White Bird ~ R.J. Palacio

Ok, I truly could not put this book down. What a gorgeous historical fiction graphic novel. Set in France during World War II, this story is a grandmother’s retelling of her experience as a Jewish adolescent during the Holocaust. Separated from her parents one day, Sara Blum is forced to depend on the generosity and kindness of strangers to survive the war. 

Unlike some graphic novels, White Bird gives each character a beautiful depth and skillfully foreshadows important events, making each chapter a page-turner. This graphic novel also stands apart from others because each page is laid out in a way that is both beautiful and simple to comprehend. Each image flows smoothly into the next, and the narration and dialogue bubbles are positioned naturally so the reader can easily follow the story. 

This novel will be a wonderful addition to any middle grade classroom, and could be a perfect historical fiction text to offer to struggling readers who are interested in the time period. 

Maturity: 1/4

This novel is ideal for students age 9+.  Though this novel addresses very real issues of war, there is no explicit or mature content.

Pages: 204

Lexile: 440L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.

If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!

Sending more hugs and encouragement to take some time for yourself,

♥ Kara & Riley