Lonek's Journey: The True Story of a Boy's Escape to Freedom

by Dorit Bader Whiteman

In 1939, Lonek, age 11, escaped from Nazi-occupied Poland, but was deported to a Soviet gulag. This began a two-year journey over thousands of miles to find freedom. True story.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, History, World War II, Biography Memoir, Survival, Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2005

Reviews

[Tim Fuhrman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of a young Jewish boy's journey from Nazi occupied Poland, to a Siberian gulag, Teheran (of all places), and ultimately Palestine/Israel. Stories like this tear at my heart. The evil that man can perpetrate on his fellow man is terrifying, but they also show the amazing ability of the human spirit to preserver and overcome. What really worries me is that this generation is passing away. I fear that those who follow will forget the lessons their grandparents and great grandparents learned so painfully and we could slip back into the madness of those days. Have no doubt. It can easily happen again.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, resolve, resourcefulness and the will to live is buoyed by hope. He did not waste his survival. An incredible story.

[Marianne Delwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true story of a Polish Jewish boy during World War II is an amazing personalized account of his hardships and eventual triumphal arrival in reaching Palestine. Along the way, he endured living in a gulag with his family--probably the bleakest experience of his young life.

I enjoyed reading this along with my son--attached is part of his book review:When Lonek was 9 years old, he lived with his mom, dad, 3-year-old Heimek, and their live-in babysitter, Lola in Jaroslaw in Poland. They often visited parks and Lonek's father owned a broom factory where he helped the blind make brooms. Then one day Lonek's father was drafted into the Polish Army to fight the Germans. Lonek just wandered around the house, waiting for news. Then, his father finally came back but Lola's father came to their house and took Lola away because he didn't want her to get hurt. Lonek's father had to go to the town square to be arrested, and Lonek went with him. Then his dad nearly was shot for not taking his helmet off, and the guards put him behind a fence.Lonek and co. tried to keep their dad entertained and not cry or be sad. When lonek tried to see his father again in the morning, all the soliders were moved by train. Now scared and lonely, Lonek was terrified about what would happen to him.

Interesting detail in this book--for example, the account of the Jewish British Brigade. Well worth reading.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic plot: The story of a young Polish Jew as he and his family seek to escape Nazi Germany.

I didn't get to finish this because my son had to return it to the library- the perils of school project books and library due dates.

The writing was definitely geared towards younger/middle-grade readers. There are pros and cons to this. None of the harshest parts of WWII or the Holocaust are detailed here, only very vaguely referenced. The phrasing is very repetitive and doesn't employ higher level vocabulary. So it's mild enough for sensitive readers, but that makes it a lot less impactful. It's easier to read, but not intellectually stimulating. I'm stuck feeling relatively ambivalent about the amount of the book we read, which feels very strange.

[L Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing story from WWII. This is the children's version. The author also wrote an adult version. The children's version would be appropriate for 5th grade and up. There are no language or sexual references. It focuses on a Jewish boy in Poland. This is a different aspect of the war including the dividing of Poland between Germany and the Soviets, Stalin's treatment of Poles and Jews (which didn't differ much from the Nazis' treatment of various groups), danger posed by the Russians, and the movement of refugees to Palestine. It's a quick read and can be done in one night. Interesting pictures are included.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very nice memoir of a young jewish boy who is forced into a Russian gulag with the rest of his family during World War 2. After being seperated from his family, Lonek finds himself traveling thousands of miles without the rest of his family. This book is a junior novel based on a adult version of the same memoirs. It's nice how they answer various questions that the reader might have encountered during the reading in the back of the book. A nice read about a very important time in our history.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Lonek's childhood journey includes some heart-wrenching details of deplorable conditions, I thoroughly enjoyed Whiteman's book. This is an easy to read factual (based on a true story) account of 1,000 Jewish orphans tribulations during WW2. Maps are included as well as real life photographs which all lend to this incredible story as the reader follows Lonek and his family throughout Europe. I appreciated the author's inclusion of the "Afterword" in which she further describes the rest of Lonek's life after the war.

[Nat Whitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is a strong (and hard to find) middle-grade read that is perfect for introducing students to non-fiction as a longer-form literary narrative genre. The writing style is not complicated, clean and addictive- enabling students to gather details and plot lines with ease. Lonek's story is heart breaking, interesting, and important.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting and had very good word choice. I feel like I was able to get into the boy's head and actually feel what he was feeling. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read more about WWII

[Noam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a really interesting book set in WWII. It is a book about a young boy name Lonek, who escapes from the Nazis in order to survive. If you want to know more, read "Lonek's Journey: The True Story of a Boy's Escape to Freedom."

[Liaken · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story that deals in part with how the Jewish children evacuated to Palestine where helped by their camp counselors to work through their PTSD and learn to trust again.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for children. Maybe a 4th grader reading about WWII for the first time.

However, it is a unique tale and I'm glad the story was recorded.

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for middle school level readers but not sure they would enjoy the writing style.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lonek was one courageous little boy and never gave up hope.

[Dena Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little known part of the Holocaust that relates the story of Jews and other Poles being sent to Siberian gulags (slave labor camps) by the Russians during World War II and the subsequent escape of one young boy. The book is written at a 5th grade level and is only 141 pages, worth 4.0 A.R. Points. It includes maps, photographs, a glossary, and an afterword telling about Lonek’s later life and what happened to his family. Author Dorit Bader Whiteman, who escaped as a child from Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1938, died in 2022 at age 98. I couldn’t find any information about Lonek’s later life other than what is told in the book. One source said his last name was Zlotogorski. The book made me want to read the adult book version, Escape via Siberia.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the best books i've ever read

[Shirlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for a young teen. Appreciation for small everyday things.

[Iyana]

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