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corhea22's review
5.0
A great, kid-friendly, introduction to the Holocaust - to spur curiosity and conversation about a difficult topic..
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Survivors of the Holocaust' by Kath Shackleton with illustrations by Zane Whittingham is a graphic novel that tells the true stories of six children during the holocaust.
Heinz, Trude, Ruth, Martin, Suzanne and Arek were just normal kids who had their lives upended by the nazis. All from different backgrounds, they ended up in England in the same area. The stories are sad, and that the fact that these people lived to tell their stories is amazing.
The book ends with a brief recap of what happened to all of these people. The art is quite good. This is a good read for younger readers, and it's an important thing for none of us to forget.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Heinz, Trude, Ruth, Martin, Suzanne and Arek were just normal kids who had their lives upended by the nazis. All from different backgrounds, they ended up in England in the same area. The stories are sad, and that the fact that these people lived to tell their stories is amazing.
The book ends with a brief recap of what happened to all of these people. The art is quite good. This is a good read for younger readers, and it's an important thing for none of us to forget.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
heidisreads's review
3.0
This is a graphic novel which tells the story of six survivors of the Holocaust. Each survivor had a different experience and it is powerful to read them in their own words. That being said, this is definitely an introduction to the Holocaust. Some readers will be disappointed there weren't more details or longer stories, but that's an opportunity to hand them other suggestions of books - and there are many. I appreciated the glossary and also the "what happened to them" sections at the end of the book.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
spacebras's review
<a href="https://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nlcblog/2024/01/30/book-club-spotlight-survivors-of-the-holocaust/"><strong> Nebraska Book Club Spotlight- January 30th, 2024 </strong></a>
In observance of <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/days/holocaust-remembrance">Holocaust Remembrance Day</a> this past Saturday, today’s Book Club Spotlight, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children</i>, is a graphic novel that commemorates the Jewish children who were displaced by World War Two. This book will be read in conjunction with next month’s spotlight, <i>Where Stars are Scattered</i>, which follows two Somali brothers as they are growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp. While these children are safe now, it’s important to remember those who are still being displaced or, worse, by war and apartheid. Survivors of the Holocaust is adapted from a six-part animated interview series, <a href="https://fettleanimation.com/work/children-of-the-holocaust/">Children of the Holocaust</a>, which won the VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award for Youth Honor. It was edited by Kath Shackleton and illustrated by Zane Whittingham.
The graphic novel begins with a foreword by Lilian Black, who was the Chair of the <a href="https://hcn.org.uk/">Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association</A>. She introduces us to the six storytellers, Heinz, Trude, Ruth, Martin, Suzanne, and Arek, who were all children at the beginning of World War II and were impacted by the Holocaust and its systemic persecution of Jewish people. Split into individual sections, we begin by meeting each child shortly before war breaks out during Hitler’s rise to power. Some are forced to flee with their families, siblings, or all alone. Others are stuck in Germany and manage to survive their time in concentration camps. Their stories are told through evocative and mildly disturbing illustrations that work to bring the sense of terror that Hilter’s reign imposed on their young lives. Sections following the main stories include short paragraphs about each of the children as they grew up outside of the war, a timeline of events, a helpful glossary of terms, and further online resources.
<blockquote>“It is not easy for them to tell their stories. They agreed to because they want people to know what can happen when people are subjected to discrimination and persecution for being seen as “different”. Their dearest wish is that no one should suffer as they did and that people who never again stand by when injustice is taking place.”
- LILIAN BLACK
</blockquote>
Appropriate for ages ten and above, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust</i> presents a solid reference point for young readers who are just learning about the Holocaust. As written by <a href="https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/survivors-of-the-holocaust-true-stories-of-six-extraordinary-children">The Jewish Book Council</a>: “These accounts represent a good cross-section of experience, since plurality of experience is vital in presenting the Holocaust to young readers. The illustrations make the identities of the victims and perpetrators clear and the maps used as backgrounds provide geographic grounding for border crossings. Renderings of photographs and primary documents add another layer of understanding”. However, there are minor inconsistencies that often occur through retellings. From classrooms to adult reading groups, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust</i> presents a multifaceted approach to our continuing Holocaust education and commitment to victims of displacement.
