The Hidden Children

by Howard Greenfeld

Overview

Over a million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust. From ten thousand to 100 thousand Jewish children were hidden with strangers and survived. In this powerful and compelling work, 25 people share their experiences as hidden children. Black-and-white photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780395861387
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/30/1997
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	7.81(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	980L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

"An important and accessible resource." School Library Journal, Starred

"Jewish children had to go into hiding from the Nazis during the Second World War. Greenfeld has spoken to survivors, and he weaves pieces of their painful narratives with a general account of what it was like to be a Jewish child at that time. Like Anne Frank, many were hidden by Righteous Gentiles, who often risked their own lives." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review —

From the Publisher

Greenfeld ( Marc Chagall ) has a rare ability to focus on a very emotional topic and to convey that emotion to readers. Here he presents the stories of Jews who, as children, survived the Holocaust in hiding. Some posed as children of non-Jewish families, others were sheltered in religious institutions or orphanages, still others spent years in airless bunkers or attics. Some lived in constant fear, moving from place to place; others did not realize they were in danger and spent the war in relative peace. A few were resented and even betrayed by those who hid them; luckier children were welcomed as part of the family. Incorporating his subjects' testimonies into succinct accounts of individual survival, Greenfeld produces a well-rounded and varied picture of their collective experiences, from the first stirrings of war through their liberation and beyond. The volume's design intensifies the impact of the stories: contemporaneous photos of the subjects, distributed throughout the text, put faces with the words. This moving, thoughtful approach to the study of the Holocaust will help young readers grasp the horrors endured in those years by people their own age. Ages 8-up. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4 Up-The experiences of 15 children who survived the Holocaust in hiding are presented here within the historical context of the Nazi rise to power and World War II. These youngsters were sheltered in a variety of private homes and institutions by ``righteous Gentiles,'' family friends, and those simply looking for additional money; some were resented, some treated compassionately, and others mistreated and abused physically. Greenfeld has interviewed these survivors, who are now living in the U.S., and has recorded their memories. Both the mundane and the unusual are remembered; the most commonly described feelings are the fear that family members would perish and the sense of guilt at having survived while others did not. There are reminiscences of narrow escapes and poignant remembered pleasures of edible treats. While the chronological arrangement of the book makes it difficult to follow a specific child's story (it is possible by using the excellent index), it succeeds admirably in allowing readers to place the experiences described within the framework of the Holocaust. An excellent selection of black-and-white photographs and an open design contribute to making this an important and accessible resource.- Susan Kaminow, Arlington County Public Library, VA

School Library Journal