Summer of My German Soldier (Puffin Modern Classics)

by Bette Greene

Overview

An emotional, thought-provoking book from multi-award-winning author Bette Greene.

The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own.

In Anton, Patty finds someone who softens the pain of her own father's rejection and who appreciates her in a way her mother never will. While patriotic feelings run high, Patty risks losing family, friends — even her freedom — for this dangerous friendship. It is a risk she has to take and one she will have to pay a price to keep.

"An exceptionally fine novel." —The New York Times

"Courageous and compelling!"  —Publishers Weekly

A National Book Award Finalist
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142406519
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/20/2006
Series:	Puffin Modern Classics
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	145,243
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.06(h) x 0.63(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Like Beth Lambert, Bette Greene grew up in a small town in Arkansas. Her first novel, Summer of My German Soldier, won unanimous critical acclaim and became an immediate best-seller. Bette Greene lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

From the newest book on the list to the oldest. As a teen, I reread this 1973 tearjerker every summer, longing for the romantic adventure of its heroine, Patty Bergen. That it is still in print and still taught in classrooms today is a testament to its emotional resonance. Patty is a Jewish girl living in Arkansas, where the U.S. military has established a POW camp for German prisoners of World War II. Anton is an escaped soldier whom Patty hides above the family garage. Patty's feelings for Anton are part romance, part friendship, and part father worship. Although it ends tragically (and how could it not?), their relationship gives Patty the strength to endure her emotionally distant and abusive family.—Angelina Benedetti, "35 Going on 13," BookSmack! 8/19/10

Library Journal