Jaap ter Haar (1922–1998)

It is 1942 and the German army has surrounded the Russia’s most beautiful city, Leningrad (now known as St Petersburg). No-one can get out, no food can get in and the temperature is below zero. Hitler’s soldiers wait for the millions of inhabitants to be starved into submission, but for 900 days between September 1941 and January 1944, Leningrad refuses to submit until liberated by the Red Army in 1944. Nearly a million people die of starvation, disease, cold and from the bombing raids and constant shelling. Food is strictly rationed and 12-year-old Boris Morenko is terrified that his mother will die. Desperate for food, Boris and his best friend Nadia go searching for potatoes behind the enemy lines. Both the children expect to be killed but receive help from an unexpected source. In winter Lake Ladoga freezes over and convoys of lorries are sometimes able to cross with food and supplies. Boris’s father is one of the drivers who perishes on the ice road. Boris lives with his fear of the ice road which haunts his nightmares as he imagines his father’s death. First written in 1966 as Boris, this is an amazing book, a must read for any children interested in history or studying World War 2 or Russian history. The horrific events are brought to life and dealt with sensitively from a child’s point of view. Here you will find bravery, survival, friendship and compassion.… (more)