These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.
Ian Serraillier - Author
A tense historical adventure about separated siblings and Jan, a young thief who joins them. Its strongest qualities are resourcefulness, loyalty and compassion, alongside a serious portrayal of children navigating war’s aftermath.
Ruth takes on substantial responsibility, while the children find shelter, food, transport and help during displacement.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: The narrative gives children moral and practical agency, while showing that their burdens arise from war rather than ordinary choice.
Talk about: How does each child contribute, and when does responsibility become too much for one person?
Kindness, trust and moral choice
The children rely on Jan, soldiers, farmers, aid workers and other strangers, while Jan gradually learns to trust and respect Ruth.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: Help and humane conduct are presented as important counterforces to persecution and bureaucratic indifference.
Talk about: What makes help feel trustworthy, and whether does Jan’s behaviour change through relationships?
War, displacement and peace
The family is divided by Nazi persecution, forced labour and imprisonment, then travels through post-war Europe as displaced children seeking reunification.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: The novel presents the consequences of war through personal disruption and difficult movement, with pacifist and humane values clearly associated with its themes.
Talk about: What might the journey show about the difference between ending a war and making people safe afterwards?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
It can open thoughtful discussion about refugees, family separation, courage and the difference between survival choices and settled moral judgement. The children’s dependence on strangers also gives relationships and trust real weight.
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What Deserves Attention
Expect emotionally serious wartime material: arrest, forced labour, a destroyed home, imprisonment, hunger, illness, dangerous journeys and the threat of separation. The narrative is described as gentle in style, but the circumstances remain harsh.
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A Conversation Worth Having
How does the story distinguish kindness from rules that harm displaced people? You might also ask whether Ruth’s responsibility feels fair, and what helps Jan learn to trust others.
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Reading Approach
Read alongside a trusted adult if wartime separation or refugee journeys feel difficult. Pause after major changes in the children’s circumstances, and discuss whose help is offered, refused or earned.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Children’s responsibility and resilience: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Kindness, trust and moral choice: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
War, displacement and peace: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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