Petros and Zola lounge in the shade, arguing about their skill with a sling shot. Stavros, their cousin, joins their competition, but the bird he shoots is a swallow—and to kill a swallow is definitely bad luck. Early on, the authors establish themes (bad luck), foreshadow events (accidents with a slingshot), and skillfully build tension as Nazi sightings and skirmishes move closer. Finally, soldiers march into town and the German commandant seizes Petro and Zola’s family home. Akila and Audrey Couloumbis narrate a rousing adventure and account of World War II that seldom is examined in Ameri can children’s books. 2009 Horn Book Fanfare, 2010 NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies. lmp

Based on a true story of World War II.

For 12-year-old Petros, World War II feels unreal and far away. What’s real is working in his papa’s garden. Playing marbles with his friends. Fighting with his older brother, Zola. Zola, who must always be first. Who must always be best. But when the Germans invade Greece, the war suddenly comes impossibly close. Overnight, neighbors become enemies. People begin to keep secrets (Petros’s family most of all). And for the first time, Petros has the chance to show Zola that he’s not just a little brother but that he can truly be counted on. Soon what were once just boys’ games become matters of life and death as Petros and Zola each wonder if, like their resistance fighter cousin, they too can make a difference.