100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀

A Winter's Day in 1939

By Melinda Szymanik
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.08 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 128 ratings, 36 reviews)
Brief Description
Sometimes your only weapon is the will to survive... Taken from their home, forced to leave their country, put to work in labour camps, frozen and starved, Adam and his family doubt that they will ever make it out alive. Even if they were to get... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2199
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Sometimes your only weapon is the will to survive...

Taken from their home, forced to leave their country, put to work in labour camps, frozen and starved, Adam and his family doubt that they will ever make it out alive. Even if they were to get away, they might freeze to death, or starve, or the bears might get them.

For the Polish refugees, the whole of the USSR becomes a prison from which there is seemingly no escape. Thorough research and real-life family history combine in this powerful story of one family's struggle to survive.

This is a harrowing, compelling story of courage and hope based on Melinda Szymanik's own father's journey across Europe during World War II.

A Winter's Day in 1939 by Melinda Szymanik vividly captures this incredible tale of survival and resilience.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781775430308

Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand Limited

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 January 2013

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Scholastic New Zealand

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Melinda Szymanik
  • Illustrated by Melinda Szymanik

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Children's Historical Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiction Historical Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Melinda Szymanik New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Published Scholastic Young Adult

About the Author

Melinda Szymanik is the author of the picture books Clever Moo and The Were-Nana, which won the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards Children's Choice Award in 2009. A Winter's Day in 1939 is a novel close to Melinda's heart as it is based on her own father's journey across Europe during World War Two. Melinda has written two other novels, Jack the Viking (Scholastic, 2008) and The Half Life of Ryan Davis (Pear Jam, 2011).

Also by Melinda Szymanik

View all
  • Lucy and the Dark
    When Lucy makes friends with the Dark, she discovers a new and exciting world - but the world is about to discover what it's like without the Dark! A funny and enjoyable bedtime story with a glow-in-the-dark cover to encourage lights out! From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this delightful story about a child who faces her fears and...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2100
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Time Machine & Other Stories
    What happens when you sleep with a crocodile tooth under your pillow, or the mess under your bed turns into something terrifying? How can a football be a passport, and what does it mean when the contraption in the basement starts to hum and glow? You can be sure the answers will never be boring and almost always take you...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2500
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Kua Kore he Moa, e Hoa (Maori Edition of There are No Moa, e Hoa)
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Sun Shower / He Taru Kahika (Maori Edition)
    The Clouds think Sun and Rain would get along well, but Rain thinks Sun doesn’t want to know her as Sun always vanishes when she turns up. Likewise, Sun feels that Rain stays away when Sun is around. The Clouds think they’d be a good match, however, and scheme a meeting, resulting in the most beautiful union ... a rainbow!...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Te Waiata o Kauri
    Te Waiata o Kauri by Melinda Szymanik tells the tale of Kauri, who danced with the wind. Cloaked in mist, warmed by the sun, and stirred by a whirling wind, Kauri grows tall and wise through passing years and changing times. This is his song.
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • There are No Moa, e Hoa
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Batkiwi
    Whenever there is trouble in the forest, big-hearted Kiwi wants to help. He longs to be fast enough to come to the aid of his friends when they are in need. There is just one problem, Kiwi is pretty fast ... but his sturdy legs are just not fast enough ... and they can’t carry him up trees! Then one...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Sun Shower
    The Clouds think Sun and Rain would get along well, but Rain thinks Sun doesn’t want to know her as Sun always vanishes when she turns up. Likewise, Sun feels that Rain stays away when Sun is around. The Clouds think they’d be a good match, however, and scheme a meeting, resulting in the most beautiful union ... a rainbow!...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • My Elephant Is Blue
    An award-winning, quirky story about a child who is stuck carrying around an elephant, wondering if they will ever feel light and free again... A story full of humour and heart about having the blues, in the form of a big heavy elephant. One day an elephant came and sat on my chest. I found it hard to get up...
    By Melinda Szymanik
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Young Adult

View all
  • Song of the Saltings
    On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...
    By Rachael King
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tell Me with Kisses
    From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...
    By Mercedes Ron
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Release Me
    The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...
    By Tahereh Mafi
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Language of Dragons
    The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...
    By S. F. Williamson
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
    Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....
    By Tahereh Mafi
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Cozy Corner
    Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...
    By Coco Wyo
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
    When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...
    By Jamie Smart
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty
    The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....
    By Jenny Han
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...
    By Holly Jackson
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Powerless
    OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...
    By Lauren Roberts
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
    Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...
    By Katie Kirby
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
    The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...
    By Katie Kirby
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Young Adult lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all