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Faraway Island #1
Een eiland in zee
Zweden 1939. De joodse zusjes Steffi en Nelli worden door hun ouders uit Wenen weggestuurd, omdat de nazi's het de Joden steeds moeilijker maken. De zusjes komen op een Zweeds eiland terecht.
Terwijl Nelli snel vriendinnetjes vindt en vergeet heimwee te hebben, worstelt Steffi met de vreemde taal, de vijandige klasgenoten en de stugge tante Märta bij wie ze in huis woont.
Dan breekt in Oostenrijk de oorlog uit. Zullen Steffi en Nelli hun ouders ooit weerzien? (Lemniscaat)
Terwijl Nelli snel vriendinnetjes vindt en vergeet heimwee te hebben, worstelt Steffi met de vreemde taal, de vijandige klasgenoten en de stugge tante Märta bij wie ze in huis woont.
Dan breekt in Oostenrijk de oorlog uit. Zullen Steffi en Nelli hun ouders ooit weerzien? (Lemniscaat)
206 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
113 people are currently reading
1759 people want to read
About the author
Annika Thor
43 books65 followersAnnika Thor grew up in a Jewish family in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the 1950s and 60s. She started work as a librarian and then went on to work as a film and television critic, and finally dedicated herself to writing books, plays, and screenplays for young people. She is one of Sweden’s best known authors for young people. Her books have been translated into many languages and have won many prizes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
June 14, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up
I should know better than to read award-winning middle grade fiction. Not even for language practice. Even back when I was the target readership for this type of novel, I severely disliked them and time hasn't made them any better.
Most of the time nothing much happens other than a bunch of kid stuff (school, friends, sibling fights) interspersed with how adult stuff (death, illness, alcoholism, war, etc) slugs the kid out of nowhere, leaving them depressed, angry, acting out, and generally troubled or mentally/emotionally screwed. Helpless victims of fate and their familial situation.
No thank you.
This Swedish novel tells the story of two Austrian Jewish sisters who are sent to Sweden in 1939 as part of the 500 Jewish children Sweden accepted as asylum seekers (they took no adults). That's really interesting, but it's dropped in favor of long stretches of meandering about:
1) homesickness
2) nasty kids at school
3) being placed alone with a poor fisher family while sis gets fam with host-siblings
4) learning about Swedish customs and Sweden in general
Every now and then something interesting happens - such as when Germany invades Norway and Denmark - but it is given only 1 page of stage time whereas the MC learning to ride a bike takes up 5 whole detail-intensive pages.
Let's see...
Jewish girl hears that the Nazis she fled from are at the door and adults are freaking out about immanent invasion: 1 page
Jewish girl learns how to ride a bike: 5 pages
I don't know...
The writing is also oddly distant as well as cursory, and the character of Steffi, the MC, never feels close enough to touch. We follow her around, but we don't really know what's going on in her heart or mind, which does nothing to engage the reader. The adult Swedes are done far better.
I have no idea -- other than it's about Jews in WW2 -- what won this book so many awards. But then I willing admit not understanding the appeal of middle grade fiction. Esp those that win major awards. Hence the average 2.5 rating and a rounding up.
I should know better than to read award-winning middle grade fiction. Not even for language practice. Even back when I was the target readership for this type of novel, I severely disliked them and time hasn't made them any better.
Most of the time nothing much happens other than a bunch of kid stuff (school, friends, sibling fights) interspersed with how adult stuff (death, illness, alcoholism, war, etc) slugs the kid out of nowhere, leaving them depressed, angry, acting out, and generally troubled or mentally/emotionally screwed. Helpless victims of fate and their familial situation.
No thank you.
This Swedish novel tells the story of two Austrian Jewish sisters who are sent to Sweden in 1939 as part of the 500 Jewish children Sweden accepted as asylum seekers (they took no adults). That's really interesting, but it's dropped in favor of long stretches of meandering about:
1) homesickness
2) nasty kids at school
3) being placed alone with a poor fisher family while sis gets fam with host-siblings
4) learning about Swedish customs and Sweden in general
Every now and then something interesting happens - such as when Germany invades Norway and Denmark - but it is given only 1 page of stage time whereas the MC learning to ride a bike takes up 5 whole detail-intensive pages.
Let's see...
Jewish girl hears that the Nazis she fled from are at the door and adults are freaking out about immanent invasion: 1 page
Jewish girl learns how to ride a bike: 5 pages
I don't know...
The writing is also oddly distant as well as cursory, and the character of Steffi, the MC, never feels close enough to touch. We follow her around, but we don't really know what's going on in her heart or mind, which does nothing to engage the reader. The adult Swedes are done far better.
I have no idea -- other than it's about Jews in WW2 -- what won this book so many awards. But then I willing admit not understanding the appeal of middle grade fiction. Esp those that win major awards. Hence the average 2.5 rating and a rounding up.
May 27, 2018
Only when I had the book in hand did I realize this was the first book in a series of four books, and it looks as though the fourth is unfortunately not yet translated into English. I do wish that this story was told in one long book; sometimes I don’t like having to read multiple books to read what is essentially one story. I wasn’t sure I would read on but I plan to keep reading and hope that the fourth book will eventually be available for me to read. This is a wonderful first book. The series is apparently very popular in Sweden and a mini-series was made based on it. I’d love to see it, with English subtitles.
This is a lovely story. It’s a great story with great characters. I loved the two sisters from the start and came to care about a great many of the characters.
It’s heartbreaking but not depressing. In fact, if anything it’s uplifting.
Via the viewpoint of the twelve year old older daughter it gives a great feel for what it would feel like to move to a strange place, to experience the loss of family, to feel lonely, to be bullied, to be different from those around you, to have strangeness turn into familiarity.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, so often true in books, possibly especially children’s books. In one of the fairly early scenes I wondered if a 12 year old would be that naïve even as a stranger with a strange language, and I could have done without the two painful dog scenes, one in real time and one via a memory.
There is a helpful, informative, touching author’s note at the end about her personal connections with this story (she is Jewish and grew up in Sweden, and had relatives who’d died in the Holocaust) and also about refugee children, and about the history of how Sweden took in 500 Jewish children from three countries in Nazi occupied Europe early in the war.
4-1/2 stars I’m rounding down but I’m tempted to change my rating and give it 5 stars. It’s an excellent book.
This is a lovely story. It’s a great story with great characters. I loved the two sisters from the start and came to care about a great many of the characters.
It’s heartbreaking but not depressing. In fact, if anything it’s uplifting.
Via the viewpoint of the twelve year old older daughter it gives a great feel for what it would feel like to move to a strange place, to experience the loss of family, to feel lonely, to be bullied, to be different from those around you, to have strangeness turn into familiarity.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, so often true in books, possibly especially children’s books. In one of the fairly early scenes I wondered if a 12 year old would be that naïve even as a stranger with a strange language, and I could have done without the two painful dog scenes, one in real time and one via a memory.
There is a helpful, informative, touching author’s note at the end about her personal connections with this story (she is Jewish and grew up in Sweden, and had relatives who’d died in the Holocaust) and also about refugee children, and about the history of how Sweden took in 500 Jewish children from three countries in Nazi occupied Europe early in the war.
4-1/2 stars I’m rounding down but I’m tempted to change my rating and give it 5 stars. It’s an excellent book.
October 7, 2021
A Story of Struggle
“Faraway Island” is a very well written book about two Austrian girls who are sent to Sweden at the beginning of World War II. And the sad part of it is that they’re sent without their parents but our host it by very nice Swedish people.
Again, this kind of book reminds us of the pain it was caused by the Nazis. And how we hope it will never happen again.
