The Night Spies

The Night Spies

  • By: Kathy Kacer
  • Pages:200
  • Publisher:Second Story Press
  • Themes:Displaced Persons, Second World War, World War Two, Courage, Escape
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  • Pub Date:05/07/2003
  • Age Groups:Fiction Ages 9-12
Paperback
9781896764702
$8.95
It is the middle of WWII; Gabi, her mother and her cousin, Max, go into hiding. Unable to stand their cramped hiding space, Gabi and Max go on secret walks and discover information that is useful to the anti-Nazi partisan soldiers camped out nearby.

The Night Spies was a fast-paced story stuffed full of descriptions. This Holocaust novel is unlike any I have read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I only wish that the tale had gone o longer. I recommend it to children nine and up. 5 stars!

– KidsWWrite
Kacer bases this story, like its predecessor (The Secret of Gabi's Dresser), on her mother’s real life, though with some changes, and this intersection of truth and fiction makes the story compelling and poignant.Kacer’s style has become more sophisticated here, producing a more textured narrative and more complex characters, including several who are morally ambiguous. Neatly presenting the complexity of the situation and of human nature to audiences aged 8 to 11, the narrative is simple but never simplistic. The photographs, Second World War history, and detailed chronology that Kacer includes give readers a helpful context for understanding the narrative, and make the book an excellent educational tool as well as an engaging read.
– Quill & Quire
The Night Spies is the third book in the Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers, and a worthy companion to the first two. Simply yet vividly, the author depicts the hardship and fear which inevitably permeated every facet of Jewish life in Czechoslovakia in 1944. In doing so, she enables her readers to understand more about events which must never be forgotten. Recommended.
– The London Community News
Based on a true story, The Night Spies keeps you reading chapter after chapter, wondering if the children will get caught during their nightly outings and whether the information they discover will help the partisans bring down the Nazis. While it’s a sad time, Night Spies brings history alive while celebrating friendship and adventure.
– North York Mirror
British Columbia Library Association – Red Cedar Award (Fiction)   | 2006  |  Short-listed
Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice Book   | 2006  |  Commended