I Am David by Anne Holm

This is a short historical novel that takes place during WWII and starts at a concentration camp somewhere in Eastern Europe. David has lived in the camp since he was an infant. There is a prison guard who seems to hate him but makes sure he is well cared for. There was Johannes who was appointed his guardian by the guard. When Johannes died David was 12 and the guard told him how to escape, told him to go to Denmark. What if you were like David and suddenly found yourself free after never being free before. What if you had never heard music, seen a real bed, seen a book, green pastures, mountains, the ocean, seen a church, a town, bought anything in a store, could you manage? He slowly makes his way to the ocean, to a cargo ship going to Italy. Then makes his way through Italy, Switzerland, Germany. He learns much along the way like how to smile, laugh, earn a little money, hitch a ride. He never really trusts the people he meets, would they turn him in to the police? Send him back to camp where people arrived looking clean and healthy but soon became dirty, weak, despaired, and died. He hopes to find goodhearted people who will preserve his freedom and teach him to all the things he needed to know and would love him.