Very fast-moving book with tremendous character descriptions.
I recommend highly
“Faraway Island” is a very well written book about two Austrian girls who are sent to Sweden at the beginning of World War II. And the sad part of it is that they’re sent without their parents but our host it by very nice Swedish people.
Again, this kind of book reminds us of the pain it was caused by the Nazis. And how we hope it will never happen again.
Very fast-moving book with tremendous character descriptions.
I recommend highly
January 30, 2020
En ungdomsbok som värmer hjärta. Fortsätter med andra delen rakt av.
October 28, 2017
Andra gången jag läser dessa böcker och de är ännu bättre nu! Älskar den historiska miljön och karaktärerna. Läs hela recensionen här: https://ewelinasbokblogg.blogspot.se/...
August 8, 2013
I listened to the audio translation of this book. At first, I was going to give this book a "2" rating. Poor Stephie: she is the victim of constant bullying and brutality through the first half of the book. This brutality includes having her braids set on fire with a candle. Besides the bullying, Stephie seems to have a knack for making poor choices based on her stubbornness that cause her endless grief. So one way or another, she is beset by difficulties. It became so frightful that I began to see if there would ever be a chapter in this book where something horrible doesn't happen to her. It took into the high twenties before there was a chapter where she did not experience some kind of taunting or predicament of her own causing.
Now this is a story that needed to be told, viz. the tale of the 500 Jewish children who were allowed to enter Sweden prior to the beginning of WWII. I enjoyed reading about the disparities between the children's Vienna upbringing and their new Swedish home. I appreciated the insights into Swedish culture.
The later chapters develop the foster-parents' character more fully. For most of the book, I felt that Aunt Marta was portrayed as a caricature. Yet you knew that there had to be more to her story, which you eventually find out. But why couldn't these insights have been developed throughout the course of the story, instead of at the denouement?
If I had read about some of the more normal experiences of living in Sweden which Stephie had during those unrelenting chapters of woe, it would have provided a more balanced look at her life. Because frankly, her life is portrayed as so horrible I was not surprised when she decided, again in another foolish decision, to take to the ice and head for the mainland.
Of course I have to allow for the fact that the consciousness about bullying is not as high then as it is now. I suppose in even my own generation of upbringing that such behavior was believed to toughen up kids who were on the receiving end, i.e. to build their character. But the fact that the adults are so clueless about what is happening to Stephie and the behavior which she endures from her peers makes this novel a prime anti-bullying text on top of its historical value.
The reason that I raised this book to a "3" rating was that in the final few chapters the book finally fleshed out other characters in the text who had been stick figures beforehand. We start to see some more normal activity, such as Stephie fishing with her Uncle Evert, that helps to develop the interrelationships between characters better. The story progresses more as well, instead of just being about Stephie as victim of herself and others.
Now this is a story that needed to be told, viz. the tale of the 500 Jewish children who were allowed to enter Sweden prior to the beginning of WWII. I enjoyed reading about the disparities between the children's Vienna upbringing and their new Swedish home. I appreciated the insights into Swedish culture.
The later chapters develop the foster-parents' character more fully. For most of the book, I felt that Aunt Marta was portrayed as a caricature. Yet you knew that there had to be more to her story, which you eventually find out. But why couldn't these insights have been developed throughout the course of the story, instead of at the denouement?
If I had read about some of the more normal experiences of living in Sweden which Stephie had during those unrelenting chapters of woe, it would have provided a more balanced look at her life. Because frankly, her life is portrayed as so horrible I was not surprised when she decided, again in another foolish decision, to take to the ice and head for the mainland.
Of course I have to allow for the fact that the consciousness about bullying is not as high then as it is now. I suppose in even my own generation of upbringing that such behavior was believed to toughen up kids who were on the receiving end, i.e. to build their character. But the fact that the adults are so clueless about what is happening to Stephie and the behavior which she endures from her peers makes this novel a prime anti-bullying text on top of its historical value.
The reason that I raised this book to a "3" rating was that in the final few chapters the book finally fleshed out other characters in the text who had been stick figures beforehand. We start to see some more normal activity, such as Stephie fishing with her Uncle Evert, that helps to develop the interrelationships between characters better. The story progresses more as well, instead of just being about Stephie as victim of herself and others.
February 28, 2018
The first of a series of four historical novels set in Sweden during World War II, this book had me thinking long after I finished it. I didn't know that Sweden took in 500 Jewish refugee children just before the war started. The author's relatives were among those granted asylum, and it is their lives that she bases the story on. Stephie and her sister Nellie are sent to live in an island off the coast of Sweden, but while Nellie is given to a kind family with children, Stephie has to live with a gruff older women and her fisherman husband. Thor does an excellent job portraying Stephie's frustration as nothing goes right for her, and she feels constantly frustrated by her host family, the bullying of the local girls, her lack of friends, and her longing to help her parents back in Austria. It's a perfect example of how some refugee children, like Nellie, were able to adjust to their new surroundings fairly easily, and some, like Stephie, were not. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down, and will be reading the second book, The Lily Pond, as soon as I can. This is an outstanding novel that I highly recommend, especially if you want to understand the problems that refugee children face, no matter what era or country they're from.
November 16, 2025
Если честно, удивлена оценке этой книги, потому что ну как ее оценить меньше, чем на пять?
Это первая книга в истории про двух еврейских сестер, вынужденных сбежать из родной Вены и уехать в приемные семьи в Швецию. Повествование ведется с точки зрения старшей девочки, Штеффи. В новой стране для нее все непривычно и пугающе: холодная, отстраненная приемная мама, которую она зовет тетей; шведский язык и оторванность от страны, где она прожила всю жизнь; еда, традиции, нравы; и, не в последнюю очередь, дети в школе.
Штеффи становится объектом насмешек и буллинга со стороны местных девчонок, хотя просто хочет найти себе друзей. Ей постоянно тыкают за то, что она еврейка и приехала «устанавливать свои порядки», что конечно же не так. Штеффи всеми силами пытается слиться с общим пейзажем и даже соглашается креститься — но ее мнения никто и не спрашивает.
В предисловии российского издательства эту книгу советуют читать вместе с детьми, и я абсолютно согласна. Только узнав о том, какие другие люди могут быть жестокие, начнешь задумываться, как сам себя ведет по отношению к другим. Но то же самое работает и с хорошими, светлыми персонажами книги, которые хотят помочь Штеффи.
Это первая книга в истории про двух еврейских сестер, вынужденных сбежать из родной Вены и уехать в приемные семьи в Швецию. Повествование ведется с точки зрения старшей девочки, Штеффи. В новой стране для нее все непривычно и пугающе: холодная, отстраненная приемная мама, которую она зовет тетей; шведский язык и оторванность от страны, где она прожила всю жизнь; еда, традиции, нравы; и, не в последнюю очередь, дети в школе.
Штеффи становится объектом насмешек и буллинга со стороны местных девчонок, хотя просто хочет найти себе друзей. Ей постоянно тыкают за то, что она еврейка и приехала «устанавливать свои порядки», что конечно же не так. Штеффи всеми силами пытается слиться с общим пейзажем и даже соглашается креститься — но ее мнения никто и не спрашивает.
В предисловии российского издательства эту книгу советуют читать вместе с детьми, и я абсолютно согласна. Только узнав о том, какие другие люди могут быть жестокие, начнешь задумываться, как сам себя ведет по отношению к другим. Но то же самое работает и с хорошими, светлыми персонажами книги, которые хотят помочь Штеффи.
April 12, 2018
åh, superfin!! och gripande och verklig och kärleksfull och varm osv
September 17, 2017
Omläsning drygt 20 år sen första gången jag läste den. Mindes den väldigt stark och att jag tyckte om den, nu är den än bättre och jag ser verkligen fram emot att läsa de andra tre delarna.
