Kirjahaku

An unforgettable story of life during and after the Second World War, based on true accounts. For readers of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Diary of Anne Frank.This is a story of many different things.Of a terrible war and an occupied landOf the Balicki children who are determined to surviveOf a dangerous journey from war-torn Poland to SwitzerlandOf a paper knife that gives them the courage to carry on when nearly all hope is lost.'I urge you to read this book as it will stay in your memory forever' Guardian'A true modern classic' Booktrust

Having lost their parents in the chaos of war, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are left alone to fend for themselves and hide from the Nazis amid the rubble and ruins of their city. They meet a ragged orphan boy, Jan, who treasures a paperknife - a silver sword - which was entrusted to him by an escaped prisoner of war.

THE SILVER SWORD by Ian Serraillier is an unforgettable World War II survival story.Although the silver sword was only a paper knife, it became the symbol of hope and courage which kept the Balicki children and their orphan friend Jan alive through the four years of occupation when they had to fend for themselves. And afterwards it inspired them to keep going on the exhausting and dangerous journey from war-torn Poland to Switzerland, where they hoped to find their parents.Based on true accounts, this is a moving story of life during and after the Second World War.

Four children trek from Poland to Switzerland to find their parents after the war. Age 10+

One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools. These retellings of Shakespeare stories focus on "The Taming of the Shrew", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice", "Henry IV Part 1", "Henry V", "Twelfth Night", "Julius Caesar", "Hamlet", "King Lear", "Macbeth" and "The Tempest".

A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Ian Serraillier’s classic wartime story.When the Germans march into Poland in 1941, the Balickis’ happy family life is shattered. With their parents taken away by Nazis, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are forced to fend for themselves in the dangerous, war-ravaged city of Warsaw.When Edek is captured too, the girls are desperate. Then they meet orphaned street urchin Jan, who carries with him a talisman of hope: a silver sword paperknife that they recognise as having belonged to their mother.Realising that their parents may still be alive, Ruth and Bronia set off on an epic journey to Switzerland to search for them. With Jan by their side, they are determined to reunite the family – and their first step is to find Edek. But the road ahead is full of danger and hardship, and they will face many challenges along the way...This moving story of friendship, courage and solidarity stars Sarah McDonald Hughes as Ruth, Stephen Hoyle as Edek, Hester Cox as Bronia and Aqib Khan as Jan.Duration: 1 hour 30 mins approx.