I couldn’t put this down. I loved how it focused on the brothers’ hope & they never gave up on finding their parents.

I had hoped for an update on Joseph from Paris & Anna but it felt more realistic that they wouldn’t have known what became of them.

I loved how they used fact to embellish the fiction.

Truly great read.

Of the many stories that have ever been told, or that will be told, stories of World War II and all the atrocities associated are some of the most important ever. The reign of terror that Hitler and his Nazis inflicted upon millions of innocent men, women, and children should never be taken for granted or be forgotten. Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar is one such novel that tells the harrowing story of Jacob and his brother Moses who together embark on the wildest odyssey across occupied France during the 1940s in search of their parents. This novel is filled with twists and turns, and just when you think the boys are on the right track heartbreak and disappointment ensue. Children of the Stars is an adventure story I won’t soon forget.

While there is a lot of action in this novel, I struggled with this story. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow. In fact, this book took me ten days to read. Yes, ten days! I’ve been struggling to figure out why I had such a difficult time reading this story, and I really think it boils down to one thing — believability. I do not for one second believe that an 11-year old and an 8-year old are capable of doing half the stuff Jacob and Moses do in Children of the Stars. And, their internal monologues seem that of men, not scared, little boys. For example, at one point Jacob, who is 11, makes this astute observation: Valence was more like the country his parents had fallen in love with and where they had hoped to make a fresh start and which, since the arrival of the Nazis with their threats and lies, had become gray and prosaic, like an endless, monotonous silent film. I’m sorry, but show me an 11-year old who can make this observation and use prosaic and monotonous correctly in a sentence. Perhaps French kids in the 1940s who had been abandoned by their parents and who were actively escaping the Nazis did think and speak at such an advanced level, but I just couldn’t buy it. The intense fear from trying to constantly be two steps ahead of the Nazis alone would make even the smartest 11-year old think and react as a child naturally would. Don’t get me wrong. I know kids can rise above and often take on adult-like roles when they shouldn’t have to, but in this novel, it is just TOO much and so unbelievable.

I did appreciate the many timely themes that Escobar presents. There is a lot to mentally chew on. My most favorite food-for-thought came when two French police arrive at a woman’s house to search it for hidden Jews. The homeowner offers the two men coffee, and in a fit of guilt, one of the police officers tells the woman, “Don’t think it’s easy for us to go after innocent people. Most of them are children, or mothers and elderly folk. It breaks our hearts to arrest them, but it’s our duty.” The woman tells this man, “We must always act according to our conscience, no matter our occupation.” I love this response! I would like to believe that if I were in the cop’s shoes I would have done something noble like create an underground resistance and thwart the Nazis at every turn. I’m not cool enough to be that fearless and smart under such scary circumstances, but I pray that in a situation like this I would choose to do what honors God more than what honors men.

While I did appreciate the many thought-provoking themes and wise tidbits that occur often in this novel, the unbelievability of Jacob’s and Moses’s characters made Children of the Stars a novel I could set down. In the end, I just could not suspend my disbelief enough to accept that an 11-year old and an 8-year old could traverse all of France and Spain escaping Nazis with little experience, know-how, or resources. Even in 1942, kids were kids.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Children of The Stars By Mario Escobar (translated by Gretchen Abernathy ) is an historical fiction novel about two brothers, Jacob and Moses, risking their lives to reunite with their parents during the Nazi occupation of France. Though these young boys are fictional characters the places they are forced to inhabit, the safe havens they are lucky to find and the people who guide them on their treacherous journey are real. This realness is the heartbreak and the hope of this story.

For every cruel selfish person in their path there is a kind, loving, self sacrificing human being to protect them. I shed a lot of tears reading this book. As a parent with two sons I saw my sons at this age being so brave while terrified by the adults at war.

Without getting too political, I believe this genre of fiction is so vital because with each generation the horrors inflicted during WWII seem to diminish. The percentage of people believing the Holocaust never happened has more than doubled. Watching children ripped from their parents arms at the border, locked in cages and dying from malnourishment and no medical care is not a Germany history story it is a current American reality. These books are important because the words "Never Again" is not a Jewish anthem it is a human one.

