books ever. Apparently it is for 9-11 year olds according to its publisher.

I was utterly compelled but I had to stop reading for a while because it was not something - for me - to listen to late at night. I finished most of it yesterday in the day.

Ultimately it is a survival story and researching Lantos’s life in the UK later on, I saw that he went on to be a highly lauded medical researcher in the UK, only coming to writing after retiring.
Profile Image for Cherlynn | cherreading.
2,128 reviews1,006 followers
April 16, 2023
Finished in one sitting!

This middle-grade novel set during the Holocaust is based on the author's own childhood and hence reads like a memoir. Having Peter's POV as a Jewish living in Hungary, an ally of Germany during WWII that was later invaded, was illuminating. I was on tenterhooks while following his journey (both literal and metaphorical). Despite the horrors of war, there are also moments of good and kindness that stuck out to me, as much as the book broke my heart.

I definitely recommend this book. Stories like Peter's need to be told over and over again so that we never forget history.
Profile Image for Lucas.
Author 6 books22 followers
February 4, 2023
Completely devastating, hard to comprehend it, but I couldn’t stop reading.
Profile Image for Carolyn Scarcella.
441 reviews30 followers
September 17, 2023
This book I’ve brought and been reading today is called “The boy who didn’t want to die” written by Peter Lantos. Astonishingly, this book will stay with me for a long time. This account is beautifully, unsentimentally written. It is written in very simple language, describes some tragic events in the child's life, yet is optimistic about the future showing how it is possible to rise from the most awful experiences and go forward. Peter was only five years old who do not understand why it is a war just invade Hungary, he could not understand at all at first then he realises that this adventure has turned really a nightmare. He Is originally from Hungary, a small town that called Mako, in the southeast Hungary. Peter is now 83 years old, he stated “a few holocaust survivors, like him are probably the last generation to survive and to tell the stories”. I liked the story of Peter, a very young and innocent child, who experiences the horrors of Bergen- Belsen. Finally, it tells you what happened to the many people mentioned in the story. Photographs are included which are deeply moving. As a result, what happened to his extended families? What happened to Peter after the war? You can decide.
Profile Image for Toni Sneddon.
51 reviews
February 4, 2023
Read this book in one day!! Been a long time since I’ve done that! I read an interview in the daily express by Peter at my work with the elderly and we were so moved just by the article, that I had to buy the book!! Worth five out of five stars. If I could give it more I would! Heartbreaking, encouraging and inspiring
Profile Image for Mrs Walsh.
852 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2023
Enjoyed this book. A difficult read hearing the things that Jewish people went through, but a good way of showing it to kids now.
Profile Image for BookBairn.
495 reviews36 followers
Read
December 12, 2023
I haven’t rated this one as I don’t want to rate someone’s real story.

Peter’s story is incredibly powerful and horrifying (though I assume much of the horror has been made child-friendly given the intended audience) and I felt like readers really follow along on his journey.

However, personally I found this fell short of the usual storytelling you’d get in children’s books. The narrator felt very ‘adult’ despite telling the viewpoint of a small child. I think what I want to say is that the narrative of the story was sacrificed for truth telling. I think fictionalising parts of this would have made it a better children’s book. However, I can see that keeping to the truth of the events is powerful in its own right. I’m just not sure it’s a better children’s book for that choice. I wonder if the author had been paired with a children’s writer this would have been a better book for children.

That’s not to say I disliked it. Or any commentary on the events that the story tells. Simply that this was a powerful and moving story that I think could have been better served. And it deserved better storytelling.
Profile Image for Alejandro Peña.
51 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2024
Es una historia que te engancha desde el principio. Muy triste de principio a fin; sin embargo, nos abre una nueva ventana para imaginarnos el horror de los campos de concentración nazi desde la perspectiva de un niño.
Profile Image for Jack Gray.
288 reviews
June 2, 2023
“While you can keep asking questions, you’re not going to die of starvation. When you stop asking, then I’ll start worrying.”
10 reviews
November 16, 2025
The Boy Who Didn’t Want To Die - Peter Lantos
Genre - Autobiography
Category - Non fiction autobiography

