This chapter book takes place during the First World War in a small village in Poland. The story os told from the perspective of a young boy. The book tries to answer the question of 'what caused the first Great War. It does this by running two parallel stories. The first story looks at the Russian and German armies that fought over the territory. The second is a story about the relationship between the boys. They develop a competition and antagonism that acts like an allegory for the actual war around them.

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The story is well-written and keeps the reader engaged. It shows the devastation that comes with armed conflicts in a way that children can follow.