The beauty in ‘All the Beautiful Things’
Even though I was a high school History teacher, there were a few periods in history that I avoided reading about and would not watch movies about, those being the Holocaust, the World Wars, and anything to do with African-American slavery. My heart just could not go there. So, it was a huge surprise to me when I fell in love with reading the middle-grade fiction book All the Beautiful Things by Australian author Katrina Nannestad. I stumbled upon this book somewhere online while researching books for younger readers, and the title alone drew me in as ‘beauty’ is one of my favourite words. The content in this book is truly beautiful, and the book is currently number one in my list of favourite books for middle grade/young adult readers.
The historical novel, published in October 2024, follows the journeys of a young German girl named Anna, her sister Eva, and Anna’s best friend, a young boy named Udo. The story is set during the Second World War, from 1943-1945, in the Bavarian Alps in the town of Berchtesgaden, near Hitler’s mountain retreat, and Nannestad masterfully weaves beautiful, clever storytelling with well-researched historical facts. Young Anna is determined to keep her little sister Eva safe, a young girl whose disabilities make her a target for the Nazi regime. While the story is set in a dark period in world history, Nannestad expertly integrates moments of beauty and poignancy that left me in awe and inspired me to be a better writer, one who can instill hope in the midst of tragedy and loss. Having a daughter myself with disabilities, the story really resonated with me, and I could only wish that every young person would read this book to see that EVERYONE matters.
The book is aimed at middle-grade readers (8-12 years old) from 10+ years who are able to process themes on war, loss, death, and discrimination. They will be inspired to be empathetic, kind, and considerate and encouraged to see the true beauty in this world. It is also a book for young adults and even adult readers who will be reminded of the importance of kindness, perseverance, and hope.
The book has a rating of 4.8 on Amazon and is the winner of the Indie Book of the Year Award 2025 (Children’s). It was also shortlisted for the ABIA 2025 Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7 - 12) and the Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction 2025. I highly recommend this beautiful novel. It is a story that will stay with me for a very long time and has set the bar for the kind of writing I hope one day to produce.
And what are ‘all the beautiful things’? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out! You’ll thank me later!
Ratings:
Cleanliness: Entirely clean, with no romantic elements.
Godliness: No explicit faith content; however, the story is grounded in strong moral values and explores themes of hope, resilience, and empathy for others.
Content Warning: Contains depictions of discrimination and genocide toward individuals with disabilities and Jewish people during the Holocaust. Also includes the death of a character and themes associated with war.