Resistance by Jennifer Nielsen

Chaya Lindner is a Jewish teen who joins the resistance during World War II. She is a courier and is adept at moving through the ghettos with food and weapons and sometimes even people. Like all Polish Jews, she has suffered devastating loss, but she channels her anger and pain into action. She is frustrated to be paired with Esther, another Jewish girl who makes mistakes and doesn't seem cut out to be a courier. However, once the their resistance cell is shattered, Chaya and Esther take on a mission to go to the Warsaw Ghetto where armed resistance is underway. The characters are nuanced and real, and the decisions they make are made in the context of their Jewish faith. This is not an easy book to read but it is a fine story of courage in the face of terrific evil. It also may serve as a first look at Polish ghettos and the Warsaw uprising for young readers. This is a natural follow-up for students who have read Alan Gratz's books (Allies, Grenade, Prisoner B-3087) and  The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.