I hope you all take time to go on this journey with Jacob and Moses. It may be a bit of a preachy ride at times but the resilience of these children and the sacrifice of the real life heroes will give you an abundance of hope.

This is the second book I have read this year that is a translation and I am so grateful for these translators who find the right words when there's not an exact word to convey the author's meaning. This book flowed like a story not a history lesson but I sure learned from it.

I received a free copy of this Ebook from NetGalley, the author Mario Escobar and Thomas Nelson Publishing for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar is an incredibly well-researched novel that pulls back the curtains on a lesser-told story of World War II involving Jews who escaped to Argentina. This novel, originally written and published in Spain, has just been released in English.

As the title suggest, this novel focuses on children--particularly Jacob and Moses Stein. Their story begins the day that Parisian Jews were rounded up to the Velodrome where these boys outsmart the Nazis and French Gendarmes. Knowing they want to find their parents who had already left Paris in hopes of finding their way to safety, Jacob and Moses embark on a trip throughout France. Following the trail of their parents, they encounter numerous kind individuals who assist them on their journey as well as numerous incidents where they out-maneuver individuals set on capturing them. Their journey takes them through the little known Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, a French village where Protestant Christians actively hid many Jewish refugees and helped them to safety. Jacob and Moses' journey extends beyond France to reunite with their parents in Argentina.

Children of the Stars is told primarily from the viewpoint of Jacob Stein, the older brother. In addition to their harrowing journey, the story depicts his growth from a child to becoming a young adult. The responsibilities he took on of caring for his younger brother and seeking his parents, combined with the travesties of war, forced him to grow up quickly. While not hiding the atrocities of war, Children of the Stars does not include gratuitous adult situations.

Most of the time when I spy a World War II book, I'm going to read it although I often find the writing and coverage to be inconsistent and some topics to be overdone. Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar definitely does not fall into this category and needs to find a place on your to-be-read list. Appropriate for teens and could even be used as a read-aloud for middle-school students.

I was provided a complementary digital copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. I am not required to give a positive opinion and all opinions are my own.

I liked Children of the Stars. This story about two brothers trying to find their parents during World war ll was touching. Through their struggle during this harrowing time they came across many people willing to shelter and help them along the way. I found the story to be full of hope and enjoyed the outcome.
#ChildrenOfTheStars #NetGalley

I give Children of the Stars 3 stars for its endearing read.
I would recommend this book to Historical Fiction Fans.

A bit different from the normal Nazi saga

I enjoy reading WWII fiction, especially that set in France. I found the start of "The Children of the Stars" a bit ordinary (still good, mind you), what with the children's arrest and being taken to the Velodrome. Where this tale became different and riveting is as the children got to Southern France and were taken to Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon. I had never read about this village and find it so very fascinating. I have spent time in that part of France and a bit South,, looked at the Musee du Desert (about the Protestants/Huguenots), so appreciated some of the details of hiding spots built into the houses and the deep faith of the Protestant leaders. I also enjoyed learning about the role of Argentina in accepting Jewish immigrants during WWII when so much of the world would not.

This is a very interesting, well-researched historical novel and well worth your time reading it.

I was lent a time-constrained e-arc by the publisher through Netgalley. This review is not required and it reflects my honest opinion.

This is a book from which it is difficult to emerge. The reader becomes completely immersed in the lives and travels of Jacob and Moses Stein as they seek to find their parents while avoiding being captured as Jews are being rounded up. One can only feel immense gratitude for all those who sacrificially gave of themselves and their resources, often risking their own lives, as they assisted those trying to escape the horrors of occupation and the camps.

