jjares reviewed Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport (Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Stories) on + 3307 more book reviews
This short book explains the Holocaust to younger readers (ages 9 - 12) through the eyes of the children who were put on trains to escape the Nazis. They ran from 1938 - 1940 (depending on their location in Europe). About 10,000 children were relocated to Great Britain. It was stunning to read how reluctant the British were to take the children, demanding they leave immediately after the war's end.
The first chapter explains that a five-year-old boy must board the train, not knowing if he'd ever see his parents again. The second chapter explains why the parents were so concerned about their children's safety with the increasing persecution of Jews. As a result, Jewish children were banned from school and went to a teacher's home to continue their studies.
I question the wisdom of just handing this book to children; adults should offer some context for the short stories within its pages. For some children, these stories will speak to them on a very emotional level. In addition, they may raise the fears of insecure children. The book makes it clear that the Jewish refugees had difficulty finding a European country to accept them. This is a powerful story, well worth a young reader's time. However, adults should be involved in answering questions.
The last chapter informs readers about the children mentioned in this book. September 4, 2009, there was a 75-year remembrance of the Kindertransport. The author reports that over 2000 children emigrated to the US after the war. Most of the 10,000 children who escaped never saw their parents again. One and one-half million children died in the Holocaust, but strangers' kindness saved these 10,000.
Two of the 10,000 refugees eventually won Nobel Prizes. In addition, many of the children refugees entered the helping professions. The final explanation of the children's outcomes is reassuring that so many were saved by kindness.
There is a timeline and glossary included. Also, there were sites for further reading.
The first chapter explains that a five-year-old boy must board the train, not knowing if he'd ever see his parents again. The second chapter explains why the parents were so concerned about their children's safety with the increasing persecution of Jews. As a result, Jewish children were banned from school and went to a teacher's home to continue their studies.
I question the wisdom of just handing this book to children; adults should offer some context for the short stories within its pages. For some children, these stories will speak to them on a very emotional level. In addition, they may raise the fears of insecure children. The book makes it clear that the Jewish refugees had difficulty finding a European country to accept them. This is a powerful story, well worth a young reader's time. However, adults should be involved in answering questions.
The last chapter informs readers about the children mentioned in this book. September 4, 2009, there was a 75-year remembrance of the Kindertransport. The author reports that over 2000 children emigrated to the US after the war. Most of the 10,000 children who escaped never saw their parents again. One and one-half million children died in the Holocaust, but strangers' kindness saved these 10,000.
Two of the 10,000 refugees eventually won Nobel Prizes. In addition, many of the children refugees entered the helping professions. The final explanation of the children's outcomes is reassuring that so many were saved by kindness.
There is a timeline and glossary included. Also, there were sites for further reading.
