The 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Award

Summary: Anya's quest to reunite with her father leads her to a hidden menace beneath Kievan Rus'. As a powerful creature terrorizes travelers, Anya discovers a greater evil lurking below. With her friends' magic and lives at stake, can Anya unravel the city's secrets and save them all, or will they be trapped forever beneath Kiev's shadows?

Summary: Valentina and Oksana, once enemies, escape Chernobyl's fallout to Leningrad, where they confront family secrets and lies. As they navigate their new reality, they form an unexpected bond. But with hidden dangers lurking, how far will they go to protect each other? Alternating with Rifka's 1941 story, this tale explores the resilience of friendship against hatred and oppression.

Summary: Miriam's heart races as she places her baby brother Moses into a basket and sets him adrift on the Nile. Pharaoh's decree threatens his life, but Miriam's faith holds strong. Will the river's path lead him to safety, or will Pharaoh's daughter arrive too late? Dive into this tale of courage and hope as a sister's love defies the odds.

Summary: In 1945 Germany, Zofia Lederman, an eighteen-year-old Holocaust survivor, embarks on a desperate quest to find her missing brother, Abek. Haunted by a promise and surrounded by others seeking lost loved ones, Zofia navigates a world of secrets and shattered lives. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she encounters Miriam, searching for her twin, and Josef, a man cloaked in enigma. Each step brings her closer to the truth but also to the brink of despair. Can Zofia fulfill her vow in a landscape of loss, or will the answers she seeks break her completely?