A Faraway Island is an excellent book for middle school readers about the Jewish children sent to Sweden during World War II. The main characters Stephie and Nellie struggle throughout this story. They have to deal with being away from their parents and losing the life they had in Vienna, as well as struggle to hold onto their German and Jewish identity while embracing their Swedish future, but the story is not all about hardship. Even though Thor’s main characters are fictional, she writes their emotions so well that readers can't help but feel their frustration, sadness, and hurt as well as their joy. You can find this historical fiction in the juvenile section under J THO.
