RikLizArt Schell (Riklizart Family)

Be warned, this book is about children having horrific, bleak experiences. Alan Gratz pulls no punches here. But harder still are the themes that justice and mercy are both deserved and desirable, and yet incompatible. Unlike kids' books confronting the Holocaust, there are no "good guys" and "bad guys" here. But the writing is so tight, and the story so propulsive, that no matter how traumatic it is to read, you want to keep going. I'm angry at the world that this book has to exist, but I'm in awe of the author's bravery in tackling such a difficult subject for kids to wrap their heads around. Especially of note is that Reshmina's chapters are every bit as tense and tragic as Brandon's.