In observance of <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/days/holocaust-remembrance">Holocaust Remembrance Day</a> this past Saturday, today’s Book Club Spotlight, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children</i>, is a graphic novel that commemorates the Jewish children who were displaced by World War Two. This book will be read in conjunction with next month’s spotlight, <i>Where Stars are Scattered</i>, which follows two Somali brothers as they are growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp. While these children are safe now, it’s important to remember those who are still being displaced or, worse, by war and apartheid. Survivors of the Holocaust is adapted from a six-part animated interview series, <a href="https://fettleanimation.com/work/children-of-the-holocaust/">Children of the Holocaust</a>, which won the VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award for Youth Honor. It was edited by Kath Shackleton and illustrated by Zane Whittingham.
The graphic novel begins with a foreword by Lilian Black, who was the Chair of the <a href="https://hcn.org.uk/">Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association</A>. She introduces us to the six storytellers, Heinz, Trude, Ruth, Martin, Suzanne, and Arek, who were all children at the beginning of World War II and were impacted by the Holocaust and its systemic persecution of Jewish people. Split into individual sections, we begin by meeting each child shortly before war breaks out during Hitler’s rise to power. Some are forced to flee with their families, siblings, or all alone. Others are stuck in Germany and manage to survive their time in concentration camps. Their stories are told through evocative and mildly disturbing illustrations that work to bring the sense of terror that Hilter’s reign imposed on their young lives. Sections following the main stories include short paragraphs about each of the children as they grew up outside of the war, a timeline of events, a helpful glossary of terms, and further online resources.
<blockquote>“It is not easy for them to tell their stories. They agreed to because they want people to know what can happen when people are subjected to discrimination and persecution for being seen as “different”. Their dearest wish is that no one should suffer as they did and that people who never again stand by when injustice is taking place.”
- LILIAN BLACK
</blockquote>
Appropriate for ages ten and above, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust</i> presents a solid reference point for young readers who are just learning about the Holocaust. As written by <a href="https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/survivors-of-the-holocaust-true-stories-of-six-extraordinary-children">The Jewish Book Council</a>: “These accounts represent a good cross-section of experience, since plurality of experience is vital in presenting the Holocaust to young readers. The illustrations make the identities of the victims and perpetrators clear and the maps used as backgrounds provide geographic grounding for border crossings. Renderings of photographs and primary documents add another layer of understanding”. However, there are minor inconsistencies that often occur through retellings. From classrooms to adult reading groups, <i>Survivors of the Holocaust</i> presents a multifaceted approach to our continuing Holocaust education and commitment to victims of displacement.
jwinchell's review
5.0
We learn through stories, and this book may be a child’s first reading experience to try to understand the Holocaust. Illustrator Wittingham finds symbolic ways to show the terror of the Nazis and the ways life changed for the real children in these true stories. The back matter is helpful and important- where are they now, a timeline, and a glossary.
veronicalathroum's review
4.0
Beautifully illustrated graphic non-fiction describing the experiences of six Jewish children who survived WWII. Their stories are heartbreaking, and written simply enough that a child could grasp the nightmare of the Holocaust. The illustrations are excellent, and really capture the emotions of the survivors recounting their stories.
mrs_bookdragon's review
5.0
Following these six children broke my heart...what a powerful story to help us never forget the horrors of the Holocaust.
lilybear3's review
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
This short, children's graphic novel tells the stories of 6 children who survived the Holocaust. The foreword gives the context of these stories and hopes that readers will think about their own lives and ways they can make a difference in the world. The illustrations are unique and really capture the fear the children felt. The words were understandable for young readers, but did not shy away from describing the children's emotions and Nazi's brutality. At the end of the book, there are photographs of the survivors (as adults) and what happened to them after the war. Backmatter includes a glossary, timeline of events pre through post WWII, index, and websites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and War
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Genocide, Child death, Hate crime, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
molly_dettmann's review
5.0
A punch to the heart, but also a beautiful graphic nonfiction read about 6 individuals whose childhoods were shaken by the Holocaust, yet they survived the horrors to be able to share their stories. Holy Moly! With each story I was just in tears. The text is very sparse, but in comic form with large panels and illustrations it still manages to evoke a lot of emotion and help the reader understand the severity of each story, how everything from pure luck to one brave resistor saved their lives. The artwork is a bit funky, but I feel like it worked for this. The symbolism woven throughout was interesting to pick out. For example the spokes on the wheels of anything from the Nazis were drawn as swastikas. I learned a few new things, and most importantly of all, I know these six people’s stories now and will more prominently display this in my library.