Looking at the Sky: How Dr. Janusz Korczak Fought For Children's Rights, written by Amanda West Lewis and illustrated by Abigail Rajunov. Kids Can Press. 2026. ages 9 and up $18.99 ages

 

"Izaak, this is Jozef. 
He'll be sleeping in the
bed next to yours. Please
show him our rules at 
Dom Sierot.

Now, it was my turn to become a guardian. 
There were many children in Warsaw who had
no families, or whose families couldn't look 
after them. There wasn't enough room at Dom 
Sierot for all of them. We knew how lucky we 
were to be there."

The first-person narration by a young Polish boy whose life was saved when he came under the care of Dr. Janusz Korczak, an educator and child advocate in Poland, is an eye-opener for middle grade readers. Amanda West Lewis' story is based on careful research and the memories of one of the children who knew Dr. Korczak, and illustrated as a graphic novel. It introduces readers to the plight of children prior to WWII. 

Izzak is a 7-year-boy living with his sisters in poverty and hopelessness when he joins other Jewish children who have found a home in Dom Sierot (Home of Orphans) in Warsaw. Their parents are both dead; the sisters, despite their young age, must find work that will offer the money needed to keep them alive. They cannot care for Izzak without help. Meeting the kind and generous doctor and his staff turns Izzak's life to the better. He has healthy food to eat. He is welcomed into a place where students take care of one another while also having time to play, help with chores, and learn what will hold them in good stead for their future. 

After 7 years, he ages out and must say goodbye to his friends, caregivers and Pan Doctor. It is a very sad departure. He goes home to his sisters, and the message that they have arranged for him to sail to Canada to live with one of his mother's sisters. With hope in his heart, as promised by Pan Doctor, he makes the long voyage under difficult circumstances; then travels by train to Ottawa to meet his new family. 

He keeps in touch through letters to his sisters. and with Pan Doctor. He makes great progress in his education. When war breaks out in Poland, contact with everyone there stops. One final letter from the doctor, asking for help for the orphanage, is received. Any attempt to make a difference, is returned to Izzak. When the war finally ends, he has heard nothing from his sisters. Much later, he learns the fate of Dr. Korczak, the teachers and the 192 children he did his best to keep safe: they were put on a train and sent to Treblinka, a place that no one came back from. Izzak never hears from his sisters again 

"I am telling you this story because 
I know that Pan Doctor would want 
you to know that you can make the 
world a better place, too. He would 
treat you and your ideas with respect. 
Because you are an important person."

These experiences are shared in clear and memorable images that effectively give historical resonance to the story being told. The graphic novel format works incredibly well to bring Ms. Lewis' stirring and unforgettable storytelling to life for readers.  

"try not to think of what should be but what can be."