Written By: Alison Leslie Gold
Polaris, Scholastic Inc.
April 1999
Ages: 10 and up.
Pages: 135
Summary
This is a beautiful recollection of stories from Anne Frank's dear friend, Hannah Goslar. The whole of the book just basically runs through and describes Hannah and Anne's friendship leading up to their separation when they were both sent to concentration camps. Some of the most touching parts of the story come from Hannah's experiences described in the concentration camps and what she went through there to survive. On one occasion, Hannah and Anne happened to be in neighboring concentration camps, but Anne and her sister Margot were in much worse shape and hardly ever got food to eat or a warm place to sleep. On two occasions, Hannah tried to throw packages with Red Cross food in them to Anne, but the first time, the package was wrestled from Anne and she was left with nothing. The second time, thankfully, Anne was able to catch the package as it was thrown over the fence. Just mere weeks later, Anne's camp disappeared.
Who would benefit from reading this book?
Any child who has heard of Anne Frank or is even interested in World War Two and the Holocaust would benfit from reading this book. It chronciles the endurance of the human spirit through the most trying times anyone could ever be put through and the miracles that can happen from those experiences.
What problems do you see arising from reading this book?
This book describes in some detail the horrors and terrible conditions of the concentration camps and what happened there. Some young children might be disturbed by it's content. I would reccommend reading it with a parent and discussing it's contents.
What was your reaction?
I believe that the first time I read this book I got it as a Christmas gift, along with Anne Frank's diary. I had and still do, have an affinity for the Holocaust and WW II. I treasure the lessons I learn from studying these experiences and the knowledge I gain from them.
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