GIRL ON THE RUN (The Doktor’s Daughter) by Nancy McDonald Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 5/26/23}

Review By LAWonder10:

Girl on the Run is an excellent resource to introduce young boys and girls to the very sad part of history where one man caused so much hatred and evil. It is a very good example of how evil people can be dishonest and deceitful in a cunning way. 

The author has introduced this story in a gentle but firm way. It addresses not only the beginning of an evil empire but how deceitful and dishonest individuals can be in a relationship. 

Yet, it also tells of the good in many people and that moral convictions should not be made on the basis of culture, religion or any other surface feature. 

I appreciate the informative notes by the author o the actual conditions of this story. 

 The characters were very well portrayed and they felt real. The scenes were vividly described.  The Title and Cover Image were chosen well and depicted the main point of the story.

The ending was strong yet allowed for further books if a series is desired.

I offer a five Stars rating.

This book was gifted to me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

Other Books in the Series:

The Joy of Writing for the Middle-Grade Reader By Nancy McDonald, author of Girl on the Run, The Doktor’s Daughter, Boy from Berlin and One Boy’s War

I didn’t set out to write for the 8-12-year-old set. I fell into it. My first novel, Boy from Berlin, is based on my late husband’s flight from Nazi Europe in 1938. He was seven years old at the time. It just seemed natural to tell the story in his voice. And because it’s historical fiction, it has to be true to the era, not just in the history, but in the way children spoke back then – which means I didn’t have the challenge of sounding like today’s tween.

What I discovered is that I really enjoy writing for that age group! They’re curious. They’re open. They’re trying to understand their world and their place in it. They’re looking for a plucky hero or heroine who they can identify with, someone who shows them they can deal with difficult topics such as persecution, loss and challenging family dynamics, which are recurring themes in my novels. And, of course, they love lots of action and cliffhangers to drive the plot.

From a style point of view, they want short, punchy sentences, minimal description and a story that can be told satisfyingly in under 50,000 words.

In short, they love an exciting read that leaves them inspired – and wanting more. And that’s just what I like to write, all within a historical context.

The other surprises have been how much I enjoy visiting classrooms and talking to kids. I’m always thrilled when a teacher reaches out to me.

Typically, they pick one of my books for a shared classroom reading experience. Each student is then tasked with coming up with a good question to ask when I visit. What an eye-opener that’s been! They want to know everything from: “Why did Amelie’s father marry that horrid woman?” to “Did the Nazis burn books?“ to “Was there really a bride school?” And they have lots of questions about the war itself.

In the end, I’m learning as much from the students as they are from me. They’re not shy about telling me what they like – and don’t like –- about my novels, and I take note so that I can incorporate their suggestions going forward.