The Butterfly

A tale of friendship and bravery in the midst of unthinkable horror, this classic Holocaust story from master storyteller Patricia Polacco is a vital lesson in the power of hope.

In this Holocaust story based on real events and passed from the narrator to her niece, the author-illustrator herself, Patricia Polacco once again celebrates the shared humanity of the peoples of this world.

Ever since the Nazis marched into Monique's small French village, terrorizing it, nothing surprises her. That is, until the night Monique encounters a little ghost sitting at the end of her bed. She turns out to be a Jewish girl named Sevrine who has been hiding from the Nazis in Monique's basement. Playing after dark, the two become friends. But when they are discovered, both of their families must embark on a nighttime flight. And Monique can only hope that the freedom of the butterflies in her garden will reach Sevrine as well.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel Books
Published: 04/24/2000
ISBN: 9780399231704
Pages: 48
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 11.30h x 8.83w x 0.47d
Award: Bookseller's Choice - Winner
Award: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award - Winner
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award - Notable
Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee

Review Citations: School Library Journal 05/01/2000 pg. 151
Booklist 04/01/2000 pg. 1479
Kirkus Review - Children 06/01/2000 pg. 802
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2000 pg. 296 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw
Publishers Weekly 06/12/2000

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 43946 / Butterfly
Reading Level: 3.8 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5