Review: "The Blackbird Girls," by Anne Blankman

Fifth graders Valentina, a Jew, and Oksana, her bully, are living nearby when the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant happens in 1986. Both of their fathers are there during the accident and the girls are forced to evacuate their village in order to avoid serious radiation poisoning. Due to random circumstances, the girls are sent together to Valentina's grandmother's in Leningrad. There they learn some truths about each other that lead them to a deep friendship. In a parallel story, Rifka, a 12-year-old Jew during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, is forced to flee her home before the Nazis arrive. Her harrowing tale parallels what Valentina and Oksana experience, with tragic loss of life and extreme hardships.

Mrs. Denney's Rating: ***1/2

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