If you read SALT TO THE SEA, it would be easy to understand if you do not realize this is a young adult book. But among the many awards it has won are at least four for best YA fiction.

SALT TO THE SEA is historical fiction. It is almost the end of World War II, and the Soviets are advancing. People are fleeing the Soviets’ unspeakable atrocities. In this particular case, a young female nurse, a handsome young man of mystery guarding his secret pack, a woman who is almost a giant, an old man who was a shoemaker, a girl from Poland, and a little boy are all headed for the coast. They intend to board a ship that will take them to the relative safety of Germany.

This is the story of a little-known maritime disaster that was bigger even than the disasters of the Lusitania and the Titanic.

And this is YA historical fiction at its finest. "Finest" because it is appreciated by adults as well as teens.