Steve Sheinkin's work of narrative nonfiction for young adults Impossible Escape explores themes of Jewish history and wartime tragedy, telling the story of a real-life young hero. Rudi Vrba is a rebellious teenager living through the horrors of World War II. Frustrated by a sense of helplessness, he sets out on a journey that takes him across countries, until he finally lands in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. As he gradually comes to understand what is going on there, he becomes determined to survive and escape the camp — to inform the world of the cruelty being imposed on the Jewish population by the Nazis.

Impossible Escape is both informative and suspenseful. It is packed with details about the war and Nazi Germany, providing vital context for the reader. As the war stretches on and Germany rapidly advances, Rudi resolves to escape and save as many people as ...