Stones in Water

Stones in Water #1

by Donna Jo Napoli

When Roberto sneaks off to see a movie in his Italian village, he has no idea that life as he knows it is over. German soldiers raid the theater, round up the boys in the audience, and pack them onto a train. After a terrifying journey, Roberto and his best friend Samuele find themselves in a brutal work camp, where food is scarce and horror is everywhere. The boys vow to stay together no matter what. But Samuele has a dangerous secret, which, if discovered, could get them both killed. Lovers of historical fiction will be captivated by this tragic, triumphant, and deeply moving novel.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Holocaust, World War II, Fiction, Historical, War

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 1997

About the author

Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.

At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.

She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.

Reviews

[Cami Beath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stones in Water
By Donna Jo Napoli

I love this book. I went through the last 150 pages without even realizing it, and then I just wanted more. The protagonist, Roberto, is fantastic. Napoli has a real talent for creating life-like characters. Roberto made me want to spend a month in Italy. His boyishness is so tangible and so believable, I just want to meet him. This story is tragic and grim because it is about World War II, but it is also beautiful and important. Napoli finds the humanity in the ugliness, and she brings me to tears. The goodness that shines through in this book is enough to make it last. Beautiful, powerful, important, thoughtful, sad, real, intense, and wonderfully true. Sometimes fiction is the truest medium of all.

7 Stars

Sex: None

Violence: Tons and tons. I would wait for kids to be thirteen or fourteen before introducing this book. However, it is all tastefully done

Drugs/Alcohol: No drugs, many scenes include alcohol. Alcohol is presented as gross and nauseating

Language: Minimal

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gave a perspective on WW2 that I hadn't known of before (Germany kidnapping Italian boys and forcing them into work camps). The prose was well-written and the story flowed nicely. I thought it very age-appropriate and would like to read something else by Napoli in the future.

[Lady Slipper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but very sad. Horrible things for a young boy to see. Horrible things for anyone to see. WWII was heartbreaking for a lot of people. Losing friends, relatives, parents, sisters, brothers; everyone you love, gone. Knowing that each day could be your last.

I thought a boy might enjoy this better than I did.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a library book sale because it was about another one of those little known events that occurred during World War II: the snatching of Italian boys by Nazis and used as forced labor. And also because the setting, at least in the beginning, was in Venice, Italy in the early 1940s, an unusual setting for most MG or YA novels. The story centers on the friendship between 12 year old Roberto, a Catholic, and Samuele, a Jew. It begins with the lure of seeing an American western film at the local movie theater proving to be too great for young Roberto to pass up. Before long, however, not only is Roberto sneaking off to see the movie, but he is joined by his older brother Sergio, and friends Memo and Samuele.

The movie hasn't even begun when German soldiers swoop into the theater and round up all the boys. Before they know what is happening, they are sorted by age so that Sergio and Roberto are separated from each other. The boys are then put on trains heading north. All through Italy, the trains picks up more and more boys. Gradually, the trains head east to the Ukraine. The whole operation appears to be such a perfectly planned operation. A Western movie would and did draw only boys from the area, and no girls. Non of the boys in any of the groups speak the same dialect, so there is little communication among them. Soon, though, the boys realize the danger for Samuele, who is circumcised, so they change his name to Enzo and Roberto gives him his St. Christoper medal to wear.

Eventually, Roberto and Enzo end up in a labor camp, where all the boys are forced to build an airstrip for supply planes to land. The work is hard and there is little food, and as winter comes the boys must find whatever rags they can use to try to keep from freezing, usually striping what they can off dead bodies - dead soldiers and prisoners alike were fair game. At night, Enzo entertains Roberto with stories, most from the Old Testament, to keep his morale up. The friends continue to support each other, so when another boy discovers that Enzo is Jewish and demands he give him most of his food ration, Robert shares his ration with his friend.

Throughout their captivity, Roberto worries about his parents and about getting home, but there seems to be no end in sight for the boys. And to make matters worse, Enzo begins to weaken from the lack of food. And to top it all off, with winter's snows, survival becomes more and more difficult for the boys.

Will they ever see home again?

