bThis award-winning children's book is one eight-year-old Polish boy's evocative diary of the summer of 1939 when World War Two was tragically approaching his country.b pIt is the summer of 1939 in Warsaw, Poland and Michal is an eight- year-old boy just finishing his school year. In order to improve his handwriting, Michal's teacher gives him a simple assignment keep a journal, writing one sentence a day. Eighty years later, Michal's diary has been gorgeously illustrated with beautifully atmospheric paintings. Eloquent in its simplicity, the journal is a remarkable artifact that captures the innocence of childhood and the trauma of war. The journal starts out with a typical boy's observations July 15 I went to a stream with my brother and teacher. July 23 I found a caterpillar. However over the course of weeks, menacing details emerge. July 27 A plane was circling over Anin. September 1 The war has begun. September 3 I hid from planes. September 14 Warsaw is bravely defending itself.