Anni Blum is twelve years old when she and her little sister Rosie travel alone to rural England from Nazi-occupied Vienna, Austria. Papa is in a work camp and Mutti (mommy) cannot get the right papers to enter another country. The borders are closed to Jews, so the girls depart to live with cousins with their dark, curly hair pulled back tightly, wearing silk dresses their mother remade to disguise them as âAryanâ holiday travelers. On the train, they knit and practice English, worried about what lies ahead. They arrive in a country deep in war preparations. Because the girls speak German, the local children accuse them of being Nazi spies. And thatâs just one of the challenges they face. During the next two years of blackouts and bombings, they use their ingenuity and talents to solve a very grown-up problem. Inspired by a memory shared by the authorâs mother, the book presents resourceful girls in hero roles â girls who deal with the dangers, fears, and difficulties all immigrants face when adjusting to a new culture and learning a new language â challenges they have to meet again after arriving in America.
Anni Blum is twelve years old when she and her little sister Rosie travel alone to rural England from Nazi-occupied Vienna, Austria. Papa is in a work camp and Mutti (mommy) cannot get the right papers to enter another country. The borders are closed to Jews, so the girls depart to live with cousins with their dark, curly hair pulled back tightly, wearing silk dresses their mother remade to disguise them as âAryanâ holiday travelers. On the train, they knit and practice English, worried about what lies ahead. They arrive in a country deep in war preparations. Because the girls speak German, the local children accuse them of being Nazi spies. And thatâs just one of the challenges they face. During the next two years of blackouts and bombings, they use their ingenuity and talents to solve a very grown-up problem. Inspired by a memory shared by the authorâs mother, the book presents resourceful girls in hero roles â girls who deal with the dangers, fears, and difficulties all immigrants face when adjusting to a new culture and learning a new language â challenges they have to meet again after arriving in America.
The Secret Buttons by Ellen Shapiro is a moving and beautifully told historical novel that sheds light on a lesser-known experience of Jewish children during World War II. The story follows twelve-year-old Anni Blum and her younger sister Rosie as they leave Nazi-occupied Vienna and journey alone to the English countryside, posing as Aryan children on holiday. Their departure is tinged with heartbreak - their father is in a work camp and their mother is left behind, unable to secure the right paperwork to escape. What unfolds is a powerful narrative of survival, resilience, and courage.
Shapiro draws inspiration from a memory shared by her own mother, and while much of the story is fictionalized, it captures an emotional truth that resonates deeply. The depiction of Anni and Rosie adjusting to life in England - facing suspicion, cultural dislocation, and the loneliness of exile - feels authentic and urgent. Particularly disturbing is the portrayal of the sisters being mistaken for Nazi spies because they speak German, a detail that highlights the complexity and irony of refugee experiences during wartime.
Despite their young age, Anni and Rosie demonstrate remarkable strength and resourcefulness as they face bombings, blackouts, and the constant uncertainty of war. The titular âsecret buttonsâ become symbolic of the hidden courage and ingenuity children often must summon when thrust into adult-sized challenges.
What sets this book apart is its centring of girls as heroes, not through grand acts of war, but through the quiet bravery of adapting, surviving, and finding ways to help others. Itâs a story that will resonate with young readers today, especially those who have experienced migration, loss, or the difficulty of learning a new language.
While the use of German phrases adds authenticity, some of them felt inaccurate or awkward to a native German speaker, and one wonders whether a language consultant was brought in. Additionally, the review copy did not include illustrations, which is unfortunate, as visuals would likely have enriched the emotional impact of the text.
This book reminded me that I had a grandmother who was a child deported during World War 2. She was sent on a Kindertransport with her siblings, too. And yet I was never able to hear more than snippets of her experiences because they were too traumatic to relive. I wish it were easier to share these personal stories, so that we can learn from them and not make the same mistakes, but I also understand the painful nature of doing so. Thatâs why I was grateful for this story.
The Secret Buttons is a heartfelt and important addition to middle-grade historical fiction. It preserves a sliver of a history often left untold - and in doing so, it honours the many children who had to grow up too soon in the shadow of war.