Adam and Thomas
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- $22.99
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
HONOR 2016 - Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book
WINNER 2016 - Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries
FINALIST 2016 - National Jewish Book Awards
Adam and Thomas is the story of two nine-year-old Jewish boys who survive World War II by banding together in the forest. They are alone, visited only furtively every few days by Mina, a mercurial girl who herself has found refuge from the war by living with a peasant family. She makes secret journeys and brings the boys parcels of food at her own risk.
Adam and Thomas must learn to survive and do. They forage and build a small tree house, although it's more like a bird's nest. Adam's family dog, Miro, manages to find his way to him, to the joy of both boys. Miro brings the warmth of home with him. Echoes of the war are felt in the forest. The boys meet fugitives fleeing for their lives and try to help them. They learn to disappear in moments of danger. And they barely survive winter's harshest weather, but when things seem to be at their worst, a miracle happens.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Toward the end of WWII, nine-year-old Adam accompanies his mother from the ghetto in which they live to the edge of the forest, where she leaves him, saying, "Don't be afraid. You know our forest very well." There, he meets his classmate Thomas, also left by his mother, and suggests they wait together. Days turn into weeks and months, and seasons change; the boys build a nest in a tree, forage for fruit, and have philosophical conversations about their parents, animals, dreams ("Was it a clear dream, or a mixed-up one?"), fitting in with others, and God. Mina, another classmate living with a peasant family, leaves them food, but they can't thank her because "She's living a hidden life now." Each chapter begins with Dumas's (The Story of Edward) spidery ink drawings, washed with pale blues and greens, which suggest a liminal state of being. Based on Appelfeld's (The Conversion) own childhood, this simple yet profound tale conveys the astonishing power of thoughtful friendship to inspire generosity, compassion, and courage enough to withstand unthinkable horrors. Ages 8 12.