Mario Escobar is a deep thinker who expresses himself with the beauty of words, as evidenced by the multiple highlights I have within the pages of this book. He reveals the souls of people represented by his characters and of those who truly lived in the difficult times in which this book is set. He also reveals great pieces of wisdom for all times, ones readers will want to hold onto. This is a book to be treasured, and I am grateful to have received a complementary copy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

This story takes place in Europe during the Holocaust, and the horrific time of hate. The author has us focus on the lives of two young boys, left with their aunt in France. The hope the parents had when they left their boys didn’t turn into reality, and things go wrong very fast.
The courage these youngsters show as they try to flee France and go to Spain to find their folks, and we walk in their shoes as this horrible journey begins and ends as they span continents.
As a parent I would have had a hard time leaving my children, sometimes hard decisions are made, but are they the right ones?
I did love the title and made a connection between the horrible yellow stars and the vastness of God’s universe and the night sky fun of stars.
Don’t miss the author’s notes at the end, yes, these are fictional characters, but there were real children that had this happen to them!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

I found this tale of two Jewish brothers in Paris in 1942 compelling. Between the pages of this book I found the highs and lows of the human spirit. World War II brought out the best and the worst in people. Jacob and Moses Stein meet both kinds on their journey to reunite with their parents. I loved the insights and thoughts that were thrown in from other characters minds. I enjoyed reading this book and think it is an important time period to study.

loved this book. I know that many children were left alone during WWII in Nazi occupied countries but this is the first story I’ve read.

Jacob and his little brother, Moses, are collected by the gendarmes in Paris and taken to the Velodome which is packed with all the Jewis people who have been rounded up. Their parents had left them with their aunt while they went ahead and sought safety in Argentina. Instead of being taken, Aunt Judith jumps from her apartment window and all of a sudden Jacob, who is 12, and his little brother are alone.

This book is the story of their incredible journey to Argentina to find their parents. They nearly gave it all up right at the end but a chance encounter with another child who reminded them of all they had been through and encouraged them not to give up, helped them through. They kept searching and, ultimately, were reunited with their parents.

Such a great book!

A moving historical fiction set during WWII in Paris about two young Jewish boys that have been separated from their parents and their journey to reconnect with them. I found it very moving and I did not know about the village of Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon and their efforts that lead the rescue of thousands of Jews.
This is a very heartwarming account of family strength and hope in the darkest of times.

First, I loved the cover! Children of the Stars follows two Jewish brothers, twelve-year-old Jacob and eight-year-old Moses. Their parents left the boys with an aunt in Paris during the war thinking it was safer for them. During the Paris round-up, the boys were taken to the Velodrome, I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. I liked the premise of this story but had a very hard time finishing this book. At times it was unrealistic, Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am trying to get into this but it's just not drawing me in like other WWII set books do. I don't know if it is because it is a translated work or just not a good story. I had high hopes for this, too.

I found Children of the Stars hard to get into and less interesting than I thought it was going to be. Early in the book a character is called Joseph even though that’s not his name. The story is mediocre and there is no real twist that surprises. It took a long time to get through it.

5 ☆ Mario Escobar has written a touching story from the perspective of two Jewish brothers’ harrowing escape during WWll from France to Spain on the quest to find their parents. The kindness and encouragement of the people they meet along their journey tugged at my heartstrings, with good triumphing over evil time and time again. Children of the Stars is a story of bravery, love of family, and the endurance of human spirit. I was completely absorbed in this book staying up late to finish. This is a keeper, one you don’t want to miss.

This story was inspired by a trip to Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France where the author took his family to visit.

Excerpt from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/le-chambon-sur-lignon: "Nobody asked who was Jewish and who was not. Nobody asked where you were from. Nobody asked who your father was or if you could pay. They just accepted each of us, taking us in with warmth, sheltering children, often without their parents—children who cried in the night from nightmares."
—Elizabeth Koenig-Kaufman, a former child refugee in Le Chambon

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A set of brothers were sent to their aunt's house in hopes for a safe place until their parents could reunite with them outside of Germany's occupation. What they thought was a safe place isn't and they end up in the heart of a roundup and narrowly escape, but this sends them on a journey to reunite with their parents and hopefully out of the purview of the Nazi regime.

This book was a combination historical fiction with a side of road trip/adventure saga. These two boys were racing against being detained by the Nazi regime and at almost every step of the way they found angels who were willing to risk their lives to get these boys to their destination. There were a few moments where I thought the story lagged just a bit, but overall the pacing kept me reading quickly wanting to know if these boys would ultimately find freedom and their parents. This book couldn't exist in our current times with the technology and forms of communication, so it fit just perfectly in this time and place.

If you have read a lot of World War II and you think you have read them all, I would challenge you to read this one as it is just a little different from the rest of the pack.