This book reflects the loss of childhood in times of war. The main character who was five at the time had to grow up too fast and had his innocence replaced by awareness and fear in this period of time. Peter Lantos highlights the brutal reality that in the camps, he says that childhood becomes a liability: “War pushed childhood aside; I learned to act older than I was, because being a child offered no protection.” We learned from this quote that being a kid is no longer safe. It shows the practical necessity of maturity for survival. I think the author wanted to show the readers that children were seen as weak so simply being a child and trying to play, have an imagination and have fun was no longer an option. Peter wanted to make the readers think what it would have been like for him and to put the readers into Peter’s shoes to feel what it was like to have your only time of innocence stripped away from you. It is like a child being pushed onto a stage before learning their lines. They are being forced to do something they can’t because they haven’t been taught and don’t want to do. But since they have to perform they try and improvise, they never get taught their lines properly. Peter Lantos explains how war steals the innocence of childhood: “Innocence faded quickly; fear taught me truths no child should have to understand.” We learn from this quote that at such a young age Peter had to learn and see these horrible and confusing things from war. It shows the emotional and psychological impact that he had to go through. I think the author wanted to show the readers that he couldn’t just be an oblivious kid, he had to face the scary reality of war and so did many other children of that time. He wanted to show that children had to try and understand this confusing time and how traumatic it would have been. His innocence replaced by awareness and fear is like a baby bird that gets pushed out of its nest before he is ready. The bird has to fight the fear and the unknown to stay alive and try its best to fly even when he doesn’t want to. This analogy highlights how war robbed him of the natural protections of youth. He had to witness and be part of it all. From the first quote we learned that Peter had to learn to live a horrible new way forcing him to forget being a child. From the second quote we learned that Peter had to witness all the horrible parts of war so his innocence was stripped from him. From both of these quotes we learn that war robs children of simply being a child, forcing them to take on responsibilities that are normally for an adult. They show how survival under extreme circumstances comes at the cost of losing childhood itself. Childhood is like a playground full of innocence and fun, while war turns it into a battlefield where enjoyment is replaced with survival and fear. A place a child would have had fun at turned into a horrifying place. This analogy also represents what is happening physically to the children in this era. Their home, a place where they would have played and built memories at, got destroyed during the second world war. Their memories and physical childhood has been destroyed and taken away. The analogy shows the physical and emotional consequences of war showing that the children were robbed of protection, innocence and the carefree experiences that define youth whether it was playing with your family at a park or having the love and safety of your family around you, it was all taken away by war.

Profile Image for whatbooknext.
1,288 reviews49 followers
April 10, 2023
At only four years old Peter Lantos could feel something changing in his life in Hungary. It's 1944, and most of his time is spent playing with his cousin Zsuzsi and enjoying the life of a well off family. As owners of a lucrative saw mill business, they have enjoyed the benefits that come with it.

But even young Peter can see that there aren't so many workers in the mill, their governess has stopped working for them, and the quality of food on the family table isn't the same.

As months pass, the timber workers all leave, Peter's dad loses his job as an accountant, and Peter is told about the war. Germany has invaded their country. He wants to know more. What does this mean? Something else he learns is why so many changes have been made in the life of his family in particular. They are Jewish and the invading forces of Germany have forced different rules upon them.

Soon they have to move to somewhere called a ghetto. At first the new house looks bigger than their own, until he learns they have to share with multiple families. Surely things can't change any more?

Then come the lines for food. No room to play. No one to play with. The soon-to-be squalor of the ghetto, and the total mind-numbing boredom of every single day that seems worse than the next.

More lining up is to come. To get onto trains and off again, only to get on another. These trains aren't passenger trains, but trains that usually move animals. With 70-80 people per carriage with no windows and only room to stand. Five year old Peter sleeps sitting up on his parent's feet as they travel for hours.

He and his mother are separated from his father when they reach Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany. There is very little food, hours spent standing in the freezing winter cold as they are counted, and counted again. Peter's mother tries to spare him from the atrocities around him, but soon there is no place to turn his head without seeing death. Peter wonders whether he will ever see his home, his big brother or his favourite cousin again.


Told in Peter's five-year-old point of view, The Boy Who Didn't Want To Die begins with the wonder of a child. He notices changes in their life, and at the mention of moving to another house, travelling on a train or spending the night in a tent, he sees it all as an adventure.

His young optimism is slowly eroded through what he sees, hears and experiences for himself. At such a young age, a brave boy is portrayed, but the hero I saw throughout this novel was his mother. From the outset she was stoic and brave, caring for her young son all as she no doubt worried for her older one. Although being able to see her husband, she watched him gradually disappear before their eyes.

It was Peter's mum who kept him alive in a concentration camp. She picked off the lice, made sure he could have any extra food she could barter for, and tried to shelter him from the worst things imaginable.

Another story of loss, grief and unimaginable horror of the Holocaust, which proves a mother's love and the power of the human spirit - even at only age five.

10+
Profile Image for Hwee Goh.
Author 22 books25 followers
July 6, 2025
Peter Lantos, born 1939, experienced his early years as a Hungarian Jew and lived to now relate his story in a graphic novel for young readers.

We begin in Mako, Hungary in 1944 where 5-yo Peter still has a somewhat normal life. Outside, he experiences slurs against him and his family, and at home, dinner is one chicken shared among seven people.

“We had no idea then that there would not be another Friday night family dinner for a very long time.”

Big brother, Gyuri, is sent to labour camp and the family never sees him ever again — an event that changes the boys’ mother forever, even as she stands strong for Peter, the surviving son.

The rest of the family narrowly miss getting on a train to Auschwitz, where half a million Hungarian Jews died, some gassed upon arrival.

We follow Peter’s heartbreaking journey “hovering between survival and hope”. First, to a ghetto, his mother saving old potatoes from pig swill. And at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Peter encounters death, starvation and a constantly-burning crematorium.

“They did not ask our names. We had become numbers.”

When liberation comes, we see lesser-known stories of a continued fight to exist when the Russians occupy the space the Germans vacated.

This starkly-illustrated and -coloured book was so immersive, involving the reader in a necessary read.

📚: @definitelybookskids
Profile Image for Booked_On_Hooked.
40 reviews
June 10, 2023
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
🔹️Genre: non fiction/war history
🔹️Age Range: 8-12
🔹️Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔹️Setting:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔹️Characters Journey:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔹️Entertainment Level:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A book that can grip you by the title can have a hard task to keep the reader invested. What a great job the author did with this story based on factual experiences.

It's a story about the author's childhood, and it describes his experience as a Jewish child, taken with his family to a concentration camp. It details his experience of being there, what it was like when the war ended, and how they tried to resume their lives before the war. Also, a nice surprise was the addition of the author's family photos at the back of the book. This made it all the more real because now you could put names to the faces.

This book is really well written. As you're reading through the book, you feel like you're there with him seeing the horror of the concentration camp through the author's eyes. He does this so well, and it doesn't feel like you're overwhelmed with the details. It reveals enough to give impact.

The story of how they were captured to being liberated was really interesting, I felt like I learnt a lot about the horrors they went through that I didn't know, and I'm grateful for that.
Profile Image for Matteo.
311 reviews
February 16, 2023
I absolutely loved this book - I absolutely love reading stories that are autobiographies and are historical books. The only books I’ve read about WW2 are ‘The Tattooist of Aushwitz’ and ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and this book trumps both of them. It was so raw and because it was his physical experiences it felt so much more real. I still cannot believe the cruelty that humans used to think was acceptable, and what kinds of methods were used. It is atrocious. I will never stop loving these kinds of books, even though they make me sick to my stomach. I hate these, but I love them too. They’re so interesting and amazing to read about.
Profile Image for Sarah Baddeley.
99 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2023
A middle grade book telling the story of Peter and his family as they attempted to survive the war as Jews from Hungary. As it's aimed at younger readers, it's very matter of fact and while it doesn't overlook the horrors, nor does it linger on them. What I particularly liked was that a fair portion of the end of the book is given over to his life and his remaining families life after the end of the war. It details the difficulties of living in a Soviet ruled country but also how they rebuilt the found success. So often, these types of books conclude with the end of the war and it was nice to see how people were able to start again afterwards.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,088 reviews52 followers
April 25, 2025
This true story of a Jewish boy who escapes from his home in Hungary during WWII is told from his childhood perspective. It really captures what it felt like for a child to go through that confusion - sometimes he felt like he was accompanying his parents on an adventure, sometimes (increasingly) he felt completely worn down, bored, and exhausted. But through it all - confusion about what was happening, why, and when it would ever end was the prevailing emotion.