January 17, 2024
Es passiert nicht sonderlich viel in dem Buch. Man darf keine großen Handlungssprünge oder weltbewegende Aktionen von der Protagonistin erwarten. Stattdessen geht es um ein jüdisches Mädchen aus Deutschland, dass zusammen mit ihrer Schwester versucht, den Alltag in Schweden zu meistern. Mobbing, Freunde finden, fehlendes Verständnis der Eltern und Streit zwischen Geschwistern sind die Themen, die hier im Vordergrund stehen.
Genau diese Dinge thematisiert das Buch aber sehr gut. Die Charaktere sind gut ausgearbeitet und die Gespräche wirken sehr authentisch. Man weiß zwar schon weit im Vorraus welche Schwierigkeiten als nächstes auf die Protagonistin zukommen, dennoch wirken sie oft unvermeidbar aufgrund der schwierigen Situation, in der sich Stephanie befindet.
Am Anfang des Buches ist es mir schwer gefallen zu unterscheiden, wann deutsch und wann schwedisch gesprochen wird. Stephanie versteht anfangs nämlich kein schwedisch. Dennoch gibt der auktoriale Erzähler in der deutschen Übersetzung ohne Hinweis alles in deutsch wieder. Auch die Gespräche nur schwedisch sprechender Charaktere. Das hat mich ein wenig ins Stolpern gebracht.
Mir hat das Buch gut gefallen. Ich fand es stellenweise sehr emotional und glaube, dass es Themen behandelt, die für Kinder eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
Genau diese Dinge thematisiert das Buch aber sehr gut. Die Charaktere sind gut ausgearbeitet und die Gespräche wirken sehr authentisch. Man weiß zwar schon weit im Vorraus welche Schwierigkeiten als nächstes auf die Protagonistin zukommen, dennoch wirken sie oft unvermeidbar aufgrund der schwierigen Situation, in der sich Stephanie befindet.
Am Anfang des Buches ist es mir schwer gefallen zu unterscheiden, wann deutsch und wann schwedisch gesprochen wird. Stephanie versteht anfangs nämlich kein schwedisch. Dennoch gibt der auktoriale Erzähler in der deutschen Übersetzung ohne Hinweis alles in deutsch wieder. Auch die Gespräche nur schwedisch sprechender Charaktere. Das hat mich ein wenig ins Stolpern gebracht.
Mir hat das Buch gut gefallen. Ich fand es stellenweise sehr emotional und glaube, dass es Themen behandelt, die für Kinder eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
October 2, 2009
Following the invasion of Austria by the Nazis, two young Jewish sisters from Vienna, twelve-year-old Stephie Steiner and her eight-year-old sister, Nellie, are sent away by their parents to safety in Sweden. Their parents hopes the family can reunite soon and travel to a safer country, but shortly after the sisters arrive in Sweden, World War II breaks out in Europe, trapping the two young girls in a strange and foreign country, away from their parents.
The two girls are placed in separate homes on a small island in Sweden, and have very different experiences. Nellie loves her foster parents, who have young children of their own. Stephie however is placed with a seemingly cold and unloving childless couple. While the younger Nellie quickly adapts to life in a strange new country, Stephie struggles to learn the new language, and feels like an outcast in school. Will she ever adjust to her new country and new life? And what will become of the parents she left behind?
Before reading A Faraway Island, I had never even heard of the story of the 500 Jewish refugee children Sweden accepted just before the start of World War II. The author, Annika Thor, grew up in a Jewish family in Sweden and had young refugee cousins who had fled the Nazis in Europe. She has published three other books about Stephie and Nellie in Sweden, that tell the rest of their story during and shortly after World War II, and I hope to see them published in English so I can find out the rest of of the story. This book would make a good choice for preteens looking to supplement their learning about World War II with historical fiction, as well as for any reader looking for a unique story set in this time period.
The two girls are placed in separate homes on a small island in Sweden, and have very different experiences. Nellie loves her foster parents, who have young children of their own. Stephie however is placed with a seemingly cold and unloving childless couple. While the younger Nellie quickly adapts to life in a strange new country, Stephie struggles to learn the new language, and feels like an outcast in school. Will she ever adjust to her new country and new life? And what will become of the parents she left behind?
Before reading A Faraway Island, I had never even heard of the story of the 500 Jewish refugee children Sweden accepted just before the start of World War II. The author, Annika Thor, grew up in a Jewish family in Sweden and had young refugee cousins who had fled the Nazis in Europe. She has published three other books about Stephie and Nellie in Sweden, that tell the rest of their story during and shortly after World War II, and I hope to see them published in English so I can find out the rest of of the story. This book would make a good choice for preteens looking to supplement their learning about World War II with historical fiction, as well as for any reader looking for a unique story set in this time period.
July 28, 2018
Two Jewish sisters are evacuated from Austria to Sweden by the Swedish Aid Society. The story mostly follows the older sister Stephie who lives with "Aunt Marta" and "Uncle Evert" on a small island. Evert is a fisherman by trade, and the couple doesn't have much money. Nellie lives in the same village with another couple, although the plan had been for the two girls to live together. Nellie ends up adapting to the new situation and making friends more easily than Stephie who is bullied by classmates. Stephie dreams of going to "grammar school" upon completion of the sixth grade (which she'd already completed in Austria) and of eventually becoming a doctor like her father. The girls also work to try to get their parents out of Austria into Sweden after their parents' attempts to get into America fail. A friend and I listened to the first thirty-seven chapters on the audio book on a trip. I had to complete the short remainder with the e-book version available to me. I really enjoyed the narrator of the English translation. I also enjoyed the author's comments at the conclusion of the book and hope to be able to read or listen to the remainder of the books in the series.
June 29, 2010
A touching book. Two sisters, Stephie, 12, and Nellie, 7, are sent to Sweden as part of a children's refugee program to escape the Nazi occupation and repression in Austria. Nellie adapts to her family quickly, embracing the language and her adopted parents. Stephie struggles with trying to fit in, while maintaining her Jewish and Austrian identity. Stephie also has an uneasy relationship with her strict adoptive mother, whom she calls Aunt Marta, as well as problems with the school bully. Above all, she worries about her parents and wants to reunite with them. Or, try to get them to Sweden. By the end of the book, of course, it's obvious the troubles in Europe are not only going to last longer than most people initially thought, but they are spreading. This is the first in a series of translated books. The characters are well-rounded, and most are sympathetic. It strikes me as an honest look at what the children probably faced. The author used real-life stories from children in similar situations.
May 3, 2025
Hele serie is zeldzaam meer-dan-goed.
Graag herlezen, het was een verrijking. Ik schreef een lang stuk:
https://lezersgoud.nl/annika-thor-ser...
Graag herlezen, het was een verrijking. Ik schreef een lang stuk:
https://lezersgoud.nl/annika-thor-ser...
July 21, 2017
Som barn älskade jag bokserien "En ö i havet", berättelsen om de två systrarna som skickas från Wien till den lilla göteborgska ön i Sverige, i flykt undan nazisterna.
Nu, nästan tio år sedan jag läste den första boken senast, är den fortfarande lika gripande och viktig. Hur systrarna bearbetar vad som hänt dem, hur de försöker förstå och anpassa sig till sin nya miljö, hur människorna omkring dem bemöter dem, och Steffis känslor kring allting. Tycker hennes relation med Evert är så fin.
