Saving Hanno: A Refugee Boy and His Dog

by Miriam Halahmy

Rudi is nine. His own country is no longer safe for Jewish children and he is being sent from Germany to England on the Kindertransport train. But he can't take his beloved little dog, Hanno. By a lucky chance Hanno is smuggled into England and helps Rudi to cope with life in a strange country. But as World War 2 looms, there is a chilling new threat to Hanno. How can Rudi and his new friends save their pets?
Inspired by the real events of the Kindertransport and the refugee children who came to Britain just before war was declared.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, War, Historical, Holocaust, Animals, Dogs

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 14, 2021

About the author

I have been writing since childhood and have published twelve novels, one for adults and eleven for young people. I have been twice nominated for the Carnegie Medal. My work has been performed on stage and I was the first recipient of the prestigious PJ Ourway Author Award, in America. My books have been published in America and translated into eight languages.
My YA novel BEHIND CLOSED DOORS was the Winner of the Manchester Metropolitan University 'great student giveaway.' "The clear and popular winner."
My latest book POMEGRANATES FOR PEACE offers a message of Peace and Hope for the Future in a very divided world.
I am a frequent visitor to schools, book festivals, conferences and universities.
And I love making videos about my work.
So do visit my YouTube channel where you can view book readings, tips and lots more about my books.
https://www.youtube.com/user/miriamha...

Reviews

[Margie]

This was an advanced copy of a book for 8-12 year olds. A quick read about Rudi and how Hitler's Germany caused great worry and sadness for his family, friends and his dog, Hanno. I would recommend it to adults also.

[Bethe]

For the younger dog fans of WWII, a shorter chapter book. Great story of the devotion of a boy for his dog, somehow smuggled out of Nazi Germany on the kindertransports. However, tender hearted readers might not like the little known fact that some English people euthanized pets afraid that they would not be able to feed them in fear of short rations. Author note provides background information.

[Alex Baugh]

It's November 1938, almost two weeks after Kristallnacht, and life is getting even more difficult for German Jews. For Rudi, 9, it means being picked on by the Hitler Youth boys in his Frankfurt school and now his kind teacher has been replaced with a cruel Nazi teacher. That afternoon, Rudi and his best friend Emil skip school and never return. By January 1939, Rudi and his older sister Lotte, 16, are pretty bored being at home, but when he is told that they will be traveling to England to live with a couple there, he doesn't want to leave his parents. The worst part is that Rudi will not be able to take his beloved dachshund, Hanno, with him. Now he really doesn't want to leave. Luckily, someone volunteers to take Hanno to England and put him in quarantine, then if all is well, he and Rudi will be reunited.
That makes leaving home a little better, but Rudi still doesn't want to leave his parents. Besides, he doesn't speak any English and then he learns that Lotte won't be living with him, that she'll be with another nearby family.

The couple Rudi lives with, Auntie Irene and Uncle Don Evans, are very kind and patient, but Rudi is reticent to speak English. They do seem to know that he can't eat pork, so that isn't a problem though Rudi does miss Friday night Shabbos with his parents and Lotte. What he really worries about is school. What if the kids there don't like Jewish German boys and are mean, picking on him the way the Hitler Youth always did. But Rudi immediately makes a friend, a genial boy named Sidney Scudder. And through Sidney, Rudi makes even more friends.

Things are really great when Hanno comes out of quarantine. Rudi takes him everywhere during summer vacation and all the kids love him. But as summer goes by, England going to war with Germany becomes more and more of a possibility. In September 1939 war is declared, and the possibility of losing Hanno looms again. It seems the everyone is have their pets put down because of the war and rationing. When Rudi hears Uncle Don and Auntie Irene talking about having Hanno put down, Rudi knows he must act to save his beloved dog's life. But what can he do? Perhaps Sidney has an idea.

Saving Hanno is a story about an aspect of World War II that most people don't know or just don't want to think about. But the act of putting pets down was quite widespread at the beginning of the war in Britain. Pets weren't allowed in shelters, and rationing meant little left over for feeding a pet. This is the dilemma that Rudi faced with Hanno. After all he had given up - his home, his parents, to some extent even his sister - how could he give up his beloved Hanno, this time with no hope of getting him back?

Besides depicting the fate of one beloved pet, Saving Hanno also illustrates two different situations that Jewish kids who were sent to England on the short-lived Kindertransport (1938-1940). Rudi is very welcomed by the childless Don and Irene Evans, who show consideration for his dietary needs, as well as just treating with kindness and understanding. Lotte, on the other hand, ends up in a family that treats her like a free servant, keeping her out of school and giving her only one day off a week. One can only imagine what other situations the Kindertransport children found themselves in.

Throughout his stay in London, Rudi never loses hope that his parents will find a way to leave Germany and get to England. To keep that hope alive, he keeps a notebook of things they might find helpful once they arrive. I thought it was a sweet touch, but also lets readers know some of the day-to-day things Rudi faced as a refugee.

After I finished reading Saving Hanno, I discovered that Miriam Halahmy had written an early book called The Emergency Zoo, a longer novel that is about the saving animals about to be put down because of the war. Now, I can't wait to read it. Saving Hanno is an ideal book for kids in the early middle school grades, while The Emergency Zoo looks to be a book for kids in later middle school.

