Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Making Bombs For Hitler.

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Making Bombs For Hitler. Scholastic Press     2017  230p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-93191-5      ms/jr   Historical Fiction  VG-BN  

In this historical novel, Lida, a young Ukrainian girl, is captured from her home by the Nazis during the early '40s. Her little sister is also captured by the Nazis, and the two girls are separated. For years, Lida works as a slave for the Nazis and wonders if her little sister is still alive. Her only goal is to find her sister, and this sustains her through some very brutal experiences.

Working as a slave for the Nazis, Lida learns a lot about the tenacity of the human spirit. She bands together with her fellow slaves and tries to make their lives bearable by singing, talking and sharing whatever she can with them. At first she works as a seamstress, but then she finds herself working in a factory along with others, making bombs for the Nazi forces. One day the girls discover that they can sabotage the bombs they are making by stuffing them with dirt instead of explosive chemicals.

Lida’s story is a very sad one, about the suffering of innocent children at the hands of brutal dictators and murderers. It can be heavy-going at times and should be read by kids in the context of studying World War Two and the Holocaust. At the end there is a glimmer of hope for Lida, which is very rewarding for the young reader, if a little bit unrealisitc. But along the way, the author has dealt unflinchingly with the horrors of war, and specifically this war. A timeline and further explanation would have been helpful, although there is an author’s note at the end of the book.            

Summary: In this historical novel, Lida, a young Ukrainian girl, and her little sister are captured from their home by the Nazis and separated. Lida works as a slave for the Nazis and wonders if her little sister is still alive. Her one goal is to find her sister, and this goal sustains her through some very brutal experiences.  

Holocaust                                                         --Carol Kennedy