Krysia: A Polish Girl’s Stolen Childhood During World War II

Rarely talked about, and written about even less, the deportation of Poles to Siberia by the Russians was nearly as brutal and just as senseless as the Jewish Holocaust. Thousands of people were killed before the journey even began, and thousands more died along the way. Krysia: A Polish Girl’s Stolen Childhood During World War II tells one family’s story of a life ripped away.

With German aggression a real threat, Krysia and her family fear the Nazis more than anything else. After the initial invasion in 1939, they know their lives will change. However, the changes come not from Germany but from the Soviet Union. An agreement to split the territory between the two nations results in her family being exiled to Siberia and her father going into hiding. Told from the perspective and memories of 10-year-old Krysia, the book is an excellent way to introduce younger audiences to the truth about World War II without overwhelming them with the true horrors of the acts committed by brutal leaders.