As Hitlers troops advanced across Europe during World War II, thousands of Lithuanian Jews tried desperately to flee their country. The Kaplans Igor, his little sister, and their parents were among the lucky few to escape, aided by Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania who smuggled 10,000 Jews out of the country to Japan. This gripping story, narrated by young Igor, describes the familys courageous struggle to reach their relatives in Canada. Igor, having left everything familiar behind and confused and afraid of the chaos and war around him, describes the familys harrowing, 20,000mile trek to reach safety and freedom. Woven throughout the boys dramatic narrative are sidebars, maps, and photos that Provide young readers with historical context as well as important lessons on the plight of modern refugees who are forced to flee their native lands.
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5,115 wordsLexile 760LGrade 5 to 119780888993328
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