Beyond belief by Dee White

Heroes of the Holocaust. Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760662516.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Dee White's Beyond Belief is a transformative story based on real events in World War II Paris. Her detailed research, sensitivity and willingness to open the readers' eyes to how Parisienne Muslims rescued Jewish children during the Nazi Occupation is amazing.
Eleven-year-old Ruben is left by his Jewish parents at the Grand Mosque. They need to look for his older sister and her husband. He is told of a special saviour 'The Fox' who will come and take him to safety. The young boy is at odds with the Muslim practices, he has to learn how to pray, what to say and where to hide. The mosque residents risk their own lives to save the Jewish children. Ruben becomes Abdul quickly learning the different ways of life in this Muslim haven. When the mosque is targeted by the Nazis he is forced to flee with his friend Hana and her little brother Momo.
Richly evocative, capturing the sights, sounds, the desperate times, Beyond Belief is very fast paced, providing insight into the lives of their protectors and the Jewish children. The Heroes of the Holocaust series shows courageous acts and brings insight into the this time in history.
Rhyllis Bignell