Rescuing the Children

September 15, 2012
Fitting neatly into primary-classroom units about World War II and the Holocaust, a broad if dispassionate overview of the privately funded evacuation of 10,000 European children in the months before the war's formal start. Despite an introduction and frequent boxed comments or memories from eight still-living participants--plus repeated mention of the Talmudic saying that "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire"--Hodge's account is more matter-of-fact than suspenseful or even particularly immediate. She sketches in Germany's history from Hitler's rise to Kristallnacht, noting the reluctance of other national governments to take German refugees, particularly Jewish ones. The author goes on to describe in general how the Refugee Children's Movement in Britain and related individual efforts brought trainloads of children from 3-month- to 16-year-olds out of several countries to Great Britain (and, she notes only in passing, possibly to havens in other countries too). Though even sketchier in covering the refugees' experiences settling in during and after the war, she does also bring their stories up to modern reunions and commemorations. Then-and-now portraits of her eight survivors, with a mix of period photos and paintings by Kind artist Hans Jackson, provide plenty of visual witness to those dangerous times and the children caught in them. A quick but systematic overview, well-endowed with both visual and documentary supporting material. (map, biographies, timeline, multimedia resource lists) (Nonfiction. 10-12)

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November 1, 2012

Gr 4-8-Heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, Hodge's account tells of the flight of Jewish children from Germany and a few other countries at the outset of World War II. Unsure of the future, and terrified of their present, thousands of Jewish families made the unