(2) 4-6 Although Jewish Gustave and his parents (Black Radishes) have escaped Nazi-occupied France, their new life in America is challenging. Gustave's story unfolds in believable moments as he makes the uncomfortable transition to American schooling and befriends the vivacious September Rose, a "Negro" girl who, like Gustave, experiences discrimination. This is powerful historical fiction that will send readers back to the first volume.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. After Ella Mae isn't allowed to try on shoes in Johnson's store because she is black, she and her cousin Charlotte gather others' outgrown shoes and open their own resale store, where "anyone who walks in the door can try on all the shoes they want." Velasquez's dramatic paintings capably illustrate this touching, inspiring historical-fiction picture book. An author's note adds context.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) 4-6 Gustave and his parents flee 1940 Paris; luckily, they end up on the right (i.e., free) side of the river between German-occupied France and the rest of the country. However, scarcity of food sends Gustave's father across the demarcation line. Meyer builds tension by using real-life events and creating in Gustave a very believable boy who behaves bravely when he must.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011