This was the kind of coming of age story that really makes you realize what the concept 'coming of age' really means. As you read Roberto's story, you can watch as he is transformed from a boy who had romanticized war to a thinking, feeling young man who realizes and appreciates the horrors of war without ever having been on a battlefield. Yet, right from the beginning, Roberto and Samuele witness shocking Nazi brutality whenever boys tried to run away or when they fainted while working. These were sobering lessons, and both boys heeded them in order to stay alive.

Stones in Water is a fast read, and for the most part it was excellent. Some readers seem to feel that the end of the book didn't have a satisfactory conclusion, but I liked it. Hinting at a sequel, I felt that Roberto has more in store for him than just going home. And indeed, a sequel was written, Fire in the Hills, continuing Roberto's story.

One thing did bother me about Stones in Water. It is based on reality, but I was sorry there was no Author's Note at the back of my copy to more fully explain the basis of the story, just an easy-to-miss brief mention in the acknowledgements. It seems that Napoli has a friend, Guido Fullin, who was taken by the Nazis as a boy, just like Roberto was and Stones in Water is loosely based on him. She did her own research but said no more about it. I would have liked a list of further reading, if one can be done, about Italian boys being taken and used as forced labor despite Germany and Italy being aligned with each other during the war. When I googled this topic, I didn't find much more than an interview with Donna Jo Napoli in which she reiterated what she wrote in her acknowledgements. The interview may be found at Examiner.com

Despite this, Stones in Water is a very worthwhile story for readers young and old.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library.

http://thechildrenswar.blogspot.com

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a few things I liked about this novel before I even opened it up. First, the cover caught my eye as I was scanning books at the library for inventory last week. The pain and the emptiness that is etched onto his face, the clothing that is fastened onto his body and those shoes, his shoes that are way too big for such a young child. It was Donna Napoli’s name on the cover that struck another chord in my mind, for I had read another one of her novels, one that I will never forget. It was The Wager and with that, I knew I had to read this.

This was nothing like The Wager, this story centers on a group of Italian boys who had decided to attend an American movie in a town not too far from where they lived. Italy had just declared war on America and many older individuals were off serving their country. The movie had started when suddenly it got dark and German soldiers entered, ushering everyone out. Separated into groups, the four boys found themselves in a train car being driven farther from home. Amongst the four boys is a Jew, his star is back home and his identity is hidden for now. They have become prisoners, they are still boys yet they are working like men. They act alone but they are not alone.

I like Donna’s writing, it’s carefree and effortless. I enjoyed the friendships and all the individuals that appeared within the novel. Everyone is acting alone, everyone wants what is best for them and friendship is not a priority for anyone. Making it to another day, is what is important and the connections the boys had with others had to be adjusted to account for this attitude. I felt that it was these connections that the boys had to these individuals that made the novel, I looked forward to where their travels would take them, always hoping that as they traveled, the war would end and they could go back home. This was a fast-moving story and I am glad that I picked it up. I think my favorite part was the sled. I smiled as I imaged what they must have looked like as they walked out of that village, their sled, the sled piled high with treasures. 4.5 stars

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth grade readers on my campus have an insatiable appetite for WWII historical fiction and keep books by Alan Gratz, Marsha Skrypuch and others checked out and I must maintain a healthy waiting list for most of them. My search for additional titles that include the atrocities of the war at a level appropriate for 10-12 year olds led me to Napoli’s 1997 Stones in Water. Roberto’s loosely based on fact story begins in his Italian hometown, sees him kidnapped by German soldiers, and moving from one work camp to another. Tragedy, insufficient food, back-breaking work, and inhuman living conditions turn a young and naive boy into a starving but much wiser young man who seizes a slim chance and escapes his captors. Sheer determination allows him to survive bitter winter conditions and team up with an Italian soldier who has seen far too much of Nazi cruelty and deserted his place in the German army. Book 1 ends with the two of them agreeing to join the Italian Resistance forces who oppose their country’s alliance with Germany. I am anxious to get book 2, Fire in the Hills, and see where Napoli takes these two. One content note: while the abuses and violence are kept at a level that most fifth graders with a background in the war can handle, there is a section when Roberto and his Oisin attempt to shield their friend’s circumcised penis from view in order to keep his Jewish heritage a secret. For some, this event may cause immature laughter and is certain to raise some questions.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not my favorite by Napoli. She also explored the survival theme in NORTH, a book that IS one of my favorites by her. Definitely a little-known subject, though (how Italian boys were kidnapped and forced to work for the Nazis during WWII).

