Stars of the Night
The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport
“A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
This powerful story is told from the collective perspective of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, as Hitler’s campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. The narrative starts in 1938 and follows the children as they journey to foster families in England for the duration of the war, return to Prague afterward in an unsuccessful search for their parents, and eventually connect with Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker who was instrumental in bringing them to safety. Winton and the Czech Kindertransport ultimately rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution.
Award-winning author Caren Stelson teams up with acclaimed illustrator Selina Alko to sensitively tell this tale of survival and defiance in the face of tyranny.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
978-1-5415-9868-3
|
$14.99 | |
|
978-1-7284-7926-2
|
$24.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 2 - Grade 5 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 3 |
| Genre | Picture Books, Social Studies |
| Category | 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diversity, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2023 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Carolrhoda Books ® |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 40 |
| Publication Date | 2023-02-07 |
| Text Type | Narrative Nonfiction |
|---|---|
| BISACS | JNF053240, JNF025130, JNF019090 |
| Dewey | 940.53/18083 |
| Dimensions | 9.25 x 11 |
| Guided Reading Level | V |
| Features | Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, Bibliography/further reading, Original artwork, Primary source quotations/images, Reviewed, Starred Reviews, and Timeline |
Author: Caren Stelson
Caren Stelson is an award-winning author of nonfiction books that focus on war and peace themes. She believes young readers want to know the truth about their world and how others find resilience and courage in difficult times. Her work includes Ezra Jack Keats Book Award winner A Bowl Full of Peace and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor's Story, which was longlisted for a National Book Award and received a Sibert Honor Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award. Caren and her husband Kim live in Minneapolis. www.carenstelson.com
Illustrator: Selina Alko
Selina Alko spends her days melding words and mixed-media art to convey stories of hope and inspiration—as well as an alternative viewpoint. Her books include The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage, Can I Touch Your Hair?, Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mama, and I is for Immigrants, which was selected a 2022 Best Children's Book of the Year by Bank Street Books. Selina lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Stars of the Night: An Interview with Author Caren Stelson
On the eve of World War II, the Czech Kindertransport rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution. The new nonfiction picture book Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport by Caren Stelson and illustrated by Selina Alko sensitively tells the powerful true… View →
Happy Book Birthday: New Picture Books, Board Books, Middle-Grade, Graphic Novels, and Nonfiction
Check out February new releases from Lerner Publishing Group! Picture Books Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport by Caren Stelson and Selina Alko “When we were seven or eight or nine or ten, our home was the old city of Prague.” So begins this powerful View →
A Spring Sneak Peek
Can you believe that the year is almost over? If you’re already thinking about all the wonderful books you’ll read next year, you’re not alone! In today’s blog post we’re giving you a sneak peek at our spring titles. Read all of these fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels on the Lerner View →
Reviews
Booklist
“In a collective voice . . . Stelson describes rising tides of anti-Semitism, tearful partings, scary journeys by train and boat, meetings with British foster families, and then a return to Prague at war’s end to search out the scanty remnants of families and, long after, to learn who had organized the escape.”—Booklist
School Library Journal
“A necessary and inspirational book about a little-known light amid a dark period of history, this book should find a home in all libraries.”—starred, School Library Journal
The Horn Book Magazine
“[Q]uiet but immediate. . . . The in-the-moment text combines with emotional acrylic, colored-pencil, and collage illustrations in Alko’s signature style to create a dreamlike atmosphere.”—starred, The Horn Book Magazine
Nick Winton
“This book tells my father’s story through the eyes of the children he helped to save from the Holocaust. It is a reminder of the huge difference any one of us can make in the lives of others. Our world depends on it. It is down to people like him, people like us, to make the change we want to see.”—Nick Winton, son of Sir Nicholas Winton