I think Saving Hanno is a story that kids will definitely like.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library

[Barbara]

Although I would have liked even more detail about how Hanno, the refugee dog, came to England and his beloved master, Rudi, I'm sure many youngsters will love this story. After all, it isn't only humans or the environment that suffer during a war. Animals do too. The book begins in late 1938 when Rudi and his best friend become increasingly uncomfortable at school due to a new teacher and bullying by their classmates. Not only do their parents decide that they should no longer attend classes, but eventually, Rudi's parents decide to send him and his older sister Lotte to England via the Kindertransport. The nine-year-old boy is bereft at the thought of leaving his dog behind, and somehow his parents arrange for Hanno to be smuggled in as well. But Rudi must wait six months while Hanno is quarantine before they can be reunited. Although the family with whom Rudi is staying treats him well, it is not easy to be separated from the rest of his family, including Lotte, who is living with another family and serving as their maid. The book captures the loneliness and yearning of a young boy surrounded by unfamiliar ways and language as well as some of the prejudicial attitudes he faces. As it seems that Germany is about to invade the country, many citizens decide to euthanize their pets. When he overhears the family with whom he's staying talking about this, he seeks help from a new friend, Sidney, who is interested in Rudi's culture and language. It was interesting to see how friendship came from someone that others were disdainful about because of his family's poverty and to learn that there were children who were determined to keep the pets from being killed. The ending seemed abrupt, and I'd have wanted to know more about what happened to Hanno, the other pets, and Rudi and Lotte. Clearly, some youngsters had an easier time than others after they were uprooted from their homes. But even so, how hard it must have been to be all alone and living with individuals that you didn't know. Despite the slim narrative, I had never read a story that covered this part of the war, which makes this one well worth reading, especially for young readers about Rudi's age.

[Teresa Bateman]

Rudi is a nine-year-old Jewish boy in Hitler's Germany. Gradually he sees his family's rights eroding. Then he and his older sister are placed in a kindertransport train and sent to England where they will be safe. What he misses most is his dog, Hanno. Fortunately someone volunteers to bring the dog over and put him into quarantine. The war is still going on, and things in England are getting dicey. Soon children will be evacuated from London to the country. Pets are a needless waste of resources and there is a call to put them down. How will Rudi save his beloved little dog? While a fiction book, the author points out the historical elements that are true, including the killing of pets, in the end notes. This is a short book aimed at 3rd to 5th graders and providing a child's eye view of history.

[Melissa]

What a great piece of historical fiction for third and fourth graders. The story walks a perfect line, true to history but only showing what a child of nine would know at the time. A young boy and his sister are sent by their family to England after Kristallnacht. The family, trying to soften the blow for the young boy Rudi, manage to get a gentile coworker, who is also emigrating, to transport the boys pet dachshund, Hanno. Six months later, done with quarantine, Hanno and Rudi are reunited but just in time for the evacuation of children from London and the mass euthanization of pets before bombing and rationing. Once again Rudi must find a way to save his beloved pet.

[Mary Louise Sanchez]

Young children will relate to nine-year-old Rudi and his sister who are sent from Germany to England for their safety but Rudi isn't allowed to take his beloved dachshund Hanno with him. After six months, Hanno arrives in England but now England is not as safe as before and people are euthanizing their pets because of rationing that will come. Rudi must come up with a plan quickly so that Hanno is safe.

The book's size and book cover will attract the younger reader. The story will give them historical background about WWII and a hero to root for.

[Melinda Bender]

Rubi lives in Germany and the Nazis are taking over and treating Jewish citizens terribly. Rubi’s parent send him and his sister Lotte to England to be safe but, Rubi wants to take his dog Hanno along. He finds someone who is willing to take Hanno separately and then meet up with Rubi. Once they are reunited in England Rubi finds out that the war with Germany is eminent with England and people are putting down their pets to save on food. Can he save Hanno from this happening to him? Read to find out!

[Heather Brenton]

As an adult I really enjoyed this story. I really liked the way the characters and how the author brought WWII to life without going into crazy detail for young minds. The only thing I didn’t like and the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that the story ended so abruptly. What happened to Rudi, his family and hanno? Did he ever see his beloved doggie again? Did he end up leaving England? There are so many unknowns and I wish there was another book to answer those questions. All in all it’s a very good story for young minds about WW2

[Allison Winger]

I thought this was a very cute story and would be a great chapter book for pre-teens. Has lots of information about the Holocaust from the perspective of a 9 year old Jewish boy from Germany. Also discusses the destruction of pets at the outbreak of WWII in the UK.

[Linda "The Book Lady" Warner]

I read Hanna and remember that England told to put down pets in the Show All creatures great and small . Tristan find a fog on his porch and asked to put asleep. He doesn't he keeps the dog. Do getting it is Hanno out of Germany . Hanno is the danger in England too

[Edward Sullivan]

A short chapter book about nine-year-old Rudi who cannot bear the idea of leaving behind his beloved dachshund when has a chance to leave the dangers of Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport to England.

[Kelly Jahng]

A good short historical novel, different from the typical holocaust story. It kept me guessing until the end, and I enjoyed the diverse characters and unique angle on WWII history.

[Mary Lois]

I liked this short kids book but wanted a little bit more- story seems to just end abruptly.

[Jessica F]

I don't know how you set a story in Nazi Germany and make it both heartwarming and appropriate for young readers, but that's exactly what Miriam Halahmy does with Saving Hanno.