Hero

Marie St. Onge-Davidson is president of the Essential English Centre in
Ottawa.

Hero is based on a true story about a young Jewish boy at the end of
World War II. Eight-and-a-half year-old Izaak must leave his family in
Amsterdam to hide out on a farm in Freisland. Els, an 18-year-old girl,
has come from Freisland to take him to safety. They make the perilous
journey to the northern part of the Netherlands on her bicycle. There,
Izaak’s name is changed to Jan, and he is cared for by a kind farm
family. The events and circumstances of Izaak’s transition leave him
frightened and miserable until he meets quiet, 16-year-old Gabe, who
introduces him to a beautiful black stallion named Hero. The prized
Friesian horse is wanted by the Germans, and when they come to get him,
Izaak and Gabe come up with a plan to save him.

Through this well-written novel, Attema clearly and simply introduces
young readers to Holocaust history. The story holds readers’ attention
from the beginning, immersing them in the very real dangers of World War
II that so many young people experienced and survived. Attema writes
skilfully about Izaak’s emotional life, describing the close
relationship he had with his mother, their reunion, and the unexplained
loss of his father and sister. Hero is a wonderful story not to be
missed. Highly recommended.