Tag Archives: Switzerland

Review: Boris in Switzerland by Lucinda Gifford

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Boris in Switzerland by Lucinda Gifford

Boris in Switzerland (The Wolves of Greycoat Hall #2)
Lucinda Gifford
Kane Miller Publishing
Published January 21, 2023

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Boris in Switzerland

A romp of a read, with an ingenious mystery to solve, and packed with endearing illustrations.

Boris is attending the Institute of International Excellence, a fancy Swiss boarding school while his parents are staying with Great Aunt Orfilia. Although worried about being the only wolf, and having to navigate around the rude vice principal, he quickly makes friends, learns how to “log in” and heli-board, and has plentiful supply of cake, Boris can’t shake the idea that something funny is going on . . .

My Review

Both the books in this series are so sweet. The plentiful illustrations show Boris, his family, and friends doing all kinds of different activities. From skiing to eating cake to horseback riding, they keep busy. The illustrations show a wheelchair user and a Black girl.

The first half of the book focuses on Boris joining a boarding school and settling in. In the second half, Boris and his friends investigate a mystery on campus. Seemingly unconnected threads weave together to reveal what’s really going on at the elite boarding school. The gentle pacing and engaging characters make this an easy book to read. Pen and ink illustrations add interest and break up the text, making Boris in Switzerland a great book for readers transitioning from chapter books to middle grade fiction.

I had a great time with this sweet, imaginative book. I hope the author writes more adventures of Boris and his family.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Boris is a wolf. One of his friends is a wheelchair-user. Another friend is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Boris and his friends wonder if a ghost haunts the school. One note about wolves of Morovia specifies the kinds of scary stories wolves tell over a campfire. They’re more silly than scary.

Violent Content
Implications of child abuse. Boris learns that an adult forces a child to work and threatens to prevent them from seeing their family.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Running for Shelter by Suzette Sheft

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Running for Shelter
Suzette Sheft
Amsterdam
Published November 9, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Running for Shelter

Vienna, late 1930s. Bright, red-headed Inge Eisenger leads a privileged life with her glamorous, distant mother. When forced to flee from Nazi-occupied Austria to Switzerland, Inge sees her young life turned upside down. She hopes to finally connect with her mother during their escape, but her mother soon abandons her. Vulnerable and alone, Inge makes her way to Paris before reuniting with her grandmother in Central France. But even there, Inge endures one hardship after another—all while her grandmother keeps a family secret that, if revealed, could result in their whole family’s demise.

RUNNING FOR SHELTER is written by Inge’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Suzette Sheft. The gripping, true story offers a window through which young adult readers can witness the challenges of growing up during the Holocaust. As this important chapter of history fades from living memory, Inge’s tale offers hope to a new generation who must also cultivate courage and determination in the face of personal and political challenges.

My Review

I love that the author chose this way to honor her dad, who passed away when she was thirteen, but whose interest in family history inspired her own. And to honor her grandmother, whose life story this book is based upon. What a cool tribute to them both.

Each chapter begins with a date, helping to anchor the reader in the timeline of not only the story, but also in history. The story begins in 1937 and ends in 1946, so it covers almost a decade, which is pretty much half of Inge’s life at that point.

So many people were part of Inge’s journey through the war. It was cool seeing the way communities pulled together and/or went into survival mode as war threatened them. Some scenes felt really filled out, and it was easy to imagine myself in them. Others seemed to move more quickly and left me with questions.

I was a little bit confused by the marketing of the book. It didn’t read like a nonfiction title or list sources in the way I would have expected, but the subtitle flags the story as true. The publisher lists it as a novel based on a true story, which is what it felt like reading it.

On the whole, I thought this was an intense story about a young Jewish girl’s struggle for survival in Europe during World War II. I hadn’t read anything deeply similar to Inge’s experience, so I’m glad to have broadened my understanding of that period of history.

Content Notes for Running for Shelter

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Inge Eisenger is Jewish and Austrian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man hired to transport Inge to France rapes her. It’s not described on scene, but the lead up is pretty harrowing.

Spiritual Content
For a long time, Inge does not know she’s Jewish as she was raised by a nonpracticing mother.

Violent Content
See sexual content. Inge learns a friend was killed by a German bomb.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of RUNNING FOR SHELTER in exchange for my honest review.