Hitler's Canary

This book was so much fun to read! It was sort of for fun and sort of for school, and I'm so glad I read it. The book was action filled and entertaining, while at the same time it was very educational about conditions in WW2. I'd say this book is for all ages, and you'll enjoy it whether you're a boy or girl, no matter what! Happy reading!

This middle-grade novel begins on the day the Germans invade Denmark, in April 1940. Ten-year-old Bamse, the youngest son of an actress and an artist, has grown up surrounded by theater people; his mother's response to the German's arrival in Copenhagen is "we must change at once." Bamse and his best friend, Anton, a Jew, amuse themselves playing tricks on the German soldiers. The situation quickly becomes more serious when his older brother, Orlando, joins the resistance and is increasingly involved in more dangerous activities. Bamse's father, on the other hand, remains cautious of getting involved. One year after the Germans invade, the British refer to the Danes as "Hitler's Canary," implying that they will "sing any tune he wants." But as the war in Europe escalates, Bamse and his family learn that passive resistance is no longer an option. This inspiring story of an ordinary Danish family rallying together to save the lives of Danish Jews is based on the author's father's experience during the war, and in her novel, Sandi Toksvig brings to life a cast of captivating characters that will remain with the reader long after the final chapter. She expertly balances the seriousness of the situation with humor and adventure, as she depicts the war through the eyes of a remarkably brave boy. Ages 10-14.

The not so well known story of how the Danes managed to save most of Denmark's Jews from deportation to death camps is told through the eyes of a 12 year-old. Bamse the son of a dramatic actress and a timid artist is not Jewish but, his best friend Anton is. Demark was not only out gunned but also grossly out numbered by the German invaders. Other than sabotage there was no way they could defend their nation. Bamse's older brother Orlando works for the resistance but, his uncle Johann works for the Nazis. His parents try hard to avoid becoming "involved." Orlando is outraged that his parents along with many of his compatriots are trying to pretend that life in Denmark is normal. Bamse and Anton follow Orlando's lead and join the resistance. The occupation becomes more brutal and it leaks out that the Nazis are planning to round up all the Jews on Rosh ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year, and deport them to death camps. Ordinary people are then forced to take a stand. What sets Denmark apart from the other European nations of WWII is that, even though there were some traitors, it appears the majority of the Danes stood together. Even several of the Nazi occupiers in Denmark resisted orders to deport the Jews. There were ordinary heroes in other European nations but, not nearly enough. This book is fast-paced, packed with suspense, and can be read in one sitting. Even though it deals with a very serious subject the violence is minimal, there's no sex, and it's spiked with subtle bits of humor. I also highly recommend the film A Day in October. It's very similar to Hitler's Canary.

Based on accounts of her own grandparents' work in the Danish resistance, Toksvig tells a compelling story of the many Danes who helped smuggle Danish Jews out of the country to Sweden before they were taken to Hitler's Concentration camps. The story revolves around ten-year-old Bamse and his family--a group of "theater people" as he calls them (the story is broken into scenes and acts instead of chapters). The story begins with the German occupation of Denmark in 1940 (when the BBC began to call Denmark "Hitler's Canary" because it was so accomodating) and finishes in 1943, shortly after the resistance foiled Hitler's attempt to seize all the Jews during their Rosh Hashanah dinners. Toksvig does an excellent job of making these events approachable to a younger audience (the idea of the story came when she was telling her ten-year-old son about her grandparents). The text is clear and concise while maintaining a surprisingly high level of emotional involvement. Several times during the story I found myself tearing up. The characters are vivid without becoming cartoonish and the story is, at its core, a very uplifting one. This book is sure to join other classic children's historical fiction books like Alan and Naomi and Number the Stars which also look at the events of the Holocaust through the eyes of young people. Also, be sure to read the material after the end of the story to hear about the real Danish resistance and Toksvig's inspiration.

Hitler's Canary is based on a true story. It is the story of Miss Toksvig's father during the Second World War and about his, and his family's, work in the Danish resistance. Since her father, Bamse, died some years before her writing this book, she has had to fill in the details with fiction. Bamse (meaning teddy bear in Danish) is the son of the most famous actress in all of Denmark and a well known artist. Because of this he has spent most of his life in the theatre; and that, is all he knows. The book is set out as a play script and he often refers to plays he's seen his mother in. The story is about the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The name comes from the name given to them by the BBC, because of the fact that the Danes just sat there and seemed to chirp when Hitler told them to. But the canary didn't always stay in its cage. Once the persecution of the Jews started, the resistance really began to kick in. The book explains about the history of Denmark and the reasons why the people are so proud. Working together as a country, the Danes managed to evacuate all the Jews within ten days, on fishing trawlers to Sweden. All in all, around seven thousand two hundred and twenty Jews were saved, meaning that fewer than two percent were killed. The two things that this book shows are, first, that you should always stick to what you're good at: Bamses mother's acting, famed throughout Denmark, and his father's art, save three families of Jews from the concentration camps. And second, not all Danes are good and not all Germans are bad: some Germans did indeed help some Jews get away; some warned families; others left the ships to pass through unharmed. One brave man, who was in charge of the Copenhagen harbour, sabotaged German war ships, so they couldn't go after the Jews. Then again, the Danish-Nazi group would often help the Nazis. I would particularly recommend the `program notes', because they tell you so much about the war itself. It doesn't matter how old you are to read this book. All you need is a general knowledge of the war and, if you don't mind slight out bursts of Danish, this book is perfect. Jessica [...]