Description
After a childhood cut short by World War II and the harsh strictures of Nazi Germany, sixteen-year-old Wilm seeks freedom of expression in a city governed by brutal police and oppressive Soviet forces. His graffiti successfully embarrasses the police, but it also endangers the people Wilm holds dear.
After a childhood cut short by war and the harsh strictures of Nazi Germany, sixteen-year-old Wilm is finally tasting freedom. In spite of the scars World War II has left on his hometown, Leipzig, and in spite of the oppressive new Soviet regime, Wilm is finding his own voice.
It's dangerous, of course, to be sneaking out at night to leave messages on police buildings. But it's exciting, too, and Wilm feels justified, considering his family's suffering. Until one mission goes too far, and Wilm finds he's endangered the very people he most wants to protect.
Award-winning author Karen Bass brings readers a fast-paced story about a boy fighting for self-expression in an era of censorship and struggle.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 12 to 15
- Grade:
- 7 to 11
Awards
- Short-listed, Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award
- Short-listed, B.C. Teen Readers' Choice Stellar Awards
- Commended, USBBY Outstanding International Books List: Grades 6–8 selection
- Commended, Bank Street Best Book selection
- Winner, Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award
- Winner, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
- Winner, R. Ross Annett Literary Award Winner
- Winner, CAA Exporting Alberta Award
- Commended, Ontario Library Association Best Bets selection
- Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection
- Commended, Resource Links "The Year's Best" selection
Editorial Review
Praise for Graffiti Knight
2014 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People Winner
2014 Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award Winner
2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books List: Grades 6–8 selection
2014 R. Ross Annett Literary Award Winner
2014 CAA Exporting Alberta Award Winner
2016 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award shortlist
2015 B.C. Teen Readers' Choice Stellar Awards shortlist
2015 Bank Street Best Book selection
2014 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection
2014 Ontario Library Association Best Bets selection
2013 Resource Links "The Year's Best" selection
"[A] gripping page-turner...The authentic setting, compelling characters and taut, suspenseful plot claim attention throughout. Bass refuses to oversimplify human beings...A different kind of war story, highly recommended."—Kirkus Reviews
"The last quarter of the book is nonstop action...Wilm is a flawed but engaging protagonist, prone to headstrong actions, and he matures believably over the course of the story."—School Library Journal
"Graffiti Knight shines a light on an experience about which there is little information....a good addition to any library."—VOYA
"[I]t has more drama than The Hunger Games."—Resource Links
"Bass has artfully recreated an historical time and place peopled by realistic, three-dimensional characters grappling with their own emotions and global forces they can only barely understand."—Quill & Quire
"[I]ncredibly gripping and informative. As young adult war-related historical fiction goes, this book is second to none...Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine
"An action-packed emotional story filled with foolishness, friendship and courage."—Calgary Herald
"[A] riveting page-turner that readers will find impossible to put down."—Canadian Children's Book News
"Award-winning author Karen Bass brings readers a fast-paced story about a boy fighting for self-expression in an era of censorship and struggle."—Oak Bay News
