Illustrator: Wendy Watson
Genre Study--Historical Fiction
I must be honest: I know very little about the non-American portions of World War II. For someone who loves history, I need to study that period more closely. Recently while doing so, I came across a fantastic piece of historical fiction called The Cats in Krasinski Square. If the book included a time stamp, it would be set in Poland in the late-1930's and early-1940's. A little girl who has escaped from a Jewish ghetto blends with the people of Warsaw. She and her sister plan to sneak food into the ghetto but hear rumblings that the Gestapo (German State Police) will be at the train station with dogs to sniff for food. The little girl cannot be outwitted, however, and she uses cats she feeds in Krasinski Square to lure the dogs away from the train station, thereby allowing the sisters to take food to their Jewish friends.A book like this takes me back to a different time. I assume a different mindset; one that allows me to empathize with people such as this little girl. This was a horrible period in world history, and children who read this book will gain a tiny bit of insight into the life of a refugee. In addition, there is a historical note included in the back of the book that gives information about Jews living in Poland. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a piece of historical fiction for middle and upper-elementary students.
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