Det är berättelsen som är dess stora styrka, snarare än språket som är väldigt enkelt, på gränsen till platt. Jag har alltid föredragit målande beskrivningar med många superlativ, och hade väl önskat det med denna också. Språket känns så övergripande att det nästan - bara nästan - skapar en distans mellan läsaren och karaktärerna. Men det är en petitess i sammanhanget, eftersom själva berättelsen är så fin, bra och viktig. Dessutom, jag som tjugotvååring är ju faktiskt inte målgrupp - utan typ 9-12-åringar - och det passar den helt perfekt för.
Ps: Sara Edströms nydesignade omslag till bokserien är så oerhört fina!!
Nu, nästan tio år sedan jag läste den första boken senast, är den fortfarande lika gripande och viktig. Hur systrarna bearbetar vad som hänt dem, hur de försöker förstå och anpassa sig till sin nya miljö, hur människorna omkring dem bemöter dem, och Steffis känslor kring allting. Tycker hennes relation med Evert är så fin.
Det är berättelsen som är dess stora styrka, snarare än språket som är väldigt enkelt, på gränsen till platt. Jag har alltid föredragit målande beskrivningar med många superlativ, och hade väl önskat det med denna också. Språket känns så övergripande att det nästan - bara nästan - skapar en distans mellan läsaren och karaktärerna. Men det är en petitess i sammanhanget, eftersom själva berättelsen är så fin, bra och viktig. Dessutom, jag som tjugotvååring är ju faktiskt inte målgrupp - utan typ 9-12-åringar - och det passar den helt perfekt för.
Ps: Sara Edströms nydesignade omslag till bokserien är så oerhört fina!!
October 30, 2024
3.5⭐️
Det märks att det är en ungdomsbok men jag tycker fortfarande att den är bra.
Läste den här serien när jag gick i femman så det var väldigt nostalgiskt och kul att få läsa iallafall första igen🥰
Det märks att det är en ungdomsbok men jag tycker fortfarande att den är bra.
Läste den här serien när jag gick i femman så det var väldigt nostalgiskt och kul att få läsa iallafall första igen🥰
January 30, 2019
Adorable histoire. J'ai lu dans une critique que c'était bouleversant sans être larmoyant, et je suis d'accord. J'ai beaucoup aimé et je vais attaquer le second tome dans la minute. Seul problème, le livre 4 n'est pas disponible à la bibliothèque...
January 9, 2025
Nazisternas judeförföljelser sprider sig utanför Tysklands gränser och drabbar familjen Steiner som bor i Wien i Österrike. Föräldrarna väljer att skicka iväg sina två döttrar, Steffi och Nelli, till Sverige i väntan på att sina egna inresetillstånd till Amerika är klara.
Steffi, som är tolv år gammal, förväntas ta hand om sin lillasyster Nelli. Flickorna har ingen aning om vad som väntar när tåget anländer till Göteborg. Deras väntan efter att bli hämtade vid centralen blir utdragen och en kvinna från hjälpkomittéen får slussa vidare flickorna till en båt som ska ta dem till den ö där de ska bo. Väl framme möts de av en kvinna vid namn Alma som tar med flickorna hem till sig. Steffi och Nelli har blivit försäkrade om att de ska få bo tillsammans men snart går det upp för flickorna att de ska få bo hos varsin familj. Nelli kommer stanna kvar hos Alma och hennes man Sigurd och deras barn och Steffi kommer bo hemma hos en kvinna vid namn Märta och hennes man Evert.
Den nya tillvaron påverkar flickorna på olika sätt. Nelli har lättare att smälta in i sin nya vardag och lär sig språket snabbare. För Steffi går det långsamt och hon tampas med stark hemlängtan, att ta ansvar för sin systers välmående samtidigt som hon brottas med utanförskapet som hon möter i samhället och i skolan.
Båda flickorna har kontakt med sina föräldrar via brevväxling. Steffi längtar efter att få svar på om hennes föräldrar kommer komma snart men ju längre tid som går desto tydligare blir det att föräldrarna inte kommer kunna resa från Wien. Samtidigt rör sig tyskarna närmare Sverige i och med ockupationen av Danmark och Norge och det hot som en gång känts avlägset får känslor av osäkerhet att bubbla upp inom Steffi.
Utanförskapet och längtan efter vänskap är det som jag skulle vilja säga löper som en röd tråd genom romanen. Utanförskapet når sitt klimax mot slutet och handlingen tar en tvär vändning som gör att Steffis tillvaro ändras drastiskt och ljusas upp.
”En ö i havet” av Annika Thor är en välskriven ungdomsroman som ger läsaren en möjlighet att sätta sig in i det livsöden som många judiska barn hade under tiden för andra världskriget. Den behandlar ämnen som sorg, längtan, hopp, förtvivlan, vänskap och utanförskap. Det är berättelse med många lager.
Steffi, som är tolv år gammal, förväntas ta hand om sin lillasyster Nelli. Flickorna har ingen aning om vad som väntar när tåget anländer till Göteborg. Deras väntan efter att bli hämtade vid centralen blir utdragen och en kvinna från hjälpkomittéen får slussa vidare flickorna till en båt som ska ta dem till den ö där de ska bo. Väl framme möts de av en kvinna vid namn Alma som tar med flickorna hem till sig. Steffi och Nelli har blivit försäkrade om att de ska få bo tillsammans men snart går det upp för flickorna att de ska få bo hos varsin familj. Nelli kommer stanna kvar hos Alma och hennes man Sigurd och deras barn och Steffi kommer bo hemma hos en kvinna vid namn Märta och hennes man Evert.
Den nya tillvaron påverkar flickorna på olika sätt. Nelli har lättare att smälta in i sin nya vardag och lär sig språket snabbare. För Steffi går det långsamt och hon tampas med stark hemlängtan, att ta ansvar för sin systers välmående samtidigt som hon brottas med utanförskapet som hon möter i samhället och i skolan.
Båda flickorna har kontakt med sina föräldrar via brevväxling. Steffi längtar efter att få svar på om hennes föräldrar kommer komma snart men ju längre tid som går desto tydligare blir det att föräldrarna inte kommer kunna resa från Wien. Samtidigt rör sig tyskarna närmare Sverige i och med ockupationen av Danmark och Norge och det hot som en gång känts avlägset får känslor av osäkerhet att bubbla upp inom Steffi.
Utanförskapet och längtan efter vänskap är det som jag skulle vilja säga löper som en röd tråd genom romanen. Utanförskapet når sitt klimax mot slutet och handlingen tar en tvär vändning som gör att Steffis tillvaro ändras drastiskt och ljusas upp.
”En ö i havet” av Annika Thor är en välskriven ungdomsroman som ger läsaren en möjlighet att sätta sig in i det livsöden som många judiska barn hade under tiden för andra världskriget. Den behandlar ämnen som sorg, längtan, hopp, förtvivlan, vänskap och utanförskap. Det är berättelse med många lager.
April 4, 2013
Audience: This book is intended for grades 4th-6th with an interest in historical fiction.
Appeal: What appeals most about the book is it based on real accounts of Jewish sisters being transported from their parents to Sweden to escape the Nazi’s. It has a lot of relativity that 4th-6th graders can understand, with or without siblings.
Application: I would like to apply this book to my classroom by giving a whole lesson on the Holocaust and what things may have been like around that time. Have the students break off into groups of about 4-5 and give each group a book relating to the topic we are discussing, (example: Faraway Island.) They read a couple chapters each night, then collaborate with their peers the next day in class discussing what they liked and disliked, and write down their own feelings as well as peer’s feelings. At the end, have the students make some sort of project, whether it be powerpoint, poster, memory box, etc. that would give the other groups a sense of what it was like for one book’s aspect. Another thing I would like to do with this book specifically is to read it aloud to the class during a time we spend in Social Studies on the Holocaust and World War II. Let the children wind down after recess and listen to the book.
