In the chaos of World War II, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are separated from their parents and left alone to survive in the ruins of their city. When they meet Jan, an orphan boy who treasures a paper knife shaped like a silver sword, it becomes a powerful symbol of hope. Believing the sword carries a message from their father, the children set out on a dangerous journey across war-torn Europe in the hope of finding their family again.
This book features in the following series: English Language Learners, Oxford Bookworms .
This book has been graded for interest at 9-11 years.
There are 208 pages in this book. This book was published in 2012 by Penguin Random House Children's UK .
Ian Serraillier (September 24, 1912 - November 28, 1994), was a British novelist and poet. Serraillier was best known for his children's books, especially the Silver Sword (Novel) (1956), a wartime adventure story which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1957 and again in 1971.
This book contains the following story:
The Silver Sword
Having lost their parents in the chaos of war, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are left alone to fend for themselves and hide from the Nazis amid the rubble and ruins of their city. They meet a ragged orphan boy, Jan, who treasures a paperknife - a silver sword - which was entrusted to him by an escaped prisoner of war. The three children realise that the escapee was their father, the silver sword a message that he is alive and searching for them. Together with Jan they begin a dangerous journey across the battlefields of Europe to find their parents.
"Old-fashioned storytelling about courage at its best" -- Amanda Craig * The Times *
"One of the most exciting books I've read for a long while" * Daily Telegraph *
"This book is touched with greatness" * Junior Bookshelf *
"One of the most remarkable children's books since 1945" * Oxford Companion to Children's Literature *
"A mind-blowing and emotional read" -- Sally Bailey * Essex Chronicle Series *