[K Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I am grateful to this author for showing another view of the war with the Nazis. Showing that more than Jews suffered during the tyrannical reign of Hitler.

[frankiesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for English and I actually enjoyed it. It gave a really good perspective of WWll, and it showed how everything was completely destroyed in the path of the nazis. It was tragic and sweet at the same time, and I would recommend this book for anyone who wanted to learn more about the holocaust

[Olivia olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a really good book because its about wars and its just super great! :)

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books about the history of WW2/ and or Holocaust is always a sad read. The resilience of the main character was a joy to read tho. And it’s interesting also because it’s from an Italian pov which I never read before.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compelling and original YA historical fiction novel details the conditions of forced labor camps in Eastern Europe during World War II. The novel begins with a mass kidnapping where a group of Italian school boys viewing a Western cowboy film are rounded up by soldiers and forced to board a train headed for a labor camp. The teen protagonist Roberto is separated from everyone he knows except for Samuele, a Jewish friend who must keep his religious identity a secret in the work camp. The novel was written for young adults, and will excite readers of all ages with its original story and gripping tale of Roberto’s escape. While the novel is almost 20 years old, the story is relevant and enlightening, not only as a work of historical fiction, but as a coming of age text whereby one young man finds hope and purpose in his life.

The strength of the novel is that it offers a different portal into the World War II story. It covers a little known detail in history of the Axis Powers forcing children and teens into labor. It sheds light on the Holocaust from an Italian teen’s perspective, examining what it means to be friends with a targeted minority and exploring how far one will go to protect the oppressed and persecuted. There is strength in the book’s final message as Roberto finds a purpose for his life after his escape from the camp. Napoli’s writing is excellent. Her compelling storyline is loosely based on real life events of Guido Fullin. Her characters are authentic, the dialog is satisfying, and the introduction of foreign words in German and Italian are defined contextually in the narrative. Finally, the pacing of the action is gripping. One you get started, you don’t want to put the book down.

Weaknesses: The book would benefit from a map. It would be good to see Roberto’s starting point in Italy, the train route to the labor camps, and a general outlay of his escape route. In her acknowledgements, Napoli refers to her archival European research. A historical note about forced labor camps at the end of the book is wanting and would have enriched the book, as would have the inclusion of archival photographs of camps, trains, soldiers, etc. Finally, a photo of Guido Fullin, for whom the story was loosely based would have been a treat.

Special Considerations: There is violence in the book that illustrates the brutality of the war (physical abuse, cruel acts, starvation, and death), but it is not too graphic. The descriptions are authentic, but not overdone.

Verdict: In 1998, Stones in Water was an ALA Notable Book, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and the Winner of the Sydney Taylor Jewish Book Award. Trust me, trust the accolades, and include this book in your library media center collection. Students will find Roberto’s story compelling now and for years to come. And if you have Stones in the Water, you will also want to have the sequel Fire in the Hills that focuses on Roberto’s work for the Italian resistance.

[Angie Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stones in Water. Napoli, Donna Jo.

Rating: ***

Summary: Roberto and his friend sneak off to go see a movie in a small town. During the movie German soldiers take all the young boys to a camp. The boys witness shootings and many other graphic situations. The two boys try to stick together as the boys are separated. Luckily the boys stay in the same group. However, Samuel has a dark secret that could get him killed if the soldiers find out. Roberto sneaks food across lines since food is scarce at the camp. The rest of the book is the enduring battles that the boys go through trying to survive. One of them does not make it.

Main characters:
Roberto is a young boy who has a good life. That all changes when he sneaks off to go see a movie with his friends and brother. Roberto is determined to stay with his friend and escape from the camp.

Samuel is a friend of Roberto. His secret of being Jewish could get him and Roberto killed if the soldiers find out. He stays true to his friend and will do anything to get out of the camp alive and back to his family.

