This exceptional graphic novel was written by R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder and Auggie & Me. Palacio begins the novel with Julian, a character from Wonder, video-calling his Grandmere to learn about the Holocaust for a school assignment. We see a different side to Julian, who has started a new school year with some regrets about his prior behaviour. Julian’s grandmother agrees to tell him everything in the hope that the future generation will not repeat past mistakes. Julian is moved by his Grandmere’s story that is equal parts survival and suffering. The emotional depth of the story is breathtaking, and Palacio artfully grabs the reader’s heart without going into traumatising physical detail. If you are looking for a story of concentration camps and death marches, you will not get it here. If you are looking for a story about bystanders, regrets, standing up for change and the beauty of human relationships in the midst of ugliness, then this is the novel for you. Middle grade readers will learn about history and being a good human in equal measures from this beautiful graphic novel. There is a poignant link to current political events towards the end of the novel, which readers will (hopefully) reflect on carefully too. Kudos to Palacio for creating yet another powerful story and branching out into a completely different medium. We absolutely loved it.
This novel would be perfect for all readers but is particularly worth considering for struggling and resistant readers, as it really packs a punch with an economy of words. Alternatively, it would make an engaging extension or companion text for students studying novels such as Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne), The Wrong Boy (Suzy Zail), The Girl in the Blue Coat (Monica Hesse), The War that Saved My Life (Kimberley Brubaker Bradley) and Once (Morris Gleitzman) (to name a few).
