#the dollmaker of krakow

[diaryoftruequotes]

No one is ever really lost as long as their story still exists. R. M. Romero, The Dollmaker of Krakow

[little-dipper-euni]

Pt 2 of The Quest for Mutuals

My Interests Include: (will be in different categories) (my man/woman from each thing will be in ())

@starrycornelius I promise I will finish Hannibal I promise😿 pls I promise darlin’😿 I’m trying😭but it’s so long 😭😭and I can’t focus👹👹

Shows:

-Gilmore Girls (Jess) -The Walking Dead (Negan,Glenn,Rick)-Teen Wolf (Coach Finstock,Stiles,Kira)-The Originals(Hayley)

-Criminal Minds(Spencer,Elle) -Heartstopper(Nick,Elle,)

-Hannibal (don’t come for me Cornelius I’m gonna finish it somehow)

-Outer Banks(JJ,John B, Rafe, Sarah, Barry) -Succesion(Roman, Shiv, Tom) -COMMUNITY (Jeff,Abed,Britta)(6 seasons and a movie!!)

-Fleabag(Fleabag, The Hot Priest) -The Sandman(The Corinthian) -Gotham (the riddler is my MAN)

-Magic School Bus -Brooklyn 9-9 (Jake,Rosa,)-THE BEAR(CARMY RICHIE 😻😻)

Movies:

-Mysterious Skin -Thirteen -Carrie -Trial of the Chicago 7 -Hunger Games -The Lovely Bones

-Juno -Black Swan -Whiplash -Coraline -Buffalo 66 -Requiem for a Dream -Girl, Interrupted

-Rock Horror Picture Show -10 Things I Hate About You -The Outsiders -Gabriel(2014) -Matilda -Lisa Frankenstein

-Scream(all) -Bend it Like Beckham -But, I’m a cheerleader -Brokeback Mountain -The Half of It

-Everything Everywhere All at Once -Cabaret -Challengers -Hereditary -Midsommar -The Dark Knight (all)

Books:

-Looking for Alaska -Mysterious Skin -No longer Human -Jane Eyre -The Help

-The Dollmaker of Krakow -The Catcher in The Rye -The Great Gatsby -Anna Karenina

-War and Peace -anything Nietzsche, Kant, or Camus -Mary (Nabokov) -The Odyssey

[listentothestories]

The more people tell a story, the more alive it becomes.

R.M. Romero, The Dollmaker of Krakow

[manuscripts-dontburn]

On 27th January 1945 the concentration camp Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviets. Today the date is used to commemorate the holocaust. I am, however, sick of people recommending books like “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and possibly even worse “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”, which have both created wrongful and harmful views of the realities of holocaust and concentration camps (and which the Auschwitz Memorial repeatedly disowns). So instead, here are three fiction and three nonfiction books about that difficult topic you may have overlooked, but I can heartily recommend:

The Dollmaker of Krakow - it is always difficult and brave to try and communicate the holocaust to young readers. R.M. Romero manages to do that with the help of a little magic, a little allegory, and a lot of sensitivity.

A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova - This is one of several books on holocaust written by its survivor Arnošt Lustig. Minimalistic in its conception, it conveys the sense of doom and shows the unashamed, brazen lies that the Nazis employed to steal from their victims everything they could.

Hana - a family drama using non-linear narrative, that is set both during the war years and in the 50s. Little Mirka looses her family and the only person left is her aunt. But this aunt is weird and distant due to her own experiences from the war. This book won the Czech national book prize.

Never Forget Your Name: The Children of Auschwitz - This is one of the most grueling, horrifying, and poignant books about the Holocaust I have ever read. A powerful memorial to the children of the Holocaust and their suffering. The author focuses also on the post-war experiences of the survivors.

The Operation Reinhard Death Camps - Auschwitz was far from the only camps that were designed to exterminate thousands at once. Learn more about Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka.

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz - Beautifully, and sensitively put together to commemorate a specific group of young women who suffered in Auschwitz, this is a dignified tribute to those who died and those who survived.

[rmromeroauthor]

The Dollmaker of Krakow made me sob on a plane back when it first came out and you used to reblog my poetry comics on here, when i was still making them as a teen. it still makes me smile to think abt that, that an artist i admire liked my work enough to hold onto them for inspiration. thank you, i truly mean it

This was such a lovely message to receive! Thank you for sending it and for your fantastic comics, and for remembering THE DOLLMAKER OF KRAKOW so fondly.

