Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moving tale of teens, art, and resistance has some violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
SONG OF A BLACKBIRD takes place in Amsterdam during World War II and in 2011. Modern-day Annick lives with her grandmother, who needs a bone-marrow transplant. When Oma's siblings turn out not to be a match, she and Annick embark on an investigation of her past that will lead them all around Amsterdam, to San Francisco, and to Montana, of all places. As they explore the clues to Oma's past, they learn about Emma, who lived in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. Emma learns the importance of doing whatever you can to resist occupation, and especially about the power of art to fight oppression and find common ground.
Is It Any Good?
This is a poignant graphic novel that takes on a terrible time in world history, and painful times in families' lives, and handles both gracefully and honestly. Song of a Blackbird provides a lot of food for thought about so much more than just the war. Interweaving the two time periods with fluid drawings that incorporate vintage black-and-white photos gives the reader a real sense of place and time while providing enough room to absorb the many powerful ideas. And they're all nicely tied together by the blackbird as narrator. Teens who can handle the complex storylines and the wartime violence will learn a lot about the importance of family, history, art, resisting oppression, and so much more. Keep a tissue handy for the sad but hopeful ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Song of a Blackbird. Does it have a different effect when you know some things really happened? Why is it important to learn about our past?
Did you know much about the occupation of Holland during World War II? Did you learn anything that surprised you?
What does the blackbird and its song mean to you? Why do you think the author chose to tell this story in that way?
Describe the main characters' courage and perseverance. Why were these qualities so important to the resistance?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Maria van Lieshout
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Activism , Arts , History
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : First Second
- Publication date : January 21, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 256
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate