I Survived

I Survived

by Lauren Tarshis, Scott Dawson (Illustrations)

One of the darkest periods in history...In a Polish ghetto, Max Rosen and his sister Zena struggle to live after their father is taken away by the Nazis. With barely enough food to survive the siblings make a daring escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest. Max and Zena are brought to a safe camp by Jewish resistance fighters. But soon bombs are falling all around them. Can Max and Zena survive the fallout of the Nazi invasion?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, World War II, Historical

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2014

About the author

Lauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the San Francisco earthquake, 9/11, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark.
Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love.

For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com

And check out the I Survived Website: www.Scholastic.com/ISurvived

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neo and I have decided to embark on a ‘bedtime story routine’ that takes us into the world of history and adventure. These I Survived stories pull the younger reader into the world of history and some of the disasters that have occurred through time. In this story, Max and Zena are living in Poland during the Second World War. Their father encourages them to find courage to outlast the Nazi invasion. However, as they re Jews, their time in the city of Esties is anything but pleasant. After their father is torn away from them, Max and Zena are tossed into a ghetto to await their fate. Escaping and fleeing to the forest, Max and Zena try to stay one step ahead of the Nazis and find hope in a country that has been overrun with hatred. What follows is a story of courage and determination, as well as a chance to learn a little more about the Nazi occupation of Europe and the atrocities they committed. While Neo cannot fully understand the extent of the Nazis or Hitler, this was a great way to introduce him to the topic. He asked some poignant questions and wondered about learning more when he is older. He seems to love this series and so we will find more survival stories to keep him learning!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 is the 9th book in the I Survived series. This series is a great educational tool for kids (and adults, too!). Each book tells a fictional account of children at the scene of a historical event or disaster. Facts about the event are included in the fictional eyewitness account. After the story, the author has an afterward where she gives more facts, her thoughts on the event and information on how she researches her books. I can see how these books would be an awesome classroom resource for reading, learning history and discussion.

In this book, Max and Zena are Jewish children living in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland. Nazi guards patrol, shooting anyone who goes past the walls. Max tries to get some fruit from beyond the wall and gets caught. He and Zena flee into the forest, joining partisan rebels who are fighting the Nazis. The children survive all sorts of harrowing events and eventually end up immigrating to America. The author is Jewish so her afterward is very heart-felt.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. The book is quick listen at just short of 1.5 hours. Jonathan McClain narrates. His voice is clear and easily understood. He reads at a nice steady pace with good inflection. I have hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book.

This series is informative and enjoyable. I'm definitely going to read more of this series! There are 17 books in all. Topics range from more modern events like the Joplin, MO tornado to long-past history such as the destruction of Pompeii. While thinking about children in a disaster situation is scary and sad, I think this series can bring historical events alive for kids because the stories talk about the events from the view point of other children. Great educational tool!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (I Survived, #9) by Lauren Tarshis takes place during one of the darkest periods in history...during World War II in a Jewish ghetto. Max Rosen and his sister Zena struggle to live after their father is taken away by the Nazis. With barely enough food to survive, the siblings make a daring escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest. Max and Zena are then brought to a safe camp by Jewish resistance fighters. But soon, bombs are falling all around them. Can Max and Zena survive the fallout of the Nazi invasion? Another well-written and interesting account of one of the worst disasters in recent history.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't thank Lauren and Scholastic enough for the I Survived series. We ache for books that will help those students with discerning taste (in other words, the kids who struggle to find books they like enough to read).

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 is another triumph for reluctant readers everywhere. I work with kids who get dragged through the reading curriculum. So much of what's read in class is so unappealing to those reluctant readers that they approach any book that's not a graphic novel skeptically. The I Survived series is an invaluable resource for these upper middle grade readers. This is the time when the gap between interest and readability presents tremendous obstacle to most vulnerable students. They’re given texts that they can decode but don’t appeal, perpetuating their distaste for books and reading.

Lauren Tarshis has become the preeminent author of high-interest, accessible text and doing justice to this format might be the most challenging feat a writer could undertake. Tarshis doesn’t just master her style with this series, she’s created an entirely new bar for what writing for this audience can look like.

Again, Nazi Invasion begins by throwing the reader right into an intense, action filled scene. This is so important. I was in a classroom when a student expressed his dislike for reading during a class discussion. The teacher reminded him that he had previously expressed enjoyment about the texts they read in class. He responded that he did eventually like them. Here’s a kid who, when prompted acknowledged that he liked to read but apparently it wasn’t enough to change his perception. It’s a common phenomena that needs to be addressed. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the negative portion of the experience is the one that sticks. If we keep telling these kids to just give it thirty pages, we’re not going to change the fundamental problem. The more they believe they don’t like to read, the less they’ll choose to.

Lauren’s choice to open the scene in the middle of a fire fight, bombs exploding left and right, a kid trying to escape being murdered; that’s what buys the street cred. While opening the story with action is a great strategy, what distinguishes so many of the I Surviveds is Lauren's ability to pace the backstory. While an engaging opening is a powerful strategy, many reluctant readers still haven’t built the stamina or trust to work through the crucial events that will deepen their appreciation for the action. Nazi Invasion’s pacing seems to drive the chronology through which the story’s told.

While the first chapter is certainly gripping, Tarshis strategically withholds its context. Next, we flash back to a scene in the ghetto where the reader is given the context of Nazi occupied Poland through Max, our main character. Simply and straight forward, the Nazis are explained as Hitler’s killer soldiers who came with their tanks, guns, and hatred of Jews. And like following a trail of breadcrumbs, Tarshis drops bites of context that begs her readers to ask for more. She explains that Hitler told hideous lies blaming the Jews for the world’s problems before invading other countries, forcing them into ghettos. The chapter ends with Max being hit in the head by a Nazi’s rifle after being caught climbing through a fence to gather berries.

Chapter after chapter follows this powerful format. Readers are thrown into a scene that begs their questions, they receive just enough context to want more, they’re rewarded with a bit more story before ending the segment on an eye-widening cliffhanger. It’s a great format. Tarshis plays with time to ensure that both the story and historical context continue to escalate. But to do this for three-quarters of the story; it’s a pacing that does more than just keep her readers flipping pages, they become invested in the subject matter through the story.

It’s not possible to paint a fair and balanced picture of the Nazis, Lauren does take care to include a scene later in the story where Max encounters a soldier not too much older than himself. Max recognizes the lack of hatred in the boys eyes and raises questions about their circumstances. It’s a quick scene before the narrative moves on but as an adult, I appreciate that it opens the door for students ask questions about other perspectives. While more could have been made of the historical context in any number of instances. The narrative remains clean and straight forward, taking advantage of back matter sections that provide the author’s connection to the story, answer important overarching questions, and provide suggestions for where readers can discover more information.

As a teacher, it’s great to see the I Survived series breaks so much of our preconceived notions about text level characteristics. Tarshis presents compelling subject matter that doesn’t traditionally arise until upwards of fifth grade with a readability that students as early as grade three can access. Be it structure, language, or content, this is a series that teachers everywhere should be using engage their reluctant readers. It certainly has all of the elements we look for to teach components of both high-quality fiction and non fiction texts.

Earlier this year I gave that fourth grader who confessed he didn’t like to read one of the I Survived’s. As expected he devoured it, passed it to a friend, devoured the next one, etc. until he got the majority of the fourth grade hooked. As a “treat,” I put my advanced copy of Nazi Invasion in a manilla envelope and told him that as a thank you for spreading the word, I wanted him to be the first student to see the new book. When he brought it back to me the next day, he told me it was the first book he ever read in one night and then asked for more books about the Nazis.

[Jace Scouton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book about how they escaped and ran from the Nazi.

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

1944 Poland, the Germans are starting to lose the war. The Allies are attacking from the west and the Russians from the east. Displaced Jews are fighting the Nazis from camps in the forests in Poland.

[Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a really good book

[A.L. Sowards]

My kids have been reading a lot of I Survived books, so I decided to read one with them. It’s less than 100 pages and written for young readers. It hits the target audience well. The books are often about scary things, but since they’re “I survived” books, no traumatic endings. I probably won’t read too many more of them myself, but I’ll keep buying and borrowing them for my kids because I like the way the series introduces them to history. I think I would have liked this series when I was in elementary school.

[Izabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

En bok perfekt att plocka fram till barn som är intresserade av andra världskriget och vill läsa en berättelse istället för fakta. Lättläst och spännande samtidigt som man får lära sig om motståndsgruppen partisanerna. Författaren har även en annan bok som översatts till svenska för barn som är intresserade av Titanic.

[Damia Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why children love this series. I started with the Titanic, and this is my second book read in the series. The details are all there, the story of each character has developed although quickly it is still thorough. This author can pack a heck of a lot of information into 90 pages. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know everything about WW2 but Tarshis made this an even more exciting subject by creating a great character. Oh and by the way on the front is a panzer XIIV I love tanks

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living inside the Jewish ghetto in Esties, Poland is difficult for everyone, but especially for Max Rosen, 11, and his younger sister Zena. Their mother had died a while ago, and then, the Nazis had taken away their father in the middle of the night. The children are scared and hungry. Before she disappeared, his Aunt Hannah had told Max not to let the Nazis take his hope away, too, but that is pretty hard to keep hold of now.

When Max and Zena noticed a bush full of ripe raspberries just outside the barbed wire fence that surrounded the ghetto, they couldn't resist them. But they couldn't reach any, so, with the coast clear of any Nazi soldiers, Max decides to slip under the barbed wire just for a moment to get some berries for Zena. And those berries are good, right up until the moment that a Nazi soldier points his rifle at Max's head.

Barking commands, the Nazi marches Max away from the ghetto. On the way, Max and the soldier hear a noise and both realize that Zena is following them. When the soldier aims his rifle at her, Max, with sudden, angry strength, throws himself at the soldier, who falls and gets shot in the leg when his rifle goes off. Max and Zena take off as quickly as they can run.

They decide to rest in a wheat field, but are woken up by a farmer with a rifle, who orders Max and Zena to follow him. But the farmer has kind look in his eye and tells them they have to go, the Nazis will be searching the area soon, a train load of supplies had been blown up that night and they were angry and looking for the people who did it. He feeds them, then takes them to his hayloft, where there is a secret compartment for them to hide in.

Sure enough, the Nazis arrive, bringing their vicious dog to sniff out anyone hiding. But the farmer seems to be on good terms with them and, after they do a cursory search, he manages to get the Nazis out of the barn.

Shortly after they drive off the farmer lets the kids out of their hiding place and, what a surprise, after he removes two planks of wood, out step three shadowy figures, each with a rifle over their shoulder. Surprised, Max realizes that they are the men who blew up the train. But that isn't the only surprise these resistance fighters have for Max and Zena.

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 is the 9th book in the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis. Like its eight predecessors, it is intentionally told from the point of view of a young person, much like the one who would be reading this book. Though he is often afraid and confused by what is happening, Max is, nevertheless, a nice role model of strength and resilience in the face of fear and danger for readers of this book. And a great older brother, always conscious of having to watch out for and protect his younger, still impetus sister.

But the other part of this story are the partisans. What courageous people, to risk everything, to live in secrecy in the forests and woods of Europe in order to help thwart the Nazis.

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 is chapter book with very fast-paced action. There is some violence in the novel, but it is kept to a minimum and not terribly graphic. This is historical fiction, but when I read the part of the title that says "the Nazi Invasion, 1944" and then discovered that Max and Zena were living in a ghetto in Poland, I was sent back to my history books. I thought all the ghettos were liquidated by 1943, but it turns out the some ghettos in Poland were actually converted to concentration camps until the people in them could be moved to a death camp. So, I did, indeed, learn something new in this novel.

The novel is well-written, the characters fleshed out mostly by Max's memories of what life was like before the Nazis invaded, so we also get to know what his father and his Aunt Hannah were like back then. There are some coincidences in the story, which I never find realistic, even though I know they do happen...occasionally.

This is a nice book for young readers who like historical fiction, who are interested in WWII and who may be learning about the Holocaust in school. There is a nice, age appropriate Holocaust and World War II timeline, as well as a list of resources for readers who may want more information, and includes a link to the Jewish Partisans Educational Foundation where you can read about what real Jewish partisans did to sabotage the Nazis, a resource I used all the time.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was received as an E-ARC from Netgalley

This review was originally posted at The Children's War

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and his sister Zena are all alone in a ghetto starving. Since both are Jewish, they don't have the ability to move freely about. One night they went outside to try and look for something to eat. While doing so an SS officer comes upon Zena and is in the process of shooting her when Max runs into the officer causing him to lose his footing, drop his gun, and winding up shooting himself in the foot. This is the start where Max and Zena must run into the forest hide themselves.

This is another book where it makes me wonder once again how anyone could or even want to shoot a child? How far gone do you have to go in your loss of morality to think this was ok? Were these SS officers sick and deranged before they stepped into their uniform? It literally blows my mind how sick and depraved you have to be to act like they did. Luckily not everyone was like this. The kids happened to run into a farmer's field and were caught by the farmer who was a member of a resistance group that sabotaged the German army as often as they could. It was interesting to learn that the resistance group used children of all ages in their effort to stop the German Army from advancing. The work they did was dangerous and if caught would certainly mean death. Children can be capable of surviving the most inhumane and dangerous conditions.

Once again this author, did a wonderful job of researching and writing another edition to The I Survived Series.

[Trey H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because I love historic books and I love the I Survived series. This book would be great for 2nd graders who love historic books and love the rest of the I Survived books. This story is about a boy who has lost his dad to the Nazis and is fighting to stay alive. He and his sister soon escape the ghetto and find some resistance fighters. Will they defeat the Nazis? Read this book to find out.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nazis are bad.

[Shadyside Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible entry in the I Survived series. The story felt so brutally real and heart wrenching. A wonderful fictional depiction of what it would be like to be a Jew during Hitlers limited time of power that we now call The Holocaust.

[Julie Grace Immink · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ten-year-old recommended this book to me.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to introduce young adults history. Presented in detail, but not overwhelmingly so, this gives the reader an overall sense of what it was like to lose your parents and try to survive the Polish ghetto, to narrowly escape and then find a way to get to the forest where others were hiding.

This is the kind of book I would have loved to read when I was young and very interested in history.

[BabyLunLun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't gain nothing new really since I already know quite a bit about Nazis

And this book went with the same formula as I Survived the American Revolution. MC escape some evil soldier and then went into the wild and met their long lost relatives / friends. How convenient that Max escape from the Nazi soldier at the ghetto . You expect the ghetto will be more well guarded and a big soldier wouldn't be so easily defeated by a mere hit on the head by a rock LOL

[David Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "I Survived The Nazi Invasion, 1944" is a great book to read. It teaches about the Jews and what they did to help in the war. It is about World War II and how the Germans are invading everyone around them. They are killing off the Jews and destroying their homes. They are taking them to prison camps to kill them. Max and Zena live in a camp that is locked down, but it is not a prison camp. They call this the ghetto. It is where the Jews stay until they are put on a train and taken to a prison camp. Max sees a blackberry bush one day on the other side of the fence where they can't go. Zena wants some so she talks Max into climbing under the fence. Max climbs under the fence and a guard comes. He hits Max in the face and he makes Zena and Max walk to the police station. They get halfway up the road from the ghetto and Max and Zena make a run for it. They hit the guard and the guard accidentally shoots himself in the leg. They find a field and hide in it. A farmer helps them and they escape to a resistance camp. They find their aunt there and are very happy to see her. She is part of the resistance army and she does secret missions that hurt the Germans. Later on in the book their dad comes to the resistance camp. He jumped off a train that was taking him to a prison camp. Max an Zena were so happy to see him. The Germans were losing the war and were being surrounded from all sides. Max, Zena, and their father get on a ship to go live in the United States of America. Their aunt stays behind and fights with resistance to stop the Germans. In the end everyone is happy.

There are a lot of characters in the book. There is Max, who is the older brother of Zena. Zena is the young sister who likes adventure. Their father, who's name is not mentioned. Aunt Hannah is with the resistance and she fights the Germans with other Jews behind the enemy lines.

The setting of the book is in the summer time. The place of the book is in Germany of the year 1944. It is World War II and Hitler is in control.

The theme is to point your finger at yourself before you point it at others because people may not always be right. The Jews were persecuted for some things they never did.

I would recommend this book to all ages. It is a good book to read and very interesting. Some parts made me hold my breathe just wondering what would happen. The book shows how the Jews were judged and treated for something they never did.

[Gabriel Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like historical survival books? If so this is the right book series for you. I love this series because it's all about survival and historical events that actually happened in the pass.
"In the Polish, Max Rosen and his sister, Zena, struggle to live after their father is taken away by the Nazis. With barely enough food to survive, the siblings make a daring escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest. Max and Zena are brought to a safe camp by Jewish resistance fighters. But soon, bombs are falling all around them.
The title relates to the book because, it tell what the main character survived. The setting is important to theme of the book because, it takes place in Poland which is important because, that's where the Nazis were invading. The author builds suspense when max falls into a ditch and gets separated from the resistance group and then when he gets out to find them all he hears is a lot of gunshots.
If I had to rate this book 1-5 I would rate it a 4 because, there were so much cliffhangers and suspense along with drama but there wasn't enough action. I would recommend this book to people who like survival and history. If your'e a reader who just needs history and survival in a book you will love this book.