Awards: 2010 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner 2010 ALA Notable Children's Book
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries
2010 NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
Appeal: What appeals most about the book is it based on real accounts of Jewish sisters being transported from their parents to Sweden to escape the Nazi’s. It has a lot of relativity that 4th-6th graders can understand, with or without siblings.
Application: I would like to apply this book to my classroom by giving a whole lesson on the Holocaust and what things may have been like around that time. Have the students break off into groups of about 4-5 and give each group a book relating to the topic we are discussing, (example: Faraway Island.) They read a couple chapters each night, then collaborate with their peers the next day in class discussing what they liked and disliked, and write down their own feelings as well as peer’s feelings. At the end, have the students make some sort of project, whether it be powerpoint, poster, memory box, etc. that would give the other groups a sense of what it was like for one book’s aspect. Another thing I would like to do with this book specifically is to read it aloud to the class during a time we spend in Social Studies on the Holocaust and World War II. Let the children wind down after recess and listen to the book.
Awards: 2010 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner 2010 ALA Notable Children's Book
2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries
2010 NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
April 22, 2017
Sisters sent to Sweden to escape WWII...
During World War II, many Jewish children were sent to other countries and placed with families to keep them safe. Stephie and Nellie were two of those children. They end up on a small island and with two different families. At first glance, Nellie is in the warm, loving family and Stephie ends up with a woman who doesn't seem to even like her. Stephie is holding on to the idea that their parents will join them and they will all go to America.
This is a great story about two girls adjusting to their new life and dealing with bullying and prejudice. I felt so bad for Stephie. She is trying so hard, but she misses her old life and her parents so much. Her parents sent her and her sister away to save them from the Germans and their hatred. But, even in Sweden, they can't avoid it completely.
When Stephie finally reveals her pain to her foster mother (Aunt Marta), she finds that Aunt Marta is dealing with her own pain. They both realize they aren't alone and don't have to deal with everything on their own.
Recommended to:
Middle school ages, especially girls. Even though it's historical fiction, the problems the girls deal with are easily relatable. The book doesn't deal with the horrors of the concentration camps, but the way the war affects Stephie, Nellie, and their family.
During World War II, many Jewish children were sent to other countries and placed with families to keep them safe. Stephie and Nellie were two of those children. They end up on a small island and with two different families. At first glance, Nellie is in the warm, loving family and Stephie ends up with a woman who doesn't seem to even like her. Stephie is holding on to the idea that their parents will join them and they will all go to America.
This is a great story about two girls adjusting to their new life and dealing with bullying and prejudice. I felt so bad for Stephie. She is trying so hard, but she misses her old life and her parents so much. Her parents sent her and her sister away to save them from the Germans and their hatred. But, even in Sweden, they can't avoid it completely.
When Stephie finally reveals her pain to her foster mother (Aunt Marta), she finds that Aunt Marta is dealing with her own pain. They both realize they aren't alone and don't have to deal with everything on their own.
Recommended to:
Middle school ages, especially girls. Even though it's historical fiction, the problems the girls deal with are easily relatable. The book doesn't deal with the horrors of the concentration camps, but the way the war affects Stephie, Nellie, and their family.
June 14, 2018
It's 1939 and the Germans have taken over Austria where 12-year old Stephie Steiner and her eight-year-old sister Nellie are from. To keep them safe, their parents sent them to Sweden to stay until they can all get visas to enter Amsterdam and go to America. Stephie entertains her sister with tall tales about faraway Sweden with it's endless sandy beaches and palm trees. The reality is vastly different! The sisters are shipped to a faraway island- a rugged, wild island off the coast far from the mainland. Worse-they're separated. While Nellie gets to stay with a loving family and have other children to play with, Stephie is alone. Her foster mother, Auntie Marta, is as severe as her bun. Swedish is difficult for Stephie to learn and a mean bully makes school unbearable and friends unthinkable. How can she survive? As the situation in Europe escalates into war, Stephie fears for her parents and wonders when they will all be together again.
It's always hard to read a Holocaust novel from the perspective of someone living today who knows the facts about what happened. It's hard not to cringe when characters say "Oh they really wouldn't put innocent people in prison would they?" and "oh politics! I don't want to get involved." Ignorance is not bliss. I had a hard time putting the book down because I wondered what kind of conclusion it would have. I was surprised to discover similarities to Anne of Green Gables. I'm almost certain those similarities were intentional. I did not like the present tense voice but once I read the author's note, it made sense. I like how she drew a parallel between what happened to refugee children in the 1940s and what is happening today. I hope readers will feel more compassionate towards refugees after reading this book.
While Anne Shirley may have been able to come through her rough childhood as an optimist, Stephie has been through a lot worse and has a harder time adapting. I really don't like her very much. I understand she's having a rough time and taking all the burden on herself because Nellie is too young to share the burdens. I get that she doesn't understand the language and the culture and I totally empathize with her in those respects. What I don't like is how she doesn't make any attempts to learn anything about her foster parents and she doesn't seem to understand just how much her life of wealth and privilege (up to now) has spoiled her. It's clearly obvious her foster family is not wealthy. Nellie's family seems to have more money and Sylvia's family, as shopkeepers, seem to have the most money of anyone on the island and even still, none of them are as wealthy as the Steiners once were! Stephie takes for granted the privileges she had like new clothes, an education, no chores and doesn't even think about WHY Auntie Marta needs her to do chores or WHY she's given an old-fashioned, hand-me-down bathing suit. I suppose some of that is her age but once she's been there almost a year, she still doesn't seem to understand the locals. She's also very mean to her little sister. The conclusion of the book is too much of a change for Stephie that fast. I didn't care for her total personality change or the other changes.
I did think that her relationship with Auntie Marta would mirror that of Anne and Marilla. Auntie Marta is very much a Marilla. I can not, however, forgive Auntie Marta for forcing Stephie to convert to her bizarre evangelical Christian faith. She knows Stephie is Jewish but apparently that constitutes a "sin." The whole church scene was completely repugnant to me and I was surprised Stephie and Nellie accepted it so easily. Stephie worries what her parents will think but it doesn't sound like they were Orthodox or even really observant. The conversion may end up saving their lives but at this point they don't know that. Uncle Evert is absolutely Matthew Cuthbert. He's a very dear man and as unlike his wife as Matthew is his sister. I had a lot of respect for Uncle Evert for getting involved in "politics" when no one else would.
Nellie is cute in an annoying, innocent little girl way. She is too young to understand fully what is happening but she does have some lingering trauma from an event that happened before they left Vienna. She adjusts quickly because she has to. She's young and innocent. I can understand Stephie's fears that Nellie is forgetting who they are- their language and culture. Nellie will probably not want to leave Sweden when and if the time comes.
I do have sympathy for Vera. She must have been the butt of Sylvia's wrath before Stephie came along but she does something unforgivable in my opinion. Sylvia is beyond queen bee mean girl. She's a cruel bully. Perhaps the author wanted to bring the Nazi ideology down to a child's level and made Sylvia cruel, manipulative and a downright despicable person. I believe she's somewhat jealous of Stephie for coming from a wealthy family but also probably motivated partly by anti-Semitism. The other children are all horrid queen bee wannabes and extraordinarily cruel.
This isn't the best Holocaust refugee novel I've read but I'm curious enough to see where the story is headed to read the sequels.
