Yanek and his family live in Krakow, Poland. But in just a blink of an eye, their city was invaded by the Germans beginning WWII. For now, Yanek and his family remain in Krakow. For a little while they stay in their flat with several other families. Anti-Semetic rules have been put in place that persecute Jewish people, taking away any rights they had. Over time, walls are built up around the ghetto to contain the remaining Jews who have not been taken for resettlement or deportation yet. One by one many Jews were relocated to other Jewish ghettos, work camps, and concentration camps or were killed on-site.

Yaneks Figurative Journey

with the stress of no food and constant hiding, Yanek is living in fear of being caught by the Nazis. His emotional state is one of continual terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn. The unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled. Yanek's early life as a 10-year-old boy before the war was very normal. He attended school, played with friends, and went to the synagogue with his family. He loves his mom and dad and looks up to them, but as the war continues, Yanek begins to doubt his father's constant hopefulness and positivity and wonders who is right- his father or Uncle Moshe. ¨I still worried he was wrong, but fresh bread made me forget all my troubles. For a little while, at least.¨ (pg.25) Doubting your parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek especially in war-torn Poland.

Yanek was a 13-year-old who was sent to one of these prisons. and has lost everything his aunts, uncles his mom, and dad. Now he has to figure out everything for himself and how to survive. so he doesn't die from the guards.

Yaneks is feeling very scared and having rage because he is seeing all of these people getting killed and he can't do anything about it. and he wants to fight them but they have guns.

Yanek gets taken to Trzebinia for a camp. This place makes him feel fear because of the guards around him. He is not trying to get killed, but while the guards are distracted, he thinks to himself that he wants to fight back. But he knows that he can't on his own. They would kill him even if he tried or helped.

Yanek was going on a train ride to this hell and while he was on the train with no bathrooms, no water or food, he had a dead body lying on him and he was standing for DAYS. and many others would die by the same ways and just collapse on the train, and everyone else just waiting to die.

Yaneks Figurative Journey

Yaneks is going on a train ride and he is feeling so anxious and scared because he is going to a gas chamber after days they finally reach the chambers and while he is in the shower he has to take all of his clothes off and wait for the gas to come and while he is in there he is yelling at the showerhead just to kill him already because he gave up and while he continues to yell and scream water comes out because they ran out of gas. so at this moment, he is jumping up and down he is so excited not to die.

In the chapters, Yanek enters Auschwitz while the guards are talking Yanek goes to speak with other Jews and they say ¨You enter through the gate and exit out the chimney¨ then he sees the incoming prisoners going to the gas chambers. but they seem calm because they don't know what's about to happen to them and they think the guards will take care of them but its quite the opposite they will kill them if they don't do what they say. then Yanek meets a kid named Fred they start talking and become buddies but then Fred gets sick and is too ill to work so he gets beat up and gets hung. and while this is happening Yanek begins to cry.

Yanek's journey is on the death march to his camp and while he is there the guards pick the strongest ones but Yanek doesn't know that so he puffs out his chest and tries to act strong but then he gets sad that he doesn't get picked, but then he regrets it because they get killed. then after they get a week off of work with food for free

Yanek and other prisoners are shipped off the Bergen-Belsen, and prisoners are starving on the way there, nazis would drop loaves of bread to watch the prisoners fight for it, then they arrived in the morning, and then the commandment yelled at the guards ¨ what did you bring me, look at these skeletons¨ then Yanek was grouped into a line and Yanek thought the strongest were going to be able to work so yanek puffed out his chest trying to strong but then he doesn't get picked so he gets mad but the unexpected comes when the guards shoot the ones they chose. they were gunned down to the floor dead, the prisoners couldn't watch this. after they went to the barracks, the guards said, " No work for a week. the prisoners and Yanek thought this was a joke or another game but it was true.

When Yanek was sent to the camp, he immediately went to work. They also noticed that there was a zoo in the camp. One of the guards was being mean and dropped meat in a cage, and the prisoners fought for it. The guards were giving the animals fresh water and raw meat while the prisoners were starving. and the guards tied up the deer antlers to the fence and this made Yanek feel fury because he hates seeing the animals in torture.

Yanek was sent on a train to this camp and while they were at the camp. they smelt human firewood because of the burning humans, and Yanek felt that he was so used to seeing death that he didn't care about it anymore. then the train stopped and he was dreaming about a bomb falling on them. and Yanek wanted the bomb to fall on them so he could just end it. then when they got there they were sent to work. then one of the kapos tapped Yanek and said where is your button Yanek said I don't know and he got a punishment and got 20 slashes while Yanek started counting the guard said count in German and Yanekhad way more than 20 slashes.

The war was nearly ending, and the American soldiers were coming to save them all. when they arrived they took all of the prisoners, took care of them for a while, and gave them beds, food and toothbrushes.

After the Allies saved the prisoners, the prisoners were transported to Munich. then the prisoners were able to live their lives. and Yanek meets his cousin and Mrs. Immerglick and goes and lives with her cousin.