[koskela-knights]

Thank you @entropicquilibriumofchaos for the tag! :3

Nine things:

Last song: why am i here, i feel so alone by yaeow (Ilmo song, Ilmo song)

Favorite color: BLUE (though my wardrobe tells you black)

Last Movie/TV Show: Eh.... I think it's Kerron sinulle kaiken That Finnish movie with Peter in it

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: Sweet! Despite me barely eating any sweet candy at all lmao Strawberries, peaches, fruit sweet

Last thing I Googled: Ao3 lmao had to check the tags 🫡🫡

Current Obsession: Alan Wake and Control (Remedyverse if you will)

Last Book: The way I barely read books any more... the last book I tried to read before AW2 took over my life was The Dollmaker of Krakow by RM Romero. It was actually a solid thing from what I read so far! About a sentient, talking doll who came from the land of the Dolls and ended up at a toymaker's house. (It reminded me of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane so <33 )

Last Fic: Last fic I wrote was today's Ink (fuelling my CultCase agenda here)

and the last Fic i read was from Caregiving by AutisticWriter. A flashfic about Saga and Logan <3

Looking Forward to: 👀 in March there will be a big fetish event I'll be attending 👀 On shorter notice, tomorrow I have an appointment with my therapist :')

Tagging @autisticwriterblog @zephyrone01 @copiasmic @dextraicarus1994 @ranishereforphae and @that-dude-ash

Aaa sorry if I havent mentioned others T_T Also, feel free to skip if you don't want to :D (Personally, as long as I can mention AW2/brother stuff I'll probably join the tag game :P)

[f4y3w00d5]

Ill prolly start that blog of mine with The Ocean At The End Of The Lane (yes ik its by neil gaiman, but i read it before all the allegation shit and i am fuckin in love with it its beautiful), The Ghosts Of Rose Hill and The Dollmaker of Krakow (R. M. Romero), each of The Medoran Chronicles books (Lynette Noni), maybe Looking For Alaska by John Green

The Hunger Games cos im reading it for school

and lastly the three new books i got, A Lesson In Vengeance (Victoria Lee), The Revenant Games (Margie Fuston), and A Tempest Of Tea (Hafsah Faizal)

[themoonphoenix]

Countries that I visited reading in January 2024

I love traveling the world reading, I wanted to start January with Nordic countries, stories that preferably take place in winter (not all of them apply). In general, I enjoyed them all, I read more than I expected, my favorites were: Winterwood, The Dollmaker of Krakow, Lat Call at the Local, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Crystal Woman, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Photo by…

[its-suanneschafer-author]

ICYMI: BOOK REVIEW of #TheDollmakerOfKrakow by #RMRomero. A magical children’s book dealing with the #Holocaust. 

[legally-a-bastard]

Last movie: Night Swim (this movie actually kinda slapped, it was good)

Last Song: Jesse Got Trapped In the Coal Mine by Goodnight, Texas

Currently Reading: The Dollmaker of Krakow

Currently Watching: M*A*S*H (like always)

Currently consuming: crackers

Currently craving: mmmmmmm burger

@max--phillips @godmybackhurts @strangefable @captastra

@purple-amaranthe thank you for tagging me!!

last movie: A haunting in Venice

last song: Astronaut - Sido

currently reading: American Gods

currently watching: Bridgerton

currently consuming: nothing 😌😌

currently craving: ice cream, like every time I have a sore throat heheh

tagging @keysmashhhhhhhh @sky-is-torn @flyingpurplepeopleeater42 @fluffykitteninabox @justnerdystuffs @geolato (no pressure at all) a d anyone else who might want to do this

[stefito0o]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge March 2021

13. Debut author

[bookscoffeejesus]

2.1.2021

Honestly, I couldn’t decide which of the first two pictures I liked the best, so I included them both. I’ll get to the third one in just a moment, though.

The Dollmaker of Krakow by R. M. Romero is set in Poland during World War II. Now, at the end of November, when I was done reading Flight Girls for book club, I told myself no more WWII novels for a while because we had read quite a few for book club and I was just feeling overwhelmed by them. HOWEVER, I picked this book up to fill a couple of prompts for my reading challenges, and I’m glad I did!

Romero makes WWII understandable for the kids who read this book (this coming from a certified Social Studies teacher). It’s middle-level (so think somewhere in late elementary/early junior high range), so it’s about the level I’d like to be teaching if I can ever get my own classroom. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by war taking place throughout the book, but was instead able to focus on the characters and what they were experiencing due to the war. The magical realism helped with that and helped to keep things a bit more light-hearted, making this such a fun read.

I also really, really loved the illustrations that were included! The third picture included with this post gives an example of beautiful illustrations that were included. These helped me to visualize the characters, especially Karolina and how small she was compared to the humans around her, so it will definitely help any kid looking to read this book and add to their own imaginations as they read.

I really gave it four and a half stars out of five because of a couple of typos in my copy of the book. I bought it second-hand, so I’m not sure if this is a first edition or a later edition, but I’m hoping these were corrected in later editions of the book or will be before a paperback copy is published.

PopSugar Advanced: A book from your TBR list chosen at random

ATY: A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[annelisreadingroom]

Are you ready to leave Christmas behind and move on to New Year? Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?

[listentothestories]

No one is ever really lost as long as their story still exists.

R.M. Romero, The Dollmaker of Krakow

[lakecountylibrary]

Back in History: Historical Fiction for Middle Grade Readers

Selected by LCPL Youth Librarian Bridgette

Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko AR Level: 3.5  Points: 7   Lexile: 600 Overdrive/Libby ebook   Overdrive/Libby audiobook Moose is the son of a prison guard/electrician who just moved to Alcatraz in 1935. He and his family try to adjust and get his sister who has special needs into an exclusive school. Being on a prison island also makes for interesting scenarios and schemes with the warden's daughter.