[Devon Newberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book is called “I Survived The Nazi Invasion, 1944.” The author is Lauren Tarshis and it is the 9th Book in the “I Survived” series. The genre of my book is historical fiction. The book is about two young Jewish brother and sister, Max and Zena. The book takes place in Europe, 1944. It is about the attacks of Adolf Hitler's troops had on them and their family. The way they struggled to live in the prison camps and how they lived alone after losing their family one by one. I think Lauren Tarshis wrote this book to keep people aware of what Jew’s had to go through in those harsh times. I like how the book taught me information I was never aware of in 1944, and how it still kept me wondering what would happen next even though I was learning from it. I disliked how the start of the book was long and boring. I recommend this book to anyone who want a short read, but also wants to be kept on the edge of your seat. Also, if you enjoy to read historical fiction.

[Angel Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived Nazi Invasion

This weekend i read a book called I survived nazi invasion by Lauren tarshis. The characters are called Max and Zena and they are trying to survive the nazi soldiers.

Suddenly they trapped his dad and they are trying to save him, but Max and Zena stop to eat berries but then the nazi soldier got max but zena came after him and then the soldier try to shoot zena but max pushed the guy away and himself then max and zena went running and they see their aunt and some other friendly soldiers that came with her.

And then they hear some noises from the sky and then they hear bombs in the sky falling down and they run to a save place and they got to a save place before they were dead in the forest, but suddenly they see something in the water and when they say it was their dad and they decided to america with their aunt.

I love this book and i hope you would like it too!

[Ryan Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The I survived series is such a great series for people who like historical fiction like the destruction of Pompeii or the attacks of September 11. But my Personal favorite is this book The Nazi Invasion by Lauren Tarshis. If I were in the Nazi invasion I would run, but then the solders would shoot me down so that is one bad plan. Hiding is a great idea, being part of the resistance is bad. As on a Jewish boy has found a part of the resistance in Poland where solders are tracking him down since he has escaped from the Ghetto. In recommend this book to Matt since he really like World War 2 books, and people who like historical fiction. You should also read the whole I survived Series which they added a new on called I survived The Chicago Fire.

[Reese Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme in this book isn't clear for me because it mostly talked about adventure and the characters having to move a lot. When the characters Max and Zena hear that the Nazis are coming. Their town is surrounded by barbed wire and there are soldiers everywhere. Then max and zena escape and they team up with the Jewish resistance fighters. But there dad was taken by the Nazis and brought to a prison camp. They go deep into the forest until it gets bombed by nazi bombers. They go to destroy a train with supplies on it and they find there dad. Then the Allies take back over Germany and the war is over.

[Cole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in two days. It shouldn't have taken two days but... It was about Max and his sister Zena. They were caught leaving the ghetto for a berry that they were going to sell. The Nazi soldier was awful and beat Max on his head, he went unconscious woke up having delusions of his mom and dad who both died talking to Aunt Hannah. Aunt Hannah was hiding out in a nearby farmers barn and was reunited Max and Zena she was fighting against the Nazi. The book ended while they were on the boat to America.

[Aidan Armas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book.I've always wanted to learn more about jewish people's stories if they were trying to escape.Also the storyline was one of the greatest part of the story.Also,I really liked the story that Lauren wrote,even though its historical fiction it seems very real.Next, this book was a little more holiday so if you want to read a easier book this book is perfect.Lastly, the choices that all of the characters especially the main characters made really made the story awesome.

[Diego M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I SURVIVED The Nazi Invasion, 1944” by Lauren Tarshis, is an unbelievable story about a young Jewish boy named Max Rosen and his sister Zena. In Eastern Poland, Nazis were keeping them and other Jewish people in a ghetto. Max and Zena escaped the ghetto and went into the forest. They joined a group of Jewish people that fought back, known as partisan fighters. The only thing left to do, is to survive the forest attacks the Nazis threw at them.

[Lanica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple, hopeful view of the Holocaust, but good for the younger reader who is just being introduced to the topic. It's action scenes are very well written and will captivate grade schoolers. I am very glad this series exists. My library has them all and cannot keep them on the shelves. Kids ask for them daily and recommend them to their friends. Highly recommended by me as well!

[16bfrost111rcsdkids.us · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a good book because it's a great story of World War II. The characters needed to have courage in order to survive hard things. Two Jewish children needed to escape from German soldiers and find their family. I think people who like history in 3rd grade and up would like this book.