Books published by publisher Second Story Press

Milek and his brother Munio live in a sleepy village in Poland, where nothing exciting seems to happen. They reluctantly do as their mother asks when she asks them to visit their neighbor Anton, knowing that the rest of the village laughs at him because of his strange habits of speaking to animals and only eating vegetables. Things change quickly when war comes to their town in the form of Nazi soldiers searching for Jewish families like that of Milek and Munio. Anton refuses to tell the soldiers where to find them, and then goes so far as to hide the family in his own home, putting his life at risk without a thought. Based on a true story.

Kat is alone with a secret she doesn't want to keep but can't risk telling. A victim of longtime sexual abuse at the hands of her family's trusted friend, Kat is torn between trying to protect herself and safeguarding her little sister, whom she fears might be next. Greg is a clever and manipulative abuser who has Kat convinced that she is as much to blame for his behavior as he is. Caught in a tangled web of deception and self-loathing, Kat believes Greg when he says that no one will accept her word over his. Thanks to him, Kat is already isolated from her parents and at risk of losing her best friends. With no one to turn to, Kat keeps a secret journal where she writes the truth about everything that has been going on since she was a little girl. But now the journal is missing, and Kat's secret is about to unravel.

Hiding Edith tells the true story of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish Girl sent to live in a safe house after the Nazi invasion of France. Edith's story is remarkable not only for her own bravery, but for the bravery of those that helped her: an entire village, including its mayor and citizenry, heroically conspired to conceal the presence of hundreds of Jewish children who lived in the safe house. The children went to the local school, roamed the streets and ate good food, all withot having to worry about concealing their Jewish identity. And during Nazi raids, the children camped out until the coast was clear. Intensively researched and sensitively written, this book, illustrated with photographs and maps, both comforts and challenges a young reader's spirit, skillfully addressing both the horrors and hope that children experienced during the Holocaust.

The real journal entries of a teen girl suffering with anorexia show the terrifying grip the disorder has on her. Her eating disorder is personified as Ed, undermining her self-esteem and her perception of the world. How can she explain that even when she tries to develop healthier eating habits, there is a demon wriggling inside her mind, determining her every step? You see? It is “normal” to lose weight. I told you. Yes, I am always right. You must keep going. Keep going. My Demon’s Name is Ed is a brutally honest depiction of a disorder that changes a life forever.

The true story of the ship St. Louis, which left Germany in May 1939 full of Jewish passengers seeking refuge in Cuba. Denied port in Cuba, the US, and finally Canada, the St. Louis was forced to return Europe, where many passengers later died in the Holocaust. Through the eyes of two children, Sol and Lisa, both of whom survived the war and shared their experiences, we see as their journey begins with excitement and hope, only to end in frustration and fear.

Lily Toufar and her family arrive in Shanghai in 1938, having fled from Nazi-occupied Vienna and the persecution of Jewish families like theirs. Shanghai is a strange place for a young European girl, but it is one of the few places in the world to offer Jews refuge from the Holocaust. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and under pressure from Hitler, the Japanese government in Shanghai orders Jewish refugees to move into a ghetto in an area of Shanghai called Hongkew. Life changes for Lily and her family when they are forced to the ghetto. With little food to eat and poor sanitation, disease is rampant. Lily endures, but when rumors begin to circulate that the Japanese are going to open a camp like the ones where Jews are imprisoned in Europe, she fears for her and her family's safety. Based on a true story.

When fifteen-year-old Elizabeth finds an antique doll in a garage sale, she thinks it would be a good gift for her dad who's about to ship out for Afghanistan. She doesn?t realize that the doll might be a missing (and very valuable) historical artifact. With the help of Evan, the cute guy who works at the local used bookstore, Elizabeth discovers that the doll is THE soldier doll: the inspiration for a famous World War I poem. Elizabeth becomes the newest link in an epic history of more than a century of war, her story ingeniously interwoven with a cast of characters who we follow from World War I to Nazi Germany in the 1930s, a Czech concentration camp during World War II, Vietnam in 1970, and the aftermath of September 11th.

Based on real events and real characters!It is the middle of World War II, and Gabi and her mother have been lucky so far, eluding the grasp of Nazi soldiers who are sending Jewish people away to unknown fates. But she, her mother and her young cousin, Max, realize that they will never be safe in their town. With the help of a trusted friend, a kind-hearted priest and a poor yet brave farming family, they go into hiding in a tiny mountain village.It takes great willpower and patience to endure months of fear in their cramped hiding space at the back of a barn. But one night, Gabi and Max can?t stand the confinement any longer, and they sneak out for the first of many secret nighttime walks. Deep in the forest, the children make a discovery that turns out to be very useful to the anti-Nazi partisan soldiers camped out nearby. Through their new roles as scouts for the partisans, Gabi and Max find strength and courage, and a renewed sense of hope in dark times.

Based on the true story of two sisters sheltered from the Nazis by a group of Catholic nuns during World War II. Mama had always told twelve-year-old Susan that there was no safe place for a Jew, especially in German-occupied Hungary in 1944. Susan is skeptical and afraid when she and her little sister, Vera, are sent to a convent to be kept “safe” from the Nazis. Susan and Vera find their lives transformed and soon discover the true nature of courage when they are sheltered by a group of nuns who risk their lives to protect them. Includes historical photographs and notes about the author’s family and the Hungarian convent that became known as “Guardian Angel House.”

Thirteen-year-old Jakob’s family has hidden their true identity as Jews and are living as Catholics in Budapest during WWII. One day, in a burst of loyalty, Jakob decides to reveal that he is Jewish, a choice that puts his whole family in danger. Jakob hopes his best friend Ivan, a Christian whose father is a high-ranking military official, will help his family, but he comes to believe that Ivan has abandoned them. Sent as a prisoner to Auschwitz, Jakob is kept alive by his passion for revenge against Ivan. When Jakob is finally freed, he discovers that Ivan too made a choice that day, a choice that changes everything Jakob thought was true.