Running With Ivan

by Suzanne Leal

Yearning to escape the new family he never wanted, thirteen-year-old Leo Arnold is transported to wartime Europe where he must draw on his courage to save himself and those around him.

From award-winning author Suzanne Leal comes a gripping timeslip novel inspired by true stories.


Thirteen-year-old Leo Arnold hates his life. He doesn't want a new school, a new house or a new family. And he definitely doesn't want to be sharing a room with his new stepbrother, Cooper.

What Leo wants is to be somewhere else, far away. So when he uncovers an old music box and turns the key, he is astonished to find himself in Prague, surrounded by whispers and fears of a second world war. A war that ended decades ago.

In Prague, Leo meets Ivan, a Czech boy, and the two become friends. But when World War Two finally erupts, the unimaginable becomes real and the boys are imprisoned. Fearing the worst, Leo and Ivan frantically search for an escape. A search that sends them running.

Running against time.

Running for their lives.



PRAISE

'... the very best tradition of the time slip, of one era seeping into another, one culture and dangerous set of events invading another' - Tom Keneally AO

'... dramatic, big-hearted story' - Ursula Dubosarsky

'... a moving exploration of courage, friendship and commitment' - Sophie Masson AM

'... a remarkable feat of storytelling' - James Moloney

'Immersive and sensitive historical fiction, Running with Ivan is perfectly pitched for readers 10 to 12; imagine The Messenger crossed with Playing Beatie Bow.' - Books + Publishing

AWARDS

Shortlisted - 2023 NSW Premier's History Awards (Young People's History Prize)

Longlisted - 2024 Book Links Award for Children's Historical Fiction

Genres: Time Travel, War, Historical, Family, Historical Fiction

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

I'm the author of novels THE WATCHFUL WIFE, RUNNING WITH IVAN, THE DECEPTIONS, THE TEACHER'S SECRET and BORDER STREET.

A regular interviewer and presenter at literary events and festivals, I was the senior judge for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards from 2017 to 2019 and am now a board director of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. I'm also a lawyer with a background in child protection, criminal law and refugee law. I'm also the weekly host of Thursday Book Club, a relaxed, friendly place to chat about books online, To join us, sign up (for free) on my website:www.suzanneleal.com.

I live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, David, my four children, a Japanese Spitz called Milly and a cat we accidentally acquired called Leo,

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers cup book, so writing questions.

Time travel, friendship, war.

[Denise Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://denisenewtonwrites.com/?p=4088

How do you explain to youngsters an event as unimaginable as the Holocaust in a way that elicits empathy and understanding rather than trauma?

Australian author Suzanne Leal has chosen a timeslip novel that allows readers to imagine themselves in the midst of such horror, while relating it to modern-day concerns of children and teens.

Running with Ivan is a terrific example of how timeslip stories can immerse a reader in the past (or future) while remaining connected to their own present. I was especially moved to read that the idea for the story came from the author’s friendship with a Czech man who had himself experienced the horrors of Theresienstadt.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for teacher/librarian bookclub. Good time travel story back to Nazi era in Prague and Germany with a lovely twist at the end. Recommend for upper primary. Author notes provide a touching insight into the back story of the novel and I would recommend reading the notes first to provide more insight into the history of the novel.

[Dallas Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very sweet book for middle-graders, but also for older-graders like myself 😁. Leo has just joined a new family and is having trouble with his step-siblings. A magic music box transports him back to the early days of WWII where he experiences firsthand the horrors of being a Jew in Nazi Germany. This was a lovely time travel story with a cute twist. I read the last half of the book in an afternoon.

[Laura Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect! If I could give 10 stars I would

CBCA 2024 - notable list.

[Dina Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly moving and engaging story for all ages

[Laura Pascoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son brought this book home to read for Regional Readers Cup. What an amazing read. Having visited the town near Prague and being from a running family, I could really relate to the content. A great way of explaining the realities of WW2 to younger readers. Will be reading more from this author.

[Klee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They came for him, I wanted to cry out. They came for Ivan’s father. And they took him. All because of the radio."

