World War II has come to Patty Bergen's hometown of Jenkinsville, Arkansas, in the form of a German prisoner of war camp. Patty, a twelve-year-old Jewish girl, is curious about these Nazi soldiers, who must be monsters for the killing they have done. She is also lonely and awkward, and looking for a friend. Anton, a German soldier, is not the monster that Patty imagined, but a frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own. He sees Patty in a way no one else does, as "a person of value." When she decides to help him escape from the camp, the consequences will change Patty's life forever.

This thought-provoking, emotional narrative tackles difficult issues with insight and courage. Patty's story is as important today as ever, and has made Summer of My German Soldier a modern classic. It is a National Book Award Finalist, an ALA Notable Book, and a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year.