From award-winning author, Suzanne Leal, comes her first novel for middle-grade readers, a gripping timeslip novel inspired by true stories.
Yearning to escape the new family he never wanted, thirteen-year-old Leo Arnold is transported to wartime Europe where he must draw on his courage to save himself and those around him.
Running with Ivan tackles the well-trodden and difficult time period of the Holocaust through the eyes of a young boy in 2002. The story opens with Leo going through quite an upheaval – moving in with his stepfamily only two years after his mother passed away. In fact, Leo Arnold hates this new life. He doesn’t want a new school, a new house, or a new family. Cooper and Troy aren’t the nicest of stepbrothers, often ganging up and bullying Leo when the adults aren’t looking. To make matters worse, Leo is forced to squeeze his bed into the corner of the bedroom he shares with the belligerent Cooper, while the rest of his former life is packed away in boxes in the storage room.
Leo doesn’t feel like he belongs, so he keeps everything to himself – his worries, his grief, and his growing resentment. The only escape he finds is through competitive running and a small hideaway connected to the storage room containing the remnants of his life with his mother. What Leo wants is to be somewhere else, far away. So, when he uncovers his mother’s old music box and turns the key, he is astonished to find himself meeting a young boy named Ivan in Prague 1934, surrounded by whispers and fears of a second world war – a war that ended decades ago.
Leal is the author of the adult novels The Teacher’s Secret and Border Street. She won the Nib People’s Choice Prize for The Deceptions, which was her first foray into writing about the Holocaust. Now, Leal tackles this same topic for children in Running with Ivan by deftly slipping backward and forwards through time. Her personal research uses elements from her interviews with her neighbour, a real-life Holocaust survivor, which layers the narrative with a current of authenticity and immediacy. Running with Ivan seamlessly balances the serious content with careful sensitivity but never sacrifices the suspense that keeps young readers turning the pages.
At its heart is the beautiful growing friendship between Leo and Ivan, forged with courage and commitment amongst the very real danger of the past. It’s this friendship that helps Ivan to stay strong, and in turn, encourages Leo to be honest with himself and finally confront his family about how he feels. An unexpected twist brings the narrative full circle, making for an immensely satisfying ending.
Immersive and moving, Running with Ivan is perfect for history buffs and adventure lovers aged 10+. We couldn’t recommend it more.
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