Key topics: World War II, Nazi,

[Heidi Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roberta is a young Italian boy, relatively unaffected by WWII, that just wants to see a good old Western with his friends. It is a little bit of a concernt obe going with his best friend Samuele since he is a Jew, but not a big enough deal to change plans. The four boys, including Roberto's older brother are enjoying their movie when the lights come on followed by a bunch of German soldiers. No need to worry, they are on the same team, probably just sendin them home for watching an American film. Next thing the boys knew they were on a train headed for the mountains to work in a labor camp making preparations for war.
With conditions little better than a camp for Jews themselves, these boys must suffer malnourishment and exhaustion as well as constant worry that Samuele's secret will be exposed. Roberto must find a way to escape or survive.
Great book! I loved the characters. I loved the front cover that looked exactly as I pictured the young boy. There was not skirting around anything and it was from a new perspective on the war torn world.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many sides to the story of WWII and the Holocaust. I had no idea that Germany took young Italian boys against their will, transported them to other countries (in this case Germany and the Ukraine), and forced them to do hard labor with very little food, clothing, or shelter. Supposedly Italy was one of Germany's allies, but they sure didn't treat them like they were on the same side. Boys who tried to escape were either shot or beaten severely.

This was quite the story! I wanted to reach through the pages and help poor Roberto out. I kept thinking, "What else can happen to this poor boy?"

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. Now I'll have to read the sequel, Fire in the Hills, to find out if Roberto ever gets home to his family.

Note: There were some bits of violence which may be a bit too much for some younger students.

[Alanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was slow moving and sad, with little redeeming qualities. The ending left a lot to be desired. There are so many better WWII books out there for this age group.

In my opinion, the 8-12 age rating should be bumped up to at least 14+.

Content Notes:

*There is much talk and description regarding circumcision and how that identifier might out the Jewish boy that is at the work camp. Understanding circumcision and how it relates to the Jewish faith would be needed to comprehend several different situations.

*There is descriptive brutally that you'd expect in a WW2 story (starvation, children getting shot in the head, best friend dies after being beaten over a pair of shoes, etc.)

*The book does a mediocre job of sharing with the reader the context of what is happening in the war at that point in time. Without background knowledge of this time period, specifically Italy's role in the war, much of the bigger picture of the story will not be grasped or understood.

[Billy Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Roberto sneaks off to see a movie in his Italian village, he has no idea that life as he knows it is over. German soldiers raid the theater and pack them onto a train. After a terrifying journey, Roberto and his best friend Samuele find themselves in a brutal work camp, where there is very little food and hard life is everything. The boys vow to stay together no matter what. But Samuele has a dangerous secret, which, if discovered, could get them both killed. Lovers of historical fiction will be captivated by this tragic, triumphant, and deeply moving novel.

[Mahnoor S. 8A · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, this book was very slow-paced, the main character only developed near the end, and there were few interesting parts. I expected a more adventurous and descriptive story, but sadly this book wasn't like that. However, I think the ending summed everything up pretty well, and there could be a sequel to the book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of how bad people really had it during World War 2. It's crazy what starvation and the cold can really do to people. People were really strong during that time. I don't know if I could have handled all that most of the prisoners went through.

[Darlene Etter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected so much more from this book. It was difficult to sit and read it for an extended amount of time. About 80% of the book has little to no dialogue. I’m honestly just glad to be done with it.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good I was actually dreaming i was Roberto during WWII.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read in elementary school. One of the first books I recall truly grabbing my attention.

[Harbor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books, ever.

[Jean]

I confess. I did not finish this book. But it is not because it was poorly written or for any other flaw. In many ways the story it tells is an important story and apparently based on true facts. The Nazis did take young people prisoner to use as slave labor in work camps--the ones in this story came from Venice, and Italy was an ally. And these captives are not Jews (except one). They are, in fact, mostly Catholics, but that is not an important feature. Being Jewish, however, is.

It is a harsh story. It tells of the extortionist, a member of the work camp who takes another's food because he knows a secret and if his demand is not met, he will tell. It tells of witnessing Jews being crowded together, underfed, and otherwise abused in a barbed wire enclosure. Of witnessing an execution. And many other heart-wrenching narratives. I have read several books, personal accounts of Nazi work and death camps, such as Primo Levi, Odd Nansen, and Thomas Buergenthal, each one detailing the appalling conditions of their day to day life and the cruelty of their captors. I simply did not need to read another.

Unlike the other authors I named, the audience for this one is young adult. A young person reading this book would certainly want at hand someone who could answer questions about the circumstances and give support and understanding of what the reader is perhaps encountering for the very first time.

Definitely not for the faint of heart. The date given for when I "finished" was the day I stopped on page 70 (of 209).

