Theo and his older brother Soc, a member of the resistance, flee from Athens as soon as the Nazi regime announces that all orphans will be sent to Germany. It is 1943, and the war raging across Europe has already transformed life for the two. Theo's companion is Karagiozis, a legendary folk puppet of the Greek shadow theater, to wom he gives his voice. It is Karagiozis who gives Theo courage to confront his growing hatred of injustice. Throughout his childhood, Theo has possessed the capacity for compassion and empathy. Now Theo must decide under which circumstances, if any, he himself will pick up a gun. Within a deeply moral story fully portraying the effects of war on the common people she characterizes so believably, Harrison weaves allusions to the history and culture of ancient Greece. She provides readers with a literal sense of the Greek countryside through which Theo moves. Her expertly paced narrative alternates violence with reverie, and action with reflection. Theo retains a purity of heart throughout so that readers can continue to hoe he will respond to the immediate horrors with his prior knowledge of good acts. A unique and valuable addition to holocaust literature for young readers. Winner, 2000 CCBC Newbery Discussion. (Ages 11-14)

When the Nazis announce that all orphans in Athens are to be rounded up and sent to Germany, Theo and his older brother Soc travel to a small village where they can hide and join the resistance movement. But upon reaching their destination, Soc is executed for sabotage, leaving Theo to be taken in by the resistance fighters Patir Alex and his wife. Now Theo's only companion from before the war is his shadow puppet, Karagiozis, a beloved and heroic character in Greek puppet theater. The young puppeteer puts on shows with Karagiozis, depicting scenes of Nazi defeat and re-enacting tales about the history of Greece, as he struggles to understand the meaning of heroism and to make sense of what is happening in the world around him. Against the bleak backdrop of the fiercely beautiful Greek landscape, Barbara Harrison weaves a moving, dramatic story about kindness, bravery, and the perseverance of humanity even in the most devastating of times.