Run Boy Run
Author: Uri Orlev. Article By: Brandon Lucas
Uri Orlev
Summery
The book "Run boy run" is about a little 8 year old boy named Surlik who lives in a Jewish ghetto with he's brother Duvid and their mother during Nazi Germany. After loosing his mother while looking for scraps of food, Surlik meets a group of kids who steal from different stores and they try to survive on their own. They notice that Surlik is skinny enough to fit through fences and dugouts and they include him into the group. While in the group the gang notices that Surlik is starting to eat more and is gaining a little weight which unable's him to sneak out and steal food. In response, the gang stops feeding him in order to loose the weight. Later, He escapes from the ghetto and begins to live life in the Polish countryside in fear of being captured by the Germans. In the end, he finds safety in a new country and begins living a new life, but will forever be scared with his troubled past.
Age Limit/Why You Would, Wouldnt Read This Book
I would have to say if you want to read this book, You'll have to be at least 14 cause the book is kind of graphic but not to violent where the reader would feel uncomfortable.
Readers would read this book because its a incredible story of survival, triumph, and courage the main character "Surlik" had to go through. On the other hand i can see where readers wouldn't read this because it could cause them to shed a tear or make them feel sick by the way the Jews were treated, and the living conditions they were given.
Readers would read this book because its a incredible story of survival, triumph, and courage the main character "Surlik" had to go through. On the other hand i can see where readers wouldn't read this because it could cause them to shed a tear or make them feel sick by the way the Jews were treated, and the living conditions they were given.
3 Things Ive Learned About The Holocaust
The 3 things Ive learned are
- Jews would actually steal from local businesses to survive. In the story Surlik and a group of young kids go out at night to steal food and other goodies they can find in order to survive the night
- Jews would try and escape to other countries. Surlik escapes the ghettos and heads to the outskirts of Poland to hide from the Nazis
- Nazis could kill anyone on site. Nazis would walk around, patrolling the ghetto and if someone wasn't following directions or doing something right, they could shoot and kill any Jew they wanted
3 Quotes
- "I want some more" This quote explains the hunger he went through. Him and his mother were digging through trash just to look for a meal to eat, so when Moishele gave him a slice of sausage it wasn't enough to satisfy him, so in order for the boys to get what they want. They had to give Surlik what he wants.
- "If i bring you alive or dead to the Gestapo, then ill receive a commendation for being a good soldier" This quote is a example of the Germans control over the Jewish population, dead or alive the Nazis were rewarded when they found escaped Jews, killing them was an option but wasn't a penalty.
- "I was told that he wouldn't operate because you were a Jew" This quote represent the stereotyping of German doctors by not providing services to Jews.
Reflections
After reading the book, i really enjoyed it. Even tho the book was really short, the author put a lot into it you could really paint a picture in your mind. My thoughts on the book were mixed, i liked it but then again i was kind of upset.
I liked the book because it was very well explained on how Jews were treated and what they needed to do to survive. Another reason is that it was a third person story. The author wrote the story as if he was watching this madness going on and could see the expressions. My final reason is how realistic it felt. As i was reading it, i constantly felt like i was there witnessing the whole experience. I was upset at the book because i wanted more events added to the book so the story could be longer. Their should also be a background story on how Surlik and his family ended up in the ghettos. I also hoped that they would of made a movie because i bet it would of been a good one. Overall this was a good book and i really enjoyed it.
Recomendation
I would defiantly recommend this book to readers who love reading about the Nazis or the holocaust because this book explains the struggles that the Jews went through trying to live a "normal" life, their constant fight for food, and the ability to hold on strong while the Nazis controlled their fate.