Summer of My German Soldier (Puffin Modern Classics)

Look inside
An emotional, thought-provoking book from multi-award-winning author Bette Greene.

The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own.

In Anton, Patty finds someone who softens the pain of her own father's rejection and who appreciates her in a way her mother never will. While patriotic feelings run high, Patty risks losing family, friends — even her freedom — for this dangerous friendship. It is a risk she has to take and one she will have to pay a price to keep.

"An exceptionally fine novel." —The New York Times

"Courageous and compelling!"  —Publishers Weekly

A National Book Award Finalist
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year 
Like Beth Lambert, Bette Greene grew up in a small town in Arkansas. Her first novel, Summer of My German Soldier, won unanimous critical acclaim and became an immediate best-seller. Bette Greene lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. View titles by Bette Greene
  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Golden Kite Award for Fiction
  • WINNER
    New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year
  • WINNER | 1973
    Golden Kite Award for Fiction
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award
  • AWARD
    ALA Notable Book
  • AWARD
    New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

About

An emotional, thought-provoking book from multi-award-winning author Bette Greene.

The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own.

In Anton, Patty finds someone who softens the pain of her own father's rejection and who appreciates her in a way her mother never will. While patriotic feelings run high, Patty risks losing family, friends — even her freedom — for this dangerous friendship. It is a risk she has to take and one she will have to pay a price to keep.

"An exceptionally fine novel." —The New York Times

"Courageous and compelling!"  —Publishers Weekly

A National Book Award Finalist
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year 

Author

Like Beth Lambert, Bette Greene grew up in a small town in Arkansas. Her first novel, Summer of My German Soldier, won unanimous critical acclaim and became an immediate best-seller. Bette Greene lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. View titles by Bette Greene

Awards

  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Golden Kite Award for Fiction
  • WINNER
    New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year
  • WINNER | 1973
    Golden Kite Award for Fiction
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award
  • AWARD
    ALA Notable Book
  • AWARD
    New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more