Resistance

by Jennifer A. Nielsen Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky

Overview

New York Times bestseller Jennifer A. Nielsen tells the extraordinary story of a Jewish girl's courageous efforts to resist the Nazis.

Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people. Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis' supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya's network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works -- in the Warsaw Ghetto.Though the Jewish resistance never had much of a chance against the Nazis, they were determined to save as many lives as possible, and to live -- or die -- with honor.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/25/2018
Sent away from her Krakow home in April 1941, 16-year-old Chaya Lindner becomes an activist in the Jewish armed resistance movement Akiva by October 1942. With features and coloring that belie her ethnicity, as well as fluency in Polish and a smattering of German, she can pass as the Polish Catholic Helena Nowak, which makes her the perfect courier. Confident Chaya is dismayed when she is paired to work with seemingly timid Esther, who possesses “every possible look and mannerism to radiate her Jewishness” and who is to blame for a failed Akiva mission. As they travel from a ghetto in Krakow to one in Lodz, the young women witness horrific events and undergo harrowing experiences before arriving at their ultimate destination: the Warsaw Ghetto, where the action culminates in the historic uprising of April 1943. Suspense mounts continually as Chaya survives her ordeals, gaining strength and faith in her mission. The courage and self-sacrifice of many characters is inspiring, but the book is unapologetically grim and violent, like the events it so persuasively depicts, and may not suit readers at the younger end of its stated range. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

Praise for A Night Divided:ILA-CBC Children's Choices List selection"Absorbing and deeply suspenseful, with plenty of ticking-clock tension... an eye-opening glimpse of history." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"A marvelously crafted historical novel about courage, perseverance and the will to survive, A Night Divided excels in every regard." — The Reading Eagle"Distinct supporting characters... demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story... The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page." — School Library Journal"History buffs will drool over the magnificently told tale, but even reluctant readers will become immersed in the tension-filled exploits." — Voice of Youth Advocates"Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for the Ascendance Trilogy:A New York Times Notable Children's BookA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the YearA Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's BookA Cybils Award Winner* "An impressive, promising story." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"[A] pageturner." — The New York Times Book Review"Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel." — The Wall Street Journal"A swashbuckling origin story... chock-full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys." — Los Angeles Times"A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up." — School Library Journal"Gripping." — Kirkus Reviews"Should appeal to fans of... Suzanne Collins... [A] surefire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense." — The Horn BookPraise for the Mark of the Thief Trilogy:* "The fast-paced, ingenious plot, charismatic hero and highly diverse cast of characters... make this series opener a captivating joy ride." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Vivid... [with] page-turning twists." — Publishers Weekly"Fast-moving fun with broad audience appeal, especially recommended for reluctant readers, Rick Riordan fans, and pedal-to-the-metal adventure aficionados." — Kirkus Reviews"The novel's Roman mythology connections... will have great appeal for fans of Rick Riordan. Heavily plot-driven with a movie-script feel." — BooklistPraise for The Scourge:"A strong, feisty main character... narrates a story that is equal parts adventure, mystery, and political intrigue." — The Horn Book"Ani's willingness to help others, a hard battle in herself as she tries to get over long-held assumptions, demonstrates effectively how emergencies can bridge distances." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Nielsen's (A Night Divided) polished fantasy smoothly combines medieval elements with hints of mystery and romance... it delivers a significant message about how misinformation breeds intolerance." — Publishers Weekly"Nielsen provides readers with a strong, three-dimensional heroine and a plot that will keep readers guessing." — School Library Connection"The characters are well defined and memorable. Feisty Ani, a likable character who is thoughtful and strong, drives the story forward and keeps readers wanting to know more... A solid choice for readers who enjoy tales of strong heroines set in the ever-popular dystopian genre." — School Library Journal

School Library Journal

08/01/2018
Gr 5–8—The author of A Night Divided opens a doorway in time to Nazi-occupied World War II Poland, quickly immersing readers in the perilous life of 16-year-old Chaya, a courier for the Jewish resistance. Her missions slipping in and out of Jewish ghettos and raiding Nazi storehouses are hazardous enough without the inexperience of new recruit Esther adding to the risk and testing Chaya's patience. The girls become uneasy partners on new missions when the two are the last surviving members of their resistance cell. Readers will empathize with Chaya, who burns with anger against their occupiers and questions those who won't fight back. But it's complex Esther who will linger in kids' minds. Nielsen uses this character to great effect, helping Chaya understand that violence is just one way to resist and that "a righteous resistance was victory in itself, no matter the outcome." Tension escalates as details of Esther's backstory are withheld until pivotal moments. The edge-of-your-seat climax places readers amidst the gritty, horrifying street battles of the Warsaw Ghetto and pays tribute to those who sacrificed themselves so others would live. A fascinating afterword profiles real-life resistance fighters the fictional teens encounter throughout. VERDICT Historical fiction at its finest, this informs, enlightens, and engages young readers. A first purchase.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

MARCH 2019 - AudioFile

The story of Chaya Lindner’s defiance as part of a Jewish resistance group in Nazi-occupied Poland will grip those who listen to this action-packed historical fiction. Jesse Vilinsky’s narration features a commanding, rebellious tone as Chaya smuggles people from ghettos and terrorizes military targets. Vilinsky is also nimble enough to be tender and emotive when describing the horrific suffering of Chaya’s loved ones. The new recruit Ester’s initial naïveté and later act of self-sacrifice offer distinct vocal contrast with Chaya’s voice. Vilinsky’s pronunciations of Yiddish, German, and Polish words provide added richness to the setting. In the afterword, author Nielsen reads about the lives of real-life resistance fighters, adding a another level of depth to this engaging audiobook. E.A.N. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2018-05-28
A Jewish girl joins up with Polish resistance groups to fight for her people against the evils of the Holocaust.Chaya Lindner is forcibly separated from her family when they are consigned to the Jewish ghetto in Krakow. The 16-year-old is taken in by the leaders of Akiva, a fledgling Jewish resistance group that offers her the opportunity to become a courier, using her fair coloring to pass for Polish and sneak into ghettos to smuggle in supplies and information. Chaya's missions quickly become more dangerous, taking her on a perilous journey from a disastrous mission in Krakow to the ghastly ghetto of Lodz and eventually to Warsaw to aid the Jews there in their gathering uprising inside the walls of the ghetto. Through it all, she is partnered with a secretive young girl whom she is reluctant to trust. The trajectory of the narrative skews toward the sensational, highlighting moments of resistance via cinematic action sequences but not pausing to linger on the emotional toll of the Holocaust's atrocities. Younger readers without sufficient historical knowledge may not appreciate the gravity of the events depicted. The principal characters lack depth, and their actions and the situations they find themselves in often require too much suspension of disbelief to pass for realism. Sensitive subject matter that could have benefited from a subtler, more sober touch. (afterword) (Historical fiction. 12-16)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170856893
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/28/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

Two minutes. That's how long I had to get past this Nazi.He needed time to check my papers, inquire about my business inside the ghetto. Maybe he wanted a few seconds to flirt with a pretty Polish girl. Or for her to flirt back.But no more than two minutes. Any longer and he might realize my papers are forged. That it's Jewish blood in my veins, no matter how Aryan I look."Guten morgen." This one greeted me with a smile and a hand on my arm. I learned early not to smuggle anything inside the sleeves of my coat. You only had to be stupid once, and the game was over.This officer was younger than most, which I once believed would give me an advantage. I'd thought the younger ones would be more naive, and maybe they were. But they were also ambitious, eager to prove themselves, and fully aware that capturing someone like me could earn them an early promotion."Guten morgen," I replied in German, but with a perfect Polish accent. I smiled again, like we were old friends. Like I wasn't as willing to kill him as he was my people. "Wie geht's?" I didn't care how he was doing, on this morning or any other, but I asked because it kept his attention on my face rather than my bag.Like other ghettos throughout Poland, Tarnow Ghetto had been sealed since nearly the beginning of the war, cut off from the outside world. Cut off from Jews in other ghettos. This isolation gave total power to the German invaders. Power to control, to lie, and to kill.For the past three months, I'd worked as a courier for a resistance movement known as Akiva. My job was to break through that isolation, to warn the people, and to help them survive, if I could. But we were increasingly aware that time was running out.

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