It's always hard to read a Holocaust novel from the perspective of someone living today who knows the facts about what happened. It's hard not to cringe when characters say "Oh they really wouldn't put innocent people in prison would they?" and "oh politics! I don't want to get involved." Ignorance is not bliss. I had a hard time putting the book down because I wondered what kind of conclusion it would have. I was surprised to discover similarities to Anne of Green Gables. I'm almost certain those similarities were intentional. I did not like the present tense voice but once I read the author's note, it made sense. I like how she drew a parallel between what happened to refugee children in the 1940s and what is happening today. I hope readers will feel more compassionate towards refugees after reading this book.
While Anne Shirley may have been able to come through her rough childhood as an optimist, Stephie has been through a lot worse and has a harder time adapting. I really don't like her very much. I understand she's having a rough time and taking all the burden on herself because Nellie is too young to share the burdens. I get that she doesn't understand the language and the culture and I totally empathize with her in those respects. What I don't like is how she doesn't make any attempts to learn anything about her foster parents and she doesn't seem to understand just how much her life of wealth and privilege (up to now) has spoiled her. It's clearly obvious her foster family is not wealthy. Nellie's family seems to have more money and Sylvia's family, as shopkeepers, seem to have the most money of anyone on the island and even still, none of them are as wealthy as the Steiners once were! Stephie takes for granted the privileges she had like new clothes, an education, no chores and doesn't even think about WHY Auntie Marta needs her to do chores or WHY she's given an old-fashioned, hand-me-down bathing suit. I suppose some of that is her age but once she's been there almost a year, she still doesn't seem to understand the locals. She's also very mean to her little sister. The conclusion of the book is too much of a change for Stephie that fast. I didn't care for her total personality change or the other changes.
I did think that her relationship with Auntie Marta would mirror that of Anne and Marilla. Auntie Marta is very much a Marilla. I can not, however, forgive Auntie Marta for forcing Stephie to convert to her bizarre evangelical Christian faith. She knows Stephie is Jewish but apparently that constitutes a "sin." The whole church scene was completely repugnant to me and I was surprised Stephie and Nellie accepted it so easily. Stephie worries what her parents will think but it doesn't sound like they were Orthodox or even really observant. The conversion may end up saving their lives but at this point they don't know that. Uncle Evert is absolutely Matthew Cuthbert. He's a very dear man and as unlike his wife as Matthew is his sister. I had a lot of respect for Uncle Evert for getting involved in "politics" when no one else would.
Nellie is cute in an annoying, innocent little girl way. She is too young to understand fully what is happening but she does have some lingering trauma from an event that happened before they left Vienna. She adjusts quickly because she has to. She's young and innocent. I can understand Stephie's fears that Nellie is forgetting who they are- their language and culture. Nellie will probably not want to leave Sweden when and if the time comes.
I do have sympathy for Vera. She must have been the butt of Sylvia's wrath before Stephie came along but she does something unforgivable in my opinion. Sylvia is beyond queen bee mean girl. She's a cruel bully. Perhaps the author wanted to bring the Nazi ideology down to a child's level and made Sylvia cruel, manipulative and a downright despicable person. I believe she's somewhat jealous of Stephie for coming from a wealthy family but also probably motivated partly by anti-Semitism. The other children are all horrid queen bee wannabes and extraordinarily cruel.
This isn't the best Holocaust refugee novel I've read but I'm curious enough to see where the story is headed to read the sequels.
June 30, 2023
This is the sloppiest, most unoriginal, and depressing book I have ever read. Please read my review before you consider picking it up.
I don't enjoy bullying stories at all, and this one is no different from the others: sweet kid who you feel bad for is bullied by some bad kids at school. They don’t tell ANYONE and no adults seem to notice and/or care. One eventually finds out, the bullies get told, and the poor kid is “better” for the experience.
I do not like these books because they send a bad message to kids being bullied: “Don’t stand up for yourself, don’t tell an adult, because someone will find out eventually and you’ll be OK.”
No!
Sylvia and a group of girls at school torment Stephie mercilessly. It is terrible. The teacher is always conveniently not looking that way or out of the room. It gets bad. Really bad. Sylvia even BURNS OFF SOME OF STEPHIE'S HAIR, leading Stephie to cut it very short and feeling guilty when she has to send a picture of her short hair to her mother, who loved her long braids, pouring tons of salt into the wound.
Poor Stephie. She is drifting apart from her sister and has to live with this mean old woman. She is lonely and has no one at all. this leads her to make a lot of bas choices. Not consciously bad, but pretty much every chapter has her doing something reckless without thinking. It gets to the point where it's quite ridiculous and hard to read. This and the constant bullying make every chapter incredibly redundant.
I love Scandinavia and when I saw this book I thought it looked good. The beginning was good, with Stephie and Nellie on a ship, wondering what will happen to them, wondering what their foster families will be like. I enjoyed the book until they met their foster families. Nellie gets kind, loving Aunt Alma, and Stephie gets stern and unwelcoming Aunt Märta. Up until that point, the two sisters only had each other. But now Nellie has Aunt Alma and her family, and Stephie has nothing. The two sisters drift apart rapidly after that. This made me sad, of course, but also, I thought that this was supposed to be about two sisters. But it is just about Stephie. And not even Stephie, really. All the book is is bad things happening to Stephie.
There is so much bullying in this book that I skipped ahead to a chapter without all of the painful teasing. But even though that chapter did not feature Sylvia & Co. showing you how to treat other people, it showed Stephie doing—you guessed it—something stupid. Every single chapter seemed to be something bad happening to Stephie or her doing something stupid. Each chapter was worse than the one before it. It is tiring to read about such a good person taking knock after knock after knock and just not doing anything about it. For me, it felt like the author just didn’t have any other ideas for how to progress the book until the ending, so she stuffed it with filler material. I lost track of what was actually happening and realized that I had been reading the exact same thing for the last 50 pages.
And wait—I completely forgot. Stephie and Nellie were Jewish! Yeah, that’s the whole reason that they were sent to Sweden in the first place. It is based on a true event: the Swedish government arranged for 500 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to seek refuge in Sweden. Stephie and Nellie were supposed to be two of those children. But there is almost no Judaism in this book.
I am Jewish myself, and it was one of the reasons I decided to read this book. I forgot to mention that at the beginning because Stephie and Nellie being Jewish is so insignificant in the story that I do not think of this as a Jewish book.
In church, Stephie cries during one of the prayers (remember that she does not even speak Swedish, so she can not understand the prayers) because maybe they remind her of Jewish prayers. Aunt Märta and Aunt Alma notice and declare her “redeemed”, proceeding to make very insulting remarks about the religion. The girls are later baptized. I understand that the author was trying to show how the Christians felt about Judaism, but the comments are disgusting and scary. I respect Christianity, but the Christians in this book are portrayed to be kind of stupid when it comes to their religion. The author is Jewish, and it almost feels like she just does not understand Christianity and was trying to make a satire or something. (I say this with all due respect, I do not mean to hurt or offend anyone). After that, the girls pretty much conform to Christianity. Or, at least, they never actually stand up for their religion. This disappointed me. As much as I complain about Stephie being stupid, I thought that she was better than this. And if she was so upset about cutting her hair short (which she did herself, by the way) it does not make sense to me why she would be so undisturbed about forcefully being converted.
Stephie is the only character in this book who appears to have complex feelings. The other characters feel fake, almost facades, just beings in Stephie’s world. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, but for me it felt kind of creepy, like those dystopian stories where someone wakes up and finds out that they are the only person in the world. At the end, suddenly all of the characters become real people. Aunt Märta stands up for Stephie (it’s about time!) and we find out that Aunt Märta has a secret! Oooh!
