This story takes place in Berlin. Berlin is currently watching Hitler rise to power. Gabriella Schramm is also watching this catastrophe. She watches the world outside her home slowly become unstable and her sister changing. When she turns to her books, she finds that they too are also disappearing. This book is so meaningful and really gave me the perspective of a child during those troubling times. I couldn't help thinking about it for weeks afterward. It rose a lot of new questions within me including if the facts would change if I switched to a different character in the story. This book has changed my view on the causes of WW2 and WW2 itself. This book that Kathryn Lasky wrote is extraordinary and so is the fictional story of Gabriella and her ever-changing world.
Ashes
By Kathryn Lasky
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 3 - 6 | n/a | 5.2 | 67512 |
Book Reviews (2)
"In wartime, nothing is safe" In Berlin, 1932, Thirteen-year- old Gabriella Schramm lived a happy and privileged life. As Hitler rises to power, everything suddenly became quite unreal as though nothing could have any consequences. People who were once trustworthy are now Nazis. Gaby and her best friend Rosa seemed to realize the transformations of their lives and the agonies of their country during the rise of Hitler. To face the reality, Gaby turns to the comfort of her books, but suddenly those are in grave danger of disappearing as well. To Gaby, holding on to the one thing she loved the most was never so hard. "I could still see Berlin faintly, its buildings rising like a scratchy calligraphy, words in a sentence strung across a page. A page I couldn't quite read" Through a young women, Kathryn Lasky describes a personal and political history that will haunt readers. I would give this book a 101/100 if you ask me to rate it. Reading this book, I imagine myself as Gaby. I smelled the ashes she smelled and I felt my own eyes stinging as Gaby saw the sea of brown uniforms. I really enjoy this page-turning book because every word from this book affected me deeply. I recommend this book to all ages and genders because Gaby's gripping story will haunt everyone.