Book Review: Escape From Warsaw

Escape From Warsaw. Ian Serraillier. Scholastic, New York, 1990. Originally published in 1956 under the title The Silver Sword.

This book is appropriate for middle school students, grades 5-8. I found it browsing through a used book store.

Escape From Warsaw is about four children surviving in war ravaged Warsaw at then end of World War II, and then traveling across post-war Europe to find their parents in Switzerland. The book begins by following Joseph, the father of three of the children, as he escapes from a prison camp. He meets the forth child, a boy named Jan, who helps him escape from Warsaw. Joseph tells him that if Jan ever meets his children to let them know he’s gone to Switzerland. The rest of the book focuses on the children, giving a Boxcar Children-like description of how they make a home under the ruble of Warsaw, and how they find food and even start a school. The overall tone is positive, especially for a book about war, but it does describe hunger, familial separation, and the psychological effects of war.

Though written soon after WWII, it would now fall into the historical novel genre. The main characters are Polish, and there are also Russians, Germans, French, Americans and Swiss. However, these nationalities don’t play a special cultural role, though they do add to the theme of international cooperation.

Themes: wartime, perseverence, family, prejudice

A small red flag would be the mention of religion, though it’s not integral to the story. It’s mentioned that Joseph taught scripture at his school, and Ruth, the oldest child, starts her school off with a Bible story. During an intense battle around Warsaw the people send a message to the Pope asking for international aide, and a radio announcer states that God will punish those destroying Poland.

I recommend this book as a classroom text because it can bring the history of WWII into the student’s world, since it’s about children living through the war. A synergistic text that can do this as well is Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

This book could be used in conjunction with history lessons about WWII.
Discussion questions: How did war affect the children in the book, especially mentally/psychologically? How does war affect children in the world today?

Research questions: What role did Poland/Warsaw play in WWII? What battles were fought there? Which armies occupied it? How did the Allies help Europe rebuild after WWII? What sorts of services did they provide?

Journal question: Family is very important to the characters. The children are constantly trying to stay together and find their parents. Write about a family member who is important to you and why.