First Review in for A Storm Unleashed

 Delighted to see A Storm Unleashed as a November Children's Book Pick in the Calgary Herald. 

"This historical fiction of bravery in the times of Nazi terror is an important read."

First presentation of A Storm Unleashed

I was thrilled to present A Storm Unleashed to teachers at the Manitoba Social Sciences Association Conference on October 24. We had two sold out sessions. I was so fortunate to do the sessions with Kelly Hiebert, a Holocaust education scholar. Here I am preparing for the session. And here we are right after the sessions were over. Lots of great questions. Many attendees had already read the book and told me they loved it.  

I am looking forward to the book launch of  A Storm Unleashed on November 10. Belle Jarniewski, director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, and Kelly Hiebert, Holocaust scholar and history teacher, will be joining me in a discussion of my middle-grades novel.

Launch of A Storm Unleashed

I am honoured to be part of a Kristallnacht program sponsored by The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. Belle Jarniewski, director of the JHC, and Kelly Hiebert, Holocaust Curriculum Scholar and history teacher, will be joining me in a discussion of my novel A Storm Unleashed.

After losing her mother as a young girl, twelve-year-old Mia is living in Berlin with her veterinarian father and beloved German shepherd, Max. Mia tries to focus on her hobbies, her studies and her trips to her grandparents’ farm where she cares for the animals she loves. But it’s 1935, and life has changed radically for Mia and her Jewish father over the last two years. Antisemitism is now official state policy. At school, Mia is vilified and treated cruelly by her teachers and fellow students. Outside of school, she witnesses violence against her friends and family. And then suddenly a girl from the Nazi Youth tries to take Max. From that moment on, life becomes more and more dangerous for Mia and her father — who is now being forced to help the Nazis train Hitler’s army of dogs. Mia and her best friend, Frieda, must come up with a plan to navigate this new reality. But could it cost Mia more than she realizes? 

Praise for A Storm Unleashed

Available now at Indigo and McNally Robinson Booksellers

"A Storm Unleashed is an important book for our time. Mia is a 12-year-old girl in Berlin in 1935. She and her dog Max have grown up surrounded by love. But with Hitler’s rise to power, all she sees, and feels, now is hate. And when a member of the Hitler Youth threatens to take Max away, Mia realizes that the country she once knew and felt safe in is changing.

In this book, Carol Matas brilliantly sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of Hitler’s power – his army of 200,000 dogs. Matas centres the story on Mia’s lived experience - her love for her dog Max, her caring relationship with her Jewish veterinarian father, as well as with her non-Jewish grandparents and aunt on her mother’s side. When Mia can no longer ignore the antisemitism she’s experiencing in school, she realizes she has to pay attention to what’s going on in her country and to the people (and dog) she loves.

A Storm Unleashed not only tells a moving and accessible story leading up to World War II and the Holocaust, but shows young readers the importance of being engaged during turbulent times, while also leaning into hope and love." — Sidura Ludwig, author of  Rising

"Gripping, revealing, heart-pounding and hopeful, this meticulously researched novel breaks new ground and is an outstanding addition to Holocaust literature. This masterfully written novel should be utilized in classrooms everywhere." — Liza Wiemer, Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award-winning author of The Assignment

"A powerful story about tragedy, terror and survival. We can learn of a dark past to create a brighter future." — Eric Walters, author of King of Jam Sandwiches

"A Storm Unleashed is a powerful and, at times, raw and terrifying fictionalized, but no less harrowing, story of one girl’s account in Nazi Germany. Despite this book being set in 1935, during the rise of Hitler, so much of what Mia experiences could easily be written about today’s rise in disinformation, propaganda, and antisemitism: “It is an odd feeling knowing a large portion of the country believes things that are simply not true. I can’t help but wonder if I also believe things that aren’t true. If so, how would I know?” A relatable, if difficult read that will keep kids turning the page to find out what happens to Mia and her beloved dog, Max, while sneakily teaching them about history, democracy, a little philosophy, and what could come again if we aren’t careful." — Joanne Levy, author of All the Things We Found.

Book Birthday for A Storm Unleashed!

September 16 is pub day for A Storm Unleashed. Available for order at Indigo, which named it as one of Indigo's Most Anticipated Canadian Books. Also available at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Twelve-year-old Mia lives in Berlin with her veterinarian father and beloved dog, Max. It's 1935, and life in Germany has changed radically — especially for Jewish families like Mia's. She tries to focus on things she loves: her best friend Frieda, training Max, birdwatching, and visiting her grandparents' farm ... but storm clouds are gathering.

Under Hitler's rule, antisemitism is now official state policy. Jewish people are quickly losing their rights and protection and are subject to random violence. Mia is vilified and treated cruelly by her teachers and fellow students. And a girl from the Nazi Youth has decided to take Max for herself. Meanwhile, Mia and father find themselves caught up in Hitler's plot to create an army of dogs.

Can Mia navigate this new reality and find a way to keep her loved ones safe? Even if she does, what will be the cost?

A Storm Unleashed has been sold To Australia!

 Kids in Australia and New Zealand will soon be reading A Storm Unleashed. 

This is the announcement made by my agent Amy Tompkins:

"Andrew Berkhut at Scholastic Australia has acquired Carol Matas's middle grade novel, A Storm Unleashed. Scholastic Australia's edition will be published in early 2026. Maral Maclagan at Scholastic Canada handled the deal for English rights in Australia and New Zealand. Carol Matas is represented by Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency, who is representing translation rights."

A Storm Unleashed — Coming this Fall!

My new middle grade novel, A Storm Unleashed, will be out this fall with Scholastic Canada. Set in 1933-35 Berlin, it is the story of Mia and her beloved dog Max . It chronicles Germany’s rapid descent into fascism from democracy and the unleashing of a rising storm of hatred against the Jews and Hitler’s “enemies.” Mia, Max, her family and her friends find themselves in a terrifying reality.

The novel also explores the little-known story of Hitler's dog army, which he created as part of his preparation for war and in order to subdue the groups he was rounding up and sending to concentration camps.