This page turner is a serious and funny book that left me gasping in surprise at the end. It deals with being a boy and trying to deal with emotions without being too cheesy and in your face about it. It's more meant for a mature middle grade reader since there are some crimes described in the beginning, and Moose fears for his sister being around male criminals.

A Thunderous Whisper by Christine Gonzalez AR Level: 4.2   Points: 9   Lexile 660 Overdrive/Libby ebook During the Spanish Civil War, Ani learns to grow up from being just a smelly sardine seller and soldier's daughter. She and her friend Mathias seek to make a difference by using their situation and talent to their advantage. Much is lost for these two, but they gain new perspectives about life and their own characters.

It is a dramatic and serious book, but there are some funny moments with the friendship that Ani and Mathias develop. I wanted to keep reading after it was over to find out about more of what happens to them. It was sad, but realistic for the characters since they lived during a time of war.

The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero AR Level: 5.5   Points: 10   Lexile: 810

A magical world merges with the ugly reality of German occupied Poland during World War II. Karolina is a doll who is brought to life by a Dollmaker in Krakow.  Karolina's story is described in short chapters folded between the overarching story with the Dollmaker. In Karolina's home, Land of the Dolls, monstrous rats overthrew her king and queen. She is unfortunately familiar with the cruelties of war, and compares the rats to the Nazis who are taking over the Dollmaker's world and harming the people they care about most. Together, they devise a plan to make a difference and help the Jewish children who live in the Ghetto. 

Karolina and the Dollmaker become loving friends who help each other become better and braver. The story is meant for middle grade, but enjoyable for adults to read as well. Even with magic and dolls, the book still tells the horrific story of the holocaust. The biggest lesson the author gives is that you always have a choice to do the right thing no matter what.  

[featheredglasspen]

Review: The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero

The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero displays a powerful message that hope is necessary and can be found in even the darkest times. The worst of humanity is outweighed by the very best of humanity -- from the innocence and playfulness of children, the kindness of neighbors, the bonds of friendship, the togetherness of family, to the limitless capacity of the heart to love. Review under the cut.

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

The Holocaust is a difficult subject to write about, let alone when your target audience are children, but R. M. Romero managed to pull it off in this novel. The fantasy elements can be an enticing entry point into an important and emotionally challenging topic. However, don't let the fact that it's a children's book keep you from reading it. 

The Dollmaker of Krakow is a beautifully written, profound, and poignant story that will leave its imprint on a reader of any age. The historical detail within the book is interesting and accurate, and Romero cleverly weaves this together with fantasy to appeal to all type of readers. Rich with fairy-tale tropes, the book really tells two parallel stories: the fate of the Land of the Dolls, and the fate of Poland and its Jewish citizenry. Narration hops back and forth between the worlds, maintaining a straight up comparison that surely works for the intended age-group. The parallels are quite simple: A wicked witch creates a horde of fearsome, insatiable rats who overrun the Land of the Dolls -- terrorizing, abusing, and killing the doll population. Meanwhile, Hitler deploys the Nazis over Europe -- terrorizing, abusing and killing Jews.

The writing is simple but poetic, and encourages younger children to establish empathy with the victims. Through Karolina's perspective, you get to see the heartbreaking cruelty of the Nazi regime --and the crimes are told in a way that all ages could understand them. Polish folklore is incorporated into the story, adding insight on Polish culture, and on the historical context of the novel. One example is the Lakanica, the spirit of the meadow that would become the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing ground. The only thing you have to remember is that it’s slow-paced and not complex enough to expose you to new information about WWII, so it’s highly possible you read about what you already know, i.e. stars worn, concentration camps, cruelty towards Jews, disappearances, invasions, etc. I will admit there were parts I was hoping for more new, stimulating content. My favorite character in the book is undoubtedly Karolina. She is full of love, compassionate, and she will stop at nothing to help her friends. How fitting that in this tale -- a doll, normally taken as a mere copy of humanity, feels and exhibits more humaneness than actual humans who purport to decide who is a worthy human and who isn’t. As for the human characters, they are well-crafted, and feel very -- well, human. In the story, Jozef and his daughter, Rena, are among the groups persecuted in Krakow. Through them, Romero emphasizes the effects of the Holocaust on individuals who lived, breathed, and contributed to society before their persecution. This was very important as victims are often forgotten as people, and remembered as statistics instead. The dollmaker, Cyryl, despite his fears and advantages, chooses a difficult path -- showing that even one person can make a difference in the world by being brave enough to protect those he cares for.

It’s an interesting take on the nutcracker. I think that’s what drew me into the book in the first place besides the gorgeous artwork. The nutcracker is not a story I am familiar with, but I do remember watching movies about it growing up at Christmas. It’s a heartwarming story and it can put a new perspective on the historical aspect of World War II. I do recommend that children should read this, but only for those who can understand the grave impact the war had on the world and in history.

Until next time.