Walker Books ISBN 9781406375633 £6.99
There is a lot going on in this debut novel by R M Romero. The story parallels the rat invasion of the Land of the Dolls with the German invasion of Poland, with dire consequences for both. The dollmaker of the title, along with Karolina the talking living doll, is the hero, who uses his magic to save some Jewish children from the Krakow ghetto but ends up in Auschwitz-Birkenau for his troubles. It is an interesting story, mixing magic with narrative and based around the facts of the Nazi occupation of Poland. I think Upper KS2 ‘best readers’ would just about cope with it, both content and language, but feel it is mostly relevant to KS3. The interrelationship between the dollmaker and the SS Officer adds an interesting dynamic to the story. Of course, it all ends in tears, as you would expect. Overall, a rather depressing story, but with a hopeful ending, suggesting that you can survive pain, brutality and hardship, with a few knocks along the way. An interesting take on the story of the Holocaust….
Alf Wilkinson, The Historical Association