Things get a lot better for Stephie and she makes friends with one of the bully girls. But then, she meets Sven, a 16 year old who is nice to her and she falls in love with. It was nice that things got a little bit better for Stephie, but it makes me uncomfortable that the guy she ends up with is four years older than her.
The ending felt rushed, as if the author suddenly realized too late that she should have used those 50 pages of bullying to develop a better ending, but that’s what a sequel is for!
Also, this book feels like an Anne of Green Gables rip off. The stories are very similar, but Anne of Green Gables (one of my favorite books) has well developed characters from the start, humor, and Anne does not make you want to scream because she does not make aggravating decisions like Stephie (Anne can sometimes be annoying in her own way, but it is very different).
Obviously, I did not like this book. Books should make you feel good, and this one made me feel sad and lonely like Stephie. It was depressing. But, anyway, thank you for reading my review.
I don't enjoy bullying stories at all, and this one is no different from the others: sweet kid who you feel bad for is bullied by some bad kids at school. They don’t tell ANYONE and no adults seem to notice and/or care. One eventually finds out, the bullies get told, and the poor kid is “better” for the experience.
I do not like these books because they send a bad message to kids being bullied: “Don’t stand up for yourself, don’t tell an adult, because someone will find out eventually and you’ll be OK.”
No!
Sylvia and a group of girls at school torment Stephie mercilessly. It is terrible. The teacher is always conveniently not looking that way or out of the room. It gets bad. Really bad. Sylvia even BURNS OFF SOME OF STEPHIE'S HAIR, leading Stephie to cut it very short and feeling guilty when she has to send a picture of her short hair to her mother, who loved her long braids, pouring tons of salt into the wound.
Poor Stephie. She is drifting apart from her sister and has to live with this mean old woman. She is lonely and has no one at all. this leads her to make a lot of bas choices. Not consciously bad, but pretty much every chapter has her doing something reckless without thinking. It gets to the point where it's quite ridiculous and hard to read. This and the constant bullying make every chapter incredibly redundant.
I love Scandinavia and when I saw this book I thought it looked good. The beginning was good, with Stephie and Nellie on a ship, wondering what will happen to them, wondering what their foster families will be like. I enjoyed the book until they met their foster families. Nellie gets kind, loving Aunt Alma, and Stephie gets stern and unwelcoming Aunt Märta. Up until that point, the two sisters only had each other. But now Nellie has Aunt Alma and her family, and Stephie has nothing. The two sisters drift apart rapidly after that. This made me sad, of course, but also, I thought that this was supposed to be about two sisters. But it is just about Stephie. And not even Stephie, really. All the book is is bad things happening to Stephie.
There is so much bullying in this book that I skipped ahead to a chapter without all of the painful teasing. But even though that chapter did not feature Sylvia & Co. showing you how to treat other people, it showed Stephie doing—you guessed it—something stupid. Every single chapter seemed to be something bad happening to Stephie or her doing something stupid. Each chapter was worse than the one before it. It is tiring to read about such a good person taking knock after knock after knock and just not doing anything about it. For me, it felt like the author just didn’t have any other ideas for how to progress the book until the ending, so she stuffed it with filler material. I lost track of what was actually happening and realized that I had been reading the exact same thing for the last 50 pages.
And wait—I completely forgot. Stephie and Nellie were Jewish! Yeah, that’s the whole reason that they were sent to Sweden in the first place. It is based on a true event: the Swedish government arranged for 500 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to seek refuge in Sweden. Stephie and Nellie were supposed to be two of those children. But there is almost no Judaism in this book.
I am Jewish myself, and it was one of the reasons I decided to read this book. I forgot to mention that at the beginning because Stephie and Nellie being Jewish is so insignificant in the story that I do not think of this as a Jewish book.
In church, Stephie cries during one of the prayers (remember that she does not even speak Swedish, so she can not understand the prayers) because maybe they remind her of Jewish prayers. Aunt Märta and Aunt Alma notice and declare her “redeemed”, proceeding to make very insulting remarks about the religion. The girls are later baptized. I understand that the author was trying to show how the Christians felt about Judaism, but the comments are disgusting and scary. I respect Christianity, but the Christians in this book are portrayed to be kind of stupid when it comes to their religion. The author is Jewish, and it almost feels like she just does not understand Christianity and was trying to make a satire or something. (I say this with all due respect, I do not mean to hurt or offend anyone). After that, the girls pretty much conform to Christianity. Or, at least, they never actually stand up for their religion. This disappointed me. As much as I complain about Stephie being stupid, I thought that she was better than this. And if she was so upset about cutting her hair short (which she did herself, by the way) it does not make sense to me why she would be so undisturbed about forcefully being converted.
Stephie is the only character in this book who appears to have complex feelings. The other characters feel fake, almost facades, just beings in Stephie’s world. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, but for me it felt kind of creepy, like those dystopian stories where someone wakes up and finds out that they are the only person in the world. At the end, suddenly all of the characters become real people. Aunt Märta stands up for Stephie (it’s about time!) and we find out that Aunt Märta has a secret! Oooh!
Things get a lot better for Stephie and she makes friends with one of the bully girls. But then, she meets Sven, a 16 year old who is nice to her and she falls in love with. It was nice that things got a little bit better for Stephie, but it makes me uncomfortable that the guy she ends up with is four years older than her.
The ending felt rushed, as if the author suddenly realized too late that she should have used those 50 pages of bullying to develop a better ending, but that’s what a sequel is for!
Also, this book feels like an Anne of Green Gables rip off. The stories are very similar, but Anne of Green Gables (one of my favorite books) has well developed characters from the start, humor, and Anne does not make you want to scream because she does not make aggravating decisions like Stephie (Anne can sometimes be annoying in her own way, but it is very different).
Obviously, I did not like this book. Books should make you feel good, and this one made me feel sad and lonely like Stephie. It was depressing. But, anyway, thank you for reading my review.
July 13, 2018
This book fascinated me, being translated to English from Swedish. It was written in third-person, present tense, which took a little while to get used to, but I thought it well-written.
As a WWII children’s book, it was well done. It felt like I was transported to the era as I followed Stephie as a child-immigrant from Austria to Sweden with her younger sister, placed in separate foster families, and learn to survive in a culture and language that was new to them. The author did a fantastic job seeing the situation and world through Stephie’s eyes—the reader knew that her foster mother wasn’t unreasonably strict, but Stephie saw her as such.
There are a few reasons I wouldn’t just hand it over to any child.
First, there was some bullying and name-calling (a lot of “idiot’s”).
Second, while Stephie was a Jew, it was more of the fact she was born a Jew than that they lived by the Bible. Her foster family was Pentecostal, and there was one church meeting with speaking in tongues and then, when Stephie began crying because music was so pretty, they brought her to the altar to “accept Jesus” (even though she acknowledged that nothing happened). So the spiritual content did not line up with Scripture, and Stephie almost came across as an agnostic. So while I enjoyed the book, it could be confusing spiritually to younger children.
Third, there were a lot of attitude issues that weren’t resolved.
It would probably make a fantastic family read-aloud with discussion.
As a WWII children’s book, it was well done. It felt like I was transported to the era as I followed Stephie as a child-immigrant from Austria to Sweden with her younger sister, placed in separate foster families, and learn to survive in a culture and language that was new to them. The author did a fantastic job seeing the situation and world through Stephie’s eyes—the reader knew that her foster mother wasn’t unreasonably strict, but Stephie saw her as such.
There are a few reasons I wouldn’t just hand it over to any child.
First, there was some bullying and name-calling (a lot of “idiot’s”).
Second, while Stephie was a Jew, it was more of the fact she was born a Jew than that they lived by the Bible. Her foster family was Pentecostal, and there was one church meeting with speaking in tongues and then, when Stephie began crying because music was so pretty, they brought her to the altar to “accept Jesus” (even though she acknowledged that nothing happened). So the spiritual content did not line up with Scripture, and Stephie almost came across as an agnostic. So while I enjoyed the book, it could be confusing spiritually to younger children.
Third, there were a lot of attitude issues that weren’t resolved.
It would probably make a fantastic family read-aloud with discussion.
January 29, 2018
Så äntligen bestämde jag mig för att läsa den första boken i den här serien. Jag läste bok två, Näckrosdammen, för ca 4 år sedan, för ett skolarbete, och tyckte om den jättemycket men visste inte att det fanns fyra böcker förrän ett par år senare (men då läste jag bara trean och fyran).
I alla fall, innan jag började läsa den så visste jag inte riktigt om den skulle vara lika lätt/rolig att läsa som de senare böckerna, då Steffi är äldre och mer 'relatable' för mig att läsa, men jag gillar verkligen Annika Thors författarstil, och den var fortfarande intressant för mig att läsa.
Vilket är en annan sak då jag brukar ha svårt för att läsa böcker som är riktade för yngre personer är mig. Denna är främst (marknadsförd) som en kapitelbok för barn och unga, typ mellanstadieelever osv. Harry Potter är i stort sett den enda andra bokserien för yngre som går att läsa, så ja, Annika Thor lyckas skriva väldigt bra (y).
Andra världskriget är det mesta fruktansvärda som någonsin har hänt, i min åsikt, och det är alltid jättejobbigt (alltså jag låter väldigt self-centered men jag är hög-känslig och väldigt empatisk så det är tufft) att läsa böcker/se på filmer/serier som handlar om detta, men denna boken är mindre tung om det 'makes sense', och handlar mycket om Steffi och hur hon förändras av att bo i ett främmande land bortsliten ifrån sina föräldrar och hur många människor runt om henne förväntar sig att hon ska vara på ett sätt som inte är hon osv.
I alla fall, innan jag började läsa den så visste jag inte riktigt om den skulle vara lika lätt/rolig att läsa som de senare böckerna, då Steffi är äldre och mer 'relatable' för mig att läsa, men jag gillar verkligen Annika Thors författarstil, och den var fortfarande intressant för mig att läsa.
Vilket är en annan sak då jag brukar ha svårt för att läsa böcker som är riktade för yngre personer är mig. Denna är främst (marknadsförd) som en kapitelbok för barn och unga, typ mellanstadieelever osv. Harry Potter är i stort sett den enda andra bokserien för yngre som går att läsa, så ja, Annika Thor lyckas skriva väldigt bra (y).
Andra världskriget är det mesta fruktansvärda som någonsin har hänt, i min åsikt, och det är alltid jättejobbigt (alltså jag låter väldigt self-centered men jag är hög-känslig och väldigt empatisk så det är tufft) att läsa böcker/se på filmer/serier som handlar om detta, men denna boken är mindre tung om det 'makes sense', och handlar mycket om Steffi och hur hon förändras av att bo i ett främmande land bortsliten ifrån sina föräldrar och hur många människor runt om henne förväntar sig att hon ska vara på ett sätt som inte är hon osv.
October 4, 2020
Jag läste En ö i havet när jag gick i femman eller sexan, men innan jag började läsa den nu så kom jag inte ihåg så mycket av vad som hände. Jag är iallafall ganska säkert på att jag tyckte om den då, och det gör jag nu också. Annika Thor skriver inte långt och utdraget, och inte heller överdetaljerat, men de orden som hon faktiskt skriver har alla en sån betydelse och tyngd.
Jag kan tänka mig att En ö i havet är en otroligt bra bok för barn att läsa för att få en inblick i hur det var att som jude fly under andra världskriget. Eller, det är nog en bra bok för vem som helst att läsa, oavsett ålder. Jag tror att man kan uppskatta den hur gammal man än är. Författaren kopplar ständigt de vardagliga händelserna som Steffi är med om i Sverige till vad hon var med om i Wien. Ett exempel är när Nelli och Steffi ska bada på ön, men eftersom judar inte varit tillåtna att bada hemma på flera år så har de inga baddräkter. Det gör det mer verkligt på något sätt.
Jag har iallafall bestämt att jag ska tvinga mina barn att läsa En ö i havet. De kommer nog tacka mig sen.
Jag kan tänka mig att En ö i havet är en otroligt bra bok för barn att läsa för att få en inblick i hur det var att som jude fly under andra världskriget. Eller, det är nog en bra bok för vem som helst att läsa, oavsett ålder. Jag tror att man kan uppskatta den hur gammal man än är. Författaren kopplar ständigt de vardagliga händelserna som Steffi är med om i Sverige till vad hon var med om i Wien. Ett exempel är när Nelli och Steffi ska bada på ön, men eftersom judar inte varit tillåtna att bada hemma på flera år så har de inga baddräkter. Det gör det mer verkligt på något sätt.
Jag har iallafall bestämt att jag ska tvinga mina barn att läsa En ö i havet. De kommer nog tacka mig sen.
September 9, 2020
This is another Children's Middle Grade (or maybe even grade school) book. I thought it was age appropriate given the WWII tragedies that were appalling the world at that time. Two young girls from Austria find refuge in Sweden after Austria is taken over by the Germans.
The MC wasn't particularly warm and fuzzy, and she consistently made the worst decisions ever. I'm not sure I was drawn into the story by her. She also wasn't a shining example. The adults needed to swoop in to save the day on several occasions. Overall, this was just okay for me. I will add an extra star because it was age appropriate. So 3 stars.
The MC wasn't particularly warm and fuzzy, and she consistently made the worst decisions ever. I'm not sure I was drawn into the story by her. She also wasn't a shining example. The adults needed to swoop in to save the day on several occasions. Overall, this was just okay for me. I will add an extra star because it was age appropriate. So 3 stars.
August 5, 2024
I wanted to be generous and give this three stars, because my non-enjoyment of the book can partially be blamed on life circumstances which has influenced much of my reading mindset lately. However, I was reminded of the obvious disparagement of Christianity, and decided there were too many things about the book I didn't appreciate. Stephanie, the main character, just wasn't very likable, and the present-tense, scant-dialogue style made for a more unpleasant read (that's probably intentional, since the topic is meant to be somber at best). Again, part of it can be blamed on my present mood. But I can say that if it hadn't been so boring, I would have finished it sooner.
May 15, 2023
The first in a three part series about the Steiner sisters—Nellie and Stephie—who have been sent to live in Sweden to wait out the war, leaving their parents in Austria, occupied by Germany. The plan is that they will meet in Amsterdam after their parents have secured visas for the family to emigrate to the United States. As you might guess, the story doesn’t unfold as planned. Winner of the Batchelder Award, several years ago, for best children’s fiction in translation.
March 29, 2024
3.9 stjerner. Kanskje jeg hadde gitt den helhjertet 4 dersom jeg ikke hadde tatt en pause på 6 måneder, men det at jeg først tok en pause trekker den kanskje litt ned. Det er en veldig fin bok, med fine skildringer av øya og livet til Steffi (hovedpersonen) og søstera, Nelli. Hvordan de integrerer seg i det svenske samfunnet og vanskelighetene de møter med bakgrunnen sin og fordommene. Det er en barnebok/ungdomsbok, så den går ikke veldig dypt, men bringer opp disse temaene og hendelsene på en god måte. Bra bok. Man føler veldig med Steffi, og jeg syns forfatteren greide å skildre godt hvordan det føles og hvordan man tenker som en 12/13 åring og som en storesøster, og ulike følelser som sjalusi og å bli misforstått.
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