[Shane Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book I read for December is called Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli. Stones in Water was published in 1997 and is a young adult fiction set during World War ll. I would give this book a 3 out of 5 as it was entertaining but not my type of book. The book starts in Italy where Memo, a younger boy would like to bring Roberto to an American Western film. Roberto accepts and their Jewish friend Samuele decides to follow along. They wanted to meet up later to walk together to the theater. When Roberto is about to leave he is noticed by this brother, Sergio. Sergio decides to tag along and all four of them head off to the theater. As they get settled in and the movie begins a group of Nazi soldiers break in and force all the different people into groups by age. They put younger kids on a train going north without telling them where they are going. Samuele, Memo, and Roberto are put on a train, separated from Sergio. The boys decide to change Samuele’s name to Enzo to make his name sound like a Catholic name to protect him. Roberto also lets Samuele now Enzo wear his St. Christopher medal. Later the train takes them to labor camps where Memo is separated from Roberto and Enzo. While Memo’s fate is unknown, Roberto and Enzo need to work together and protect Enzo’s true identity to survive.

[Bella Rosello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli, is a historical fiction book based during WWII. Roberto, an Italian teen and his friends enter a movie theater to see an American film. To their surprise, German soldiers barge into the theater and take Roberto and his friends to a work camp. They are separated from each other, their families, and their country. This is dire to Roberto and his friend Samuele, because Samuele is a Jew. If Germans found out, both of them would be killed. Roberto and Samuele must survive and do whatever it takes to stay together amidst the labor of the work camps.

The only things I would note are mild language and brief nudity scenes to add to the plot (ie. circumcision). There are strong themes of brotherhood and friendship along with feelings of fear and deep sorrow. It helped me remember how war makes everyone involved suffer. I love the way the two boys comfort one another even when everything seems to be going wrong. In conclusion it is a really interesting book to read to another side of the war. I believe there are three books in the series, I am considering reading the next ones myself. Fun quick read, would recommend!

[Abid Miah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Stones in Water", by Donna Jo Napoli is a really good book, you should read if you like WWII setting. This book is about a boy who has been forced to be in war without a choice, the boys name was Roberto. Roberto has to fight against his will in this book as he is kept captive by soldiers, but he's not alone. As he is kept captive, he is separated from his family and can't do anything. Now Roberto and his friend Samuele try to escape the predicament. Once I started reading this book I got hooked, the setting was very interesting and gets even more interesting throughout the book. The book has a very old mood to it as you are reading it, and little medieval tint to it as well. Once Roberto is held captive by German soldiers it is interesting to see him strive for survival, trying to get food and beneficial needs for his life. Roberto also is trying to escape captivity, which puts him in a very dangerous and risky situation that adds even more fun to reading this novel.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I found this book! I read this during my junior year of high school (yowza, 17 years ago!) and it has stuck with me ever since. By stuck with me I mean a piece of this book broke off and rooted in my soul. There is one particular part in the camp while the boys are sleeping and there is an incident over a pair of boots that absolutely crushed me. If I remember nothing else about this book, that will lead me to recommend it. However, I completely forgot the name of it and have literally been searching for the last 2 decades! And I finally found it. Yahoo!

But also, it's an amazing book.

[Joseph Banks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stones in Water is a book by Donna Jo Napoli about a boy named Roberto. He is an Italian boy going to see a movie with his friends when German soldiers rush the theater. At first he thinks nothing of it because Italy and Germany are allies, until they load him on a train and send him to a work camp. He gets caught taking eggs and is sent to a new camp, luckily his best friend sees him in the truck and says he stole too so they would also bring him. Unfortunately that camp is a lot harsher. Roberto manages to escape, but without Enzo (Samuele). I rated the book 2/5 just because the ending sucks. I would recommend it to people who like books about the holocaust.

[Heather Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart wrenching story of friendship and survival. A good look at what war can do to people, making them become heroes or villians in the fight for food and life. I loved the friendship that developed between Enzo and Roberto. I loved the miracles that preserved him and others. I loved how much Roberto learned about survival, compassion, and what is really important. I loved that he didn't become hardened due to his circumstances. A couple swear words. Talk of male body parts as it has to do with religious traditions. That might embarrass junior high age kids and younger, but it's appropriate for that age on up. We should all read this book so we never forget!