Saturday, October 15, 2011

Graphic Novel Review: Lily Renee, Escape Artist

Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer (Single Titles)



About the Book:

In 1938, Lily Renée Wilheim is a 14-year-old Jewish girl living in Vienna. Her days are filled with art and ballet. Then the Nazis march into Austria, and Lily's life is shattered overnight. Suddenly, her own country is no longer safe for her or her family. To survive, Lily leaves her parents behind and travels alone to England.

Escaping the Nazis is only the start of Lily's journey. She must escape many more times--from servitude, hardship, and danger. Will she find a way to have her own sort of revenge on the Nazis? Follow the story of a brave girl who becomes an artist of heroes and a true pioneer in comic books.

My Comments:
I enjoyed this comic book about a comic book artist.  We follow Lily from life as the child of a shipping executive in Vienna in the pre-Nazi era to that of Jew after the Nazis took over.  Luckily for Lily and her family they managed to get her first to England, where, even if life wasn't terribly pleasant, it was safe; and then to America where she eventually found work as a comic book artist. As an artist she worked on comic books about fighting the Nazis so she had a small measure of revenge. 

I wasn't aware that there was an organized effort to get Jewish children to England during the early Nazi era (1939) so now I know something new.  I think this book is a good introduction to a little-known facet of WWII history.  Without minimizing the horror of the Nazi treatment of the Jews, the book shouldn't scare most kids.  I'd recommend it for fourth grade or so and up.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.












Escaping the Nazis is only the start of Lily's journey. She must escape many more times--from servitude, hardship, and danger. Will she find a way to have her own sort of revenge on the Nazis? Follow the story of a brave girl who becomes an artist of heroes and a true pioneer in comic books.

1 comment:

  1. It's a long time since I've read a graphic novel, but I might give this
    one a try.
    I'm concerned because there's no "Sunday Snippets" today. I hope you're okay, RAnn!

    ReplyDelete


View My Stats