For 12 years—his whole life—David has lived in captivity.  When he gets the chance to escape the concentration camp, he takes it.  Although the prospect of leaving everything he's ever known terrifies him, David would rather die quickly from a guard's bullet than slowly waste away in the wilderness.  Much to the boy's surprise, he makes it out of the camp alive.  What now?  He's been told to seek safety in Denmark, but that's miles and miles away from his home in eastern Europe.  How will he travel that far?  For how long can a young fugitive really hope to stay alive?  Wouldn't dying prove an easier path to freedom?

It's only when David arrives in Italy, soaking in the vibrant colors and beauty of that land, that he decides he desperately wants to live.  After seeing such a sight, he "could no longer think of nothing as he had trained himself to do in the concentration camp" (191).  In order to live, however, the guileless David will have to learn some important lessons about trust, friendship, and making his way in the great, wild world with all its charms and dangers.

I Am David, Anne Holm's 1963 novel for young readers, is a quiet, but expansive coming-of-age tale. Like many tales of imprisonment, this gentle story celebrates the beauty of life, even in the midst of great ugliness.  David's remarkable journey opens not just his eyes, but those of the reader as well.  Although the story starts slowly and ends in a most convenient, contrived manner, it's still a memorable, inspiring tale.  Overall, I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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