00008848

This young adult ghost story is highly disturbing and sparsely embellished with terrifying pictures. Inspires readers to consider right/wrong and what could have been done differently in the Holocaust. A story about Holocaust remembrance, guilt, and fear. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 86 SUB CAT I: Children's Resources SUB CAT II: Holocaust SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: This book reveals the appalling extent to which the U.S. (and Great Britain), in the face of overwhelming evidence of the Holocaust, refused to help rescue the victims until very late in the war.NOTES: SUBTITLE:

A young boys discovers the hidden past of a French village during World War II. Raises questions: what would you do if Nazis wanted to take away strangers? How do you live with the consequences of your actions? Or do you try to forget? ( )

I simply love Library Thing! This book was listed as a recommendation based on my books cataloged. And now, I've discovered not only a book I can highly recommend, but in addition, I learned of the Sydney Taylor Book Award!

Steven Schnur's book was the 1994 recipient of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, established for authors of the most distinguished contributions to Jewish children's literature.

This coming of age book is the story of Etienne, an eleven year old young man, his grandfather and the sleepy French countryside of Mount Brulant.

While the writing is simple, the subject matter is gripping. While visiting his grandfather during post WWII, Etienne sees the ghosts of hundreds of starving, emaciated, raggedy, forlorn children hiding in the woods.

When asking his grandfather and other adults about his discovery, at first denied the truth, eventually, he learns the sad, tragic, terrible truth that Jewish children were sent to the country side seeking refuge, only to be hunted down by the Nazi's and killed.

While the kind people of Mount Brulant tried to help the children, in the end, they watched as the children were herded into trains to meet their death.

The story not only focuses on the children, but also allows us to feel the guilt of those who were unsuccessful in their attempts to save.

This is NOT a ghost story, this is a tale of a town that tried to do the right thing. This is a tale of innocent children who wanted to live.