The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

THe Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman 340 pages On a spring morning in 1986, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In 1941 Rifka must flee Kiev before the Germans arrive. Her journey is harrowing and fraught with danger because Germans and Russians alike will revile her for her Jewish blood. In both time periods, the girls must learn who to trust and how to have hope in the midst of horrible events. This is a Mark Twain nominee for next year. The subject was very interesting to me with the war in the Ukraine. It seemed relevant. The story is written from 3 different girls view points and then woven together at the end. This story depicts how Jews were treated in 1941, but also in the Ukraine even in 1986. Very eye opening. I do think it is a little too deep for student sin 4th-5th grade.