Karl Stern is 14-years-old. He lives in Berlin, Germany. The time is the 1930s. If you don’t remember, this is the time and place that Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party were on the rise. Karl is Jewish though he doesn’t look it. He suffers at the hands of the bullies in his school and his nation. Karl’s father is an art dealer and knows the famous German boxer Max Schmeling. In exchange for a piece of art Schmeling becomes Karl’s coach.
As the story opens, Karl isn’t overly concerned about the Nazis. His family is not practicing the Jewish religion. However, as the story progresses you see that the Nazi movement becomes central to Karl’s life and his family’s survival. It does not matter to the Nazis that the Sterns are not really invested in the Jewish faith.
Karl’s mom has many emotional problems. Karl’s dad wants to avoid all conflict if possible – why? As you read in the novel you will learn about Mr. Stern’s past. You will meet Karl’s Uncle Jacob, a Communist, who is arrested and dies at Dachau. You will also meet the Countess. Karl reacts to this person with a measure of discomfort until he learns more about the Countess’s past and how it relates to his father.
Karl is an artist. He loves to draw cartoons. He draws and writes stories for his little sister. He also draws stories that express his feelings – he creates superheroes like the famed Superman. Comic strips were a very important part of everyday life for many people at this time in history. My own parents followed the comics: Krazy Kat, Superman, Buck Rogers, Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy, and Popeye.
This book does not give you the feeling that all German people were bad, but it does show you what happens when people are too frightened to go against the group that was in power and chose to persecute groups that did not fit their “model”.
Watch the Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling – June 19, 1936
Max Schmeling: A Hero
Lexile 880