Middle grade history timeslip - yes please! Thirteen year old Leo hates life - his dad has moved in with his new wife and he now has two new jerk step brothers. He is forced to share his bedroom with one of them - Cooper, who is particularly cruel. Leo finds a safe haven in a room off the garage and comes across a music box. He finds out that when he winds it up, he is transported to the 1940s! In Prague, he meets Ivan, and the two become friends. But when World War 2 tears Ivan's world apart, can Leo get the courage to return and help his friend? In the ghetto of Theresienstadt, Leo must face adversity like he has never known, he must make decisions that could change history forever.

This book is a tastefully emotive introduction to the atrocities of WW2 for our younger readers. I personally didn't know about Theresienstadt, so as an adult I appreciated the knew knowledge provided by this novel too. This book is gently emotive and I would recommend this one for every school library - lest the next generation forgets the potential destruction of fascism.

Than you to the publisher for providing me this read for an honest review.

[Alexander L Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific and magical book. Suzanne Leal's first for younger audiences, she maintains the poise and subtlety from her previous novels yet expresses this harrowing story in a mode entirely accessible to the young. Even as an adult, the book is a terrific read.

We follow the protagonist, Leo, through his struggle adjusting to a new family in modern Australia whilst travelling back to different points of Czechoslovakia leading up to and during the Holocaust. Although the book shows struggles of very different scales, Suzanne Leal has once again demonstrated her excellence at balancing relatable stories from the present with horrific stories from the past. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Kim Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love time-slip novels and this one didn’t disappoint. Leo is struggling with a new family when his father remarries after the death of Leo’s mother. His step-brother is a bully and sharing a room with him is torturous.
When Leo finds a music box in the garage he winds it up and is transported to Europe just before ww2 breaks out. He meets Ivan and their adventure through the years begins.
Highly recommend for ages 9+

[IvyZuzu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite unique at the ending and was extremely unexpected. I thought Cooper and Leo would become good friends after understanding what they both had gone through. Instead, the author, Suzanne Leal, left us on a cliffhanger of their friendship and they most likely stayed enemies. Leo’s mum died, and he, with his dad, lives with Cooper’s family now. Cooper’s dad works at an army and most likely has divorced with Cooper’s mum earlier. This book is most suitable for 13-16 year olds as the story is complex and may be hard to understand for younger readers. People who like twists or time traveling would also enjoy this book. My favourite part was when Leo finally decided to tell Cooper how he felt - how he hated Cooper.

[Charlotte Clutterbuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent source for class-room discussion for students learning about the Holocaust for the first time. Through the time travel of her main character, Leo, Leal covers the rise of Hitler and some of the realities of Theresienstadt, without being too harrowing for younger readers. Throughout his adventures, Leo must also learn to adjust to the death of his mother, and his fraught relationship with his new step-brother Cooper. This makes for a complex and thoughtful tale. In the early chapters, Leal sensitively suggests some of the difficulties the obnoxious Cooper faces. I would have liked to see this more developed at the end of the book.

[✧.*aleks·˚ ༘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

for a middle grade book — it’s very appropriate and serves as a good mild introduction to the world war 2 scene.
however, at times i feel like the writing lacked the depth that it easily trying to have. the characters are hard to invest yourself in as it seems like they have very little agency and individualism apart from leo. it’s a problem to expect from a lot of middle grade books, since kids are really looking for a whole lot of nuance, but for a book focusing on the literal holocaust, i just felt like it could’ve been helpful to drive the emotional narrative.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 11 year old granddaughter. It is a superb middle grade book that helps the young reader begin to understand the Holocaust. The novel uses time slip to tell its story. The novel actually has two stories. One is the difficulty of two families merging to become one after death and divorce. The other story is that of the Holocaust. Shortlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize, this is an exceptional story for middle grade children.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a big fan of Running with Ivan although it is receiving positive reviews from many readers. I didn't like the timeslip element and I couldn't emotionally connect with any of the characters. I usually enjoy middle-school novels but this one never won me over. However, I did appreciate how the novel ended.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical time slip novels are amongst my favourite middle grade novels and this title was a delight to read.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

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