Hidden Like Anne Frank

This book tells the stories of 14 Jews who went into hiding in the Netherlands during World War II to survive. The stories are stark; a few have moments of happiness but most are stories of desperation, fear and longing. Some of the survivors lived in more than 25 different locations before the Netherlands was liberated. Some spent their time hiding in confinement in small spaces; others were able for at least a while to move around in a home and have contact with other people.  Some stayed with family or friends; others lived with perfect strangers.

Prins was inspired to write the book because his mother was forced to go into hiding in the Netherlands when she was only six years old.  The experiences of the survivors vary greatly; however, many describe themselves as broken after the war. So many looked forward to liberation, only to discover that it was not significantly better: they had no homes to return to, no possessions, no businesses, and frequently, no sense of family after living apart for so long. They could not connect again with parents who sent them into hiding and had to hide apart from their children. Many felt closer to their “foster” families than their own.

Although I was compelled by the stories to finish the book, I am not sure who the audience will be. The voices in this book are stilted; whether that is a factor of translation, the unease of telling of their stories or that the survivors told their stories in the voices of the children in them who lived it, it felt off.  I do think students who are fascinated by the Holocaust, especially if they have just finished The Diary of Anne Frank,  will want to read this book.

Itsy-Bitsy Animals

From zebras to badgers, from parrots to seahorses, this cuddly picture book celebrates cute animals.  Each page features one adorably illustrated species, surrounded by butterflies and pastel-patterned backdrops.  The illustrations are accompanied by short sentences pairing each animal with an action.  It is unclear what qualifies an animal as “itsy-bitsy” – not all of the animals featured are babies, and neither are all of them small.  This is especially obvious when animals pictured opposite each other are in very different scale.  This does not profess to be a nonfiction work, however. Thus, these small problems may be overlooked.  Families will enjoy the gentle text and friendly beasts.  While we may not see a badger curled up with rabbits and ducklings any time soon, it isn’t a bad way to imagine the world.  The field is thick with inoffensive books like this – making this entry an additional purchase.

Romeo Blue

Romeo Blue is the continuation of the story of Felicity Budwig and her intuitive mind, as first introduced in The Romeo and Juliet Code.  Fliss, as she is nicknamed, is a very smart young girl, probably much like her parents who are spies for America in World War II.  Now a year later, Fliss is set to learn even more about her quirky relatives, including how she has two dads.  Throw in there Nazi spies and the budding pre-teen romance between her and her best friend Derek, and this becomes a light-hearted read full of historical references that could serve to reinforce lessons on WWII and twists that are unexpected.  Definitely upper elementary/middle school material because of historical references and she’s got a teddy bear she still considers to be a companion.  At times it feels a bit old fashioned and may not sit well with students in this digital age.  Given the right framing or book talking, students could pick this up as a stand alone or will be happy to continue the story if they liked The Romeo and Juliet Code.  Recommended for elementary and middle school libraries.

The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War

Recently a group named Hamas, located in the Gaza Strip, and the nation of Israel engaged in prolonged exchanges of rocket attacks and air strikes.  A series of “ceasefires” did nothing to assuage the violence.  This military tit-for-tat response has its roots in the results of what historians refer to as the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War and which is the topic of a new book (by the same name) in the “Perspectives on Modern World History” series.

The 1967 Six Day pitted Israel against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.  In that short conflict Israel defeated all three and took land from each.  The land taken from Jordan, the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and East Jerusalem were inhabited by Palestinians, a Moslem ethnic group.  Israel won the war, but has been unable to win the peace, mainly because of their inability to figure out what to do with the Palestinians.  This Israeli victory on the battlefield has spawned numerous negotiations, an occasional agreement, and Palestinian anger which nurtured terrorism.

“The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War” is a collection of essays examining in detail the causes, miscalculations, and results of that short-lived conflict.  The book begins with a short chronology of events leading to war, the war, and its results.  The intent of the essays is to provide different perspectives on the major questions which still dominate the debate.  For instance, was Israel’ pre-emptive attack on it neighbors justified?  Abba Eban, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. at the time, builds a case for war.  Another essay contends that Israel, militarily, had nothing to fear.  “The Postwar Occupation Provided Many Benefits to Palestinians as Well as Israeli” is countered a short piece written by a Palestinian, “Israel’s Postwar Occupations Imposed Harsh Conditions on Palestinians.”

A couple of essays touch on the subject of how to unravel this complicated issue, but one comes to understand how national myths and bravado, domestic politics, and the international political scene make reasonable men seek solace in armed confrontations.

This volume provides an excellent introduction for someone new to the subject, relying on historical facts wrapped in competing perspectives.

(Submitted by the Washington State Civics Educator of the Year, Ed Bergh)