When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

When the World Was Ours

Liz Kessler

Aladdin · Hardcover · May 18, 2021

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a “brutally honest and totally believable” (Booklist, starred review) story of three young friends whose fates are intertwined during the devastation of the Holocaust—based on a true story.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A title that signals historical gravity, with room for attentive, specialist reading.
Genres
Holocaust Stories for Teens, Friendship for Teens, War & Military YA
Published
Aladdin, May 18, 2021

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genres: Holocaust Stories for Teens and War & Military YA.

  1. They Went LeftMonica Hesse70% match
  2. Orphan Monster SpySaskia Maarleveld, Matt Killeen61% match
  3. BluebirdSharon Cameron61% match
  4. The Blood YearsElana K. Arnold66% match
  5. This Light Between US: a Novel of World War IIAndrew Fukuda64% match
  6. Impossible EscapeSteve Sheinkin62% match
  7. 28 Days: a Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw GhettoDavid Safier58% match
  8. Under the Same StarsLibba Bray62% match

For younger readers: The Blackbird Girls, Max in the House of Spies, When We Flew Away: a Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Join the waitlist

About this book

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a “brutally honest and totally believable” (Booklist, starred review) story of three young friends whose fates are intertwined during the devastation of the Holocaust—based on a true story. Three friends. One memory. Vienna. 1936.

Continue reading

Three young friends—Leo, Elsa, and Max—spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that they will soon be cruelly ripped apart from one another. With their lives taking them across Europe—to Germany, England, Prague, and Poland—will they ever find their way back to one another? Will they want to? Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking and that shows how the bonds of love, family, and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.

Historical Weight

A title that signals historical gravity, with room for attentive, specialist reading.

Come here for

  • a sustained, serious read

Expect

  • dark material handled for teens
  • clear, classroom-friendly framing

Where it sits

Holocaust Stories for Teens99%
Friendship for Teens39%
War & Military YA28%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Holocaust Stories for Teens
  • Europe for Teens
  • Friendship for Teens
Authors
Liz Kessler
Publisher
Aladdin
Published
May 18, 2021
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
Holocaust Stories for Teens