Just a Girl

Six-year-old Lia loves to build sandcastles at the beach and her biggest problem is her shyness and quiet, birdlike voice—until prime minister Mussolini joins forces with Hitler in World War II, and everything changes.
Now there are laws saying Jewish children can’t go to school, Jews can’t work, or go on vacation.

Reviews

“Lia Levi adds her girlhood voice—so spunky, outspoken, and innocent—to the great children’s choir of Holocaust narratives. These voices, fewer each year, remind us of what was lost and what was learned.” –Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars  — "Lia’s young voice is perceptive and heartbreakingly vulnerable as she recounts her steadfast, even cheerful, acceptance of the changes in her life amid the insanity around her. A remarkable, powerful young readers’ adaptation of an award-winning World War II memoir." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"A quiet Jewish Italian child uprooted by war proves resilient in this endearing illustrated memoir...This account is neither rose colored nor naive, but it also doesn't focus unduly on the pain of Lia's Holocaust experience. [An] excellent step beyond Peter Sís’ Nicky and Vera (2021) for sensitive readers and gives voice to an underrepresented nationality among Holocaust survivor stories." — Booklist (starred review)“The quick, deft storytelling is that of a gifted, experienced narrator...Lia’s impressions of her different schools, new friendships, and the conditions war brings about speak to children’s interests." — Horn Book Magazine“Heartbreaking and sweet… Levi’s story is perfect for young children who want to learn more about the Holocaust, but aren’t ready for the more horrific details. An excellent addition to elementary memoir and World War II collections.” — School Library Journal“Though this story will sound common to many readers who have familiarity with World War II, Levi makes her memoir easily comprehensible to a younger age group, handling topics such as financial troubles and hunger with particular accessibility.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books