I loved it - there are photos and a map at the back. This would make a great introduction to the Holocaust for young readers who don't have much background knowledge - even grade 4 and up
Profile Image for Akosua  S. Donkor.
10 reviews
March 5, 2024
Although this is like another similar book I read called 'The boy in the striped pyjamas'. Also about the terrifying autrocity that is the holocaust, they have very different endings. I hope they make a movie for this book. It will be interesting to see 👀 what they make of the interpretation.

The book is about a boys and his families journey through his childhood which is around the time of the German envasion and holocaust.
Profile Image for Anthony Frobisher.
246 reviews4 followers
February 12, 2023
An innocent's view

A heartbreaking account of a young Jewish boy and his family as they are forced to journey across Europe in the last 2 years of WW2 at the hands of the Nazi Regime. What strikes you is the appalling loss of family, childhood and innocence, written in plain child view. The tragedy Peter endures is more stark and vivid for how he portrays his experiences.
21 reviews
March 5, 2023
I loved this book! It was amazing and I enjoyed every bit of it. Parts were sad but I really enjoyed it.
It is one of my favourite books-I highly recommend! My favourite part was the whole thing but for some reason I loved the bit after the story had finished. It told me what happened next and about the family and the year they died. It was a very interesting subject to learn and read about.
Profile Image for mrs hayley mason.
100 reviews
June 13, 2023
Wow! This book is powerful beyond words. Bring to life, the real time struggles of Jews during WW2, the emotive retelling of Peter's journey had me hooked from the start. For those of us too young to have experienced war, this book is a true eye opener to the experiences of those who did and have. Thank you Peter for sharing your story.
Profile Image for Elliot.
25 reviews
July 27, 2023
I love learning about the nazi wars, holocaust and just hitler times in general. So this book is perfect for people who want a quick read about a book that doenst mention hitler(much atleast) and tells you about the jewish sides of what happened.
Unlike the book theif this one shows you the sad darker side of the nazi times
10 reviews
November 2, 2023
Great book written from a real life survivor it takes you through hope death love and sadness few questions: what did your mum do in the synagogue? What was the horror that you saw at Bergen Belsen? Did people treat you equally after the war? overall loved it wish there was a sequel but don’t know what it would be about
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ilse Ruizvisfocri.
25 reviews
August 7, 2024
Realizing that this was written by a doctor made sense. Completely heart breaking story, but didn’t love the writing style. Not sure if he wanted to mimic himself as a 4 year old or just writing things as he remembered them. I wanted to cry in a lot of chapters, again it is a truly sad story, however it just felt repetitive in the writing style.
Profile Image for Ellie Abrey.
159 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2025
This graphic novel is so beautifully in a manner which is compelrely accessible for young children, without saying away from the harsh realities of the Shoah. This book would be a fantastic way to introduce the Shoah to primary-aged children and to encourage them to engage in meaningful, thought-provoking reflection.
Profile Image for John Grinstead.
360 reviews
August 25, 2025
An easy reading YA telling of a small boy’s perspective of the upheaval, deportation and suffering of a Jewish family at the hands of the Nazis. Not as powerful or as harrowing as some of the more famous/infamous holocaust tales, it is nonetheless an important marker for young readers to have access to some of the harsh realities of 20th century history.
Profile Image for Rose Pen-Collings.
24 reviews
April 1, 2023
3 stars. I quite liked this book. I was going to give this book 2.5 stars but I feel bad if I do that because it was about WW2 and how bad people were treated then, it’s in the perspective of a 4 year old boy too and I loved that it was in the perspective of him! :))
Profile Image for Hazel Ann.
2 reviews
April 2, 2025
This one pulled at my heart. I was already crying just a few pages in. I think the book did read more simpler as if for children. Still an informative read!

I was a bit sad that a lot the photos at the end of the book were missing and I did try to find them online with not much luck.

Profile Image for Camilla Chester.
Author 4 books10 followers
May 2, 2025
A child’s perspective on surviving the holocaust - unique. Written in a very straightforward style, very appropriate for the age group it is directed at.

I had the pleasure of meeting Peter and my copy is signed to me. Someone whose childhood story I won’t forget.
4 reviews
April 5, 2023
I thought it was an exceptional book on the troubles of a young boy. The heartfelt emotion portrayed gave such a scope for the young imaginative minds.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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