I originally discovered Children of the Stars on GoodReads under the title, Los Niños de la Estrella Amarilla, and I was intrigued. I knew my Spanish vocabulary wasn’t going to be good enough to read a full novel, particularly one with a lot of WWII-specific vocabulary, but I was intrigued by the title and summary and wished I would be able to read it. Cue HarperCollins Español, who read my silent thoughts and translated it for me!Children of the Stars is a fairly unique take on your classic WWII story, as it is set in France and follows the lives of two children, brothers, who have been separated from their parents when the Nazi regime rounded up the local Jews. Being Jews themselves and wearing the star pinned to their clothing, they are among a group that gets rounded up in a public area and lose their parents in the chaos. The book follows their story of making it across the country and the world to reunite with their parents in the midst of the war, escaping those who would turn them in for their Jewish heritage.

I don’t know that I’ve read too many WWII novels set in France–there are some notable exceptions–as usually they are set in Germany and focus on a different aspect of the war, so I appreciated this fresh take. Even more than the location, I loved that the entire novel was centered around these two children, as it’s easy to just focus on what the adults went through without considering how many a childhood were affected. This novel was fairly light compared to other WWII books I’ve recently read, and full of hope and childlike faith and determination. It was a sweet read that reminds one of the importance of family. I would recommend.

Thank you to HarperCollins Español for translating and publishing this story for us English speakers. It’s a story that should not be confined to the language it was originally penned in. Thank you for sharing. Thank you also for providing me with an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for me to read and review; all opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Jacob, age 12, and Moses, age 8, have been left with their aunt in Paris in 1942. Registered as Jews, their parents are trying to leave France and emigrate to Argentina, but have been unable to procure enough visas for the entire family. The story is told from Jacob's point of view as he and his brother need to escape from Paris and seek their parents. Since I read lots of WWII historical fiction (particularly relating to the Holocaust) and work with 11 to 13 year olds, I expected to enjoy Jacob's point of view more than I did. I did like learning about Le Chambon sur Lignon which I have never read about in such detail. At times the story gripped me and I couldn't put it down. Other times I felt like there were too many occasions when the author was telling me what to think and feel. Perhaps some of the issues are with the translation. Overall I was not enthusiastic about this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was given this book that has been newly translated into English as an Advanced Reader Copy. I liked it enough that I have already purchased another book by the author,

The ARC copy, however, was in bad shape. Sudden changes in font or even language (I think it was Korean once) really interrupted the flow of the book. You would just get going on a good part and then you would have to figure out the mess that was the beginning of each chapter. I felt so bad for the author because I really was into the book. I hope all this is fixed before it is released. I have read ARCs before but never one in this bad of shape,

Ok done with the bad stuff. This is a story of two Jewish boys in Paris during World War II. Their parents are working on visas to South America and leave the boys with their aunt. I never understood why they had a better chance of getting visas without the children.

The Germans with the help of the French police begin to round up all the Jews of France. This is the story of the boys journey to hopefully be reunited with their parents while staying ahead of the police and the SS. They meet a wonder cast of everyday people who help them. So many people help them in big and little ways risking themselves and their families. That is what makes this story beautiful. These were not political people fighting in the French Resistance but just average people who thought that rounding up children was wrong..

I am new at reviewing but this book made me make sure that I had at least an hour every night to spend with it. I have listened to more audiobooks than read books lately but this one was one that I really wanted to get back to each night. Thank you for sending it to me to read.

Children of the Stars tells the story of Jacob and Moses Stein, 2 brothers who are left behind by their parents with an aunt while they venture away from France to find a safer place for the family to live as the Second World War escalates. The brothers are eventually removed by the Germans from their home with their aunt and placed in unliveable conditions. Their quest begins to embark on an unimaginable journey across countries and oceans to reunite with their parents. Being Jewish and mere children they are at great risk to make it to their ultimate destination. With tremendous determination and resilience way beyond their years and, most importantly, the kindness and help along their way from many people who were virtual strangers to them, the brothers were able to find their way to their parents. The main characters are fictional but numerous places and people in the story were "heroes" during the Holocaust and not very well known. The power of hope and family are prominent throughout. A great read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and author for the opportunity to have an ARC.