Benjamin told her that if they parted they would reunite in the village where Widow Horcarda and Jo live. So throughout the whole novel Benjamin is waiting for his daughter to return so that they can become a family again – this is how the novel gets its title. Families can talk about what preteens and teens know about the Holocaust. What upset them in Waiting for Anya? Why? There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride. Though the ending was not so unexpected, the way it was written was compelling and sad - it made me want a sequel! Papa - Jo's father, a prisoner of war ( POW), who is in a German prison for most of the story and helps Jo smuggle the children to Spain.

He added: “Most people would have looked out the window and seen these trains. I wish they would have asked questions. Some of them might have been antisemitic but most weren’t, they just looked the other way to save their skins. I didn't realize for a while that it was set in France. That was already a difference, because I haven't read much WWII fiction set in France, and definitely not in such a tiny, out-of-the-way place. It was really cool how the author showed the war slowly spilling over into this remote village.Jo finds out that Jewish children are being smuggled away from the Nazis over the mountains near his village. All goes to plan until German soldiers start patrolling the mountains, and Jo realises the children are trapped. Jo'??s slightest mistake could have devastating consequences … A gripping World War II adventure from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. It made me think and feel in the perspective of different characters and how they coped with life in such terrible circumstances. For instance, the Corporal was a family man who wasn't a bully or mean and enjoyed sharing stories about his life (in a similar mountain village in Germany) with Jo. But in conveying the lessons of the Holocaust to younger readers, both the book and its “faithful” adaptation focus on the period’s heroes, rather than its collaborators – a decision Morpurgo openly admits.

He did take the trouble to go there and talk to the people and live there for a month or so,” Morpurgo said. “You couldn’t plonk it somewhere else and call it a location.” There was some lying and drinking but I can't remember any other content. The plot was surprising. I can't say much because #spoilers, but it was unusual, and well done. It was a thought-provoking book, really; I guess that's the best way to describe it. Michael - The leader of the Polish Jews, and the only one who interacts with Jo (through games of chess). He is noted to be extremely small, as he “looks about half [Jo's] age”, that is, 7 or 8 years old, despite being around the same age as Jo (15 years old). As the era of the Holocaust moves beyond the time of living memory, the struggle to understand and communicate what happened becomes even more difficult. That is even more complicated when it comes to explaining the history to young people in a manner that is accessible enough for them to understand and honest enough to be meaningful. A much better way to begin to communicate one of the most unthinkable horrors of the 20th century and remind us that civilized people can be responsible for atrocities is to show them films like "Paperclips," "The Number on Great-Grandpa's Arm," or "The Diary of Anne Frank." Waiting for Anya is a 2020 historical war drama film co-written and directed by Ben Cookson. It is a film adaptation of the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo. [4] [5] [6]Ask your kids whether they think people can be both good and evil at the same time. Then you can talk about how the Holocaust was kept secret. Was it actually hidden, or did people know and simply look the other way? With this story, writer-director Ben Cookson aims to find a gentle way to introduce preteens to understanding the atrocities of World War II. In that way, it's similar to The Sound of Music. But the characters in Waiting for Anya aren't affluent Austrians singing happy songs. Rather, they're French villagers who find themselves in the middle of the Nazis' Jewish genocide due to their location as the last stop on the escape route to Spain. Two Nazi officers lead the operation: the cruel and terrible Lieutenant (Tómas Lemarquis) and the friendly and kind Korporal (Thomas Kretschmann). It's jarring to see a Nazi portrayed positively, but the point is to see the humanity in our enemies. Nazis rarely fall into that territory, and for good reason, but here we see that the Korporal is an independent thinker who isn't in goose step with the Fuhrer's goals. I was fascinated by the characters. Good Frenchmen and bad Frenchmen, good Germans and bad Germans... even the "bad" Germans were not out-and-out villains; on the contrary, they were rather nice. On the other hand, the obsequious mayor and fawning storekeeper were far more disgusting than the Nazis. Hubert was an unexpected and really well-done character. Papa was another, and so was the grandfather. Also Christine and Mama--in fact, almost every character here was unusual and very realistic and well done. I loved the Colonel. <33 This is a story of bravery and selflessness, history told with meaning and heart. 'Waiting for Anya' is based on a true story, and Morpurgo describes it as "history, just history from which you must learn.” Jo helps Benjamin and Leah return to Madame Horcada's farm. Over the next few months, Benjamin slowly heals and more children arrive. By the end of winter, Madame Horcada is attempting to care for a dozen children. Jo takes a job delivering food to Madame Horcada. One day, Madame Horcada asks Jo to ask his grandfather to buy her pigs from her. When his grandfather visits Madame Horcada, the man learns about the children and insists on helping. Grandfather creates a haven for the children in a cave in the mountains, successfully hiding them from the Germans.

Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo needs no introduction. He is one of the most successful children's authors in the country, loved by children, teachers and parents alike. Michael has written more than forty books for children including the global hit War Horse, which was made into a Hollywood film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. In the tradition of Goodnight Mr Tom, Carrie's War, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and perfect for fans of The Bone Sparrow, Waiting for Anya is a novel that takes children to the heart of a tumultuous period in history. It will provide a wider context for kids who have studied the Holocaust and The Diary of Anne Frank. Widow Horcada - A secretive old widow and Benjamin's mother in law. She is grumpy, but has a strong moral code.The war ends shortly thereafter. Grandfather marries Madame Horcada. Jo takes on more responsibility around the home, taking the sheep into the mountains alone the following spring. One day, his family comes up to have a picnic. Jo learns that Anya has finally found her way home. The Holocaust, Morpurgo said, was at the forefront of his mind while writing the book as “history, just history from which you must learn.” I chose to focus on the positive side,” said the author – whose 2018 book In the Mouth of the Wolf recounts how his uncle, a conscientious objector, came to fight with the French resistance. The man asks Jo to forget he ever saw him, but Jo cannot resist finding out who he is. Jo and Rouf follow the man to Madame Horcada's farm. Madame Horcada is a lone figure in this village of companions, an oddity that many of the children fear. Jo is aware of this fear as he peeks inside the kitchen window of her house, attempting to learn who the man is. Just before Jo falls and gives away his presence, Jo learns the man is Benjamin, Madame Horcada's son-in-law. One year after the war ends Anya eventually reaches the village and is welcomed by her grandmother and Jo.