Chapter Book #5 - Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Title:  Run, Boy, Run

Author:  Uri Orlev, Translated by Hillel Halkin

Illustrator: Photograph by Kim Patrizzi

Genre:  Juvenile Fiction 

Subgenre:  Realistic Fiction and based on true events

Themes:  Judaism, the Holocaust, Jewish ghettos, traveling, survival

Primary and Secondary Characters: Srulik Frydman (who later renamed himself Jurek Santiak), Riva Frydman, Hersh Frydman, Jurek's brothers and sisters, Yankel, The German soldiers, Marisza, Azor, Marina, Grzegorz, Clara, Sasha, Christina, The Kowalski's, Tadek, Pani Rappaport, Pani Staniak

Awards:  Mildred L. Batchelder Award 2004

Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Houghton Mifflin Co.

Summary:

Srulik is just an eight year old boy who is desperately trying to keep from the Germans.  Srulik and his mother are placed into a Jewish ghetto and somehow, Srulik escapes and his mother disappears.  Srulik is forced to live on his own and wanders from place to place with a group of boys.  As they soon get caught by the forester, Srulik finds himself all alone.  He learns how to live in the wild forest and stays with random families, jumping from house to house to keep from getting caught by the Germans.  One woman he stays with advisees him to change his name so people won't think that he's Jewish.  He is then named Jurek Staniak.  Jurek later stays with a family whom he works for as a herdsman.  While working, Jurek somehow gets his arm stuck in a machine and is forced to amputate his arm.  Now being one-armed, Jurek learns how to adapt and balance with his disability.  He finally comes across a decent family to stay with but is forced to leave because the Germans are invading many houses to look for Jews.  Jurek travels to another village to keep from his identity being revealed.  The last family he stays with, the Kowalski's, has  a son about Jurek's age and they get along very well.  Tadek and Jurek go to Sunday school together, where Jurek learns all about becoming Christian.  Jurek and Tadek get confirmed and Jurek feels as if he is betraying his Jewish faith.  But, as the war is closing in, Jurek is taken by a group of men promising him a brighter future.  Jurek finds himself surrounded by other Jewish orphans who went through the same events that he did.  He meets Pani Rappaport who takes him back to Blonie, his hometown.  Jurek finds out that his mother, father and brother Duvid have died, but his sister Fayge is alive.  Jurek is taken by Pani Rappaport to say his goodbyes to the Kowalski's and Jurek begins a new life with his sister Fayge in Israel.

How it will be used in the classroom:
I would be extremely honored to have this book in my classroom.  This book is geared more towards children of the ages of 10-13.  I would love for my students to read this book to see what life was like for Jewish children close to their age during World War II.  This would be a great eye opener for them to realize how precious life really is.  This would also teach them a great deal of history and who was all involved during the war.  This book has such great power to impact my students and I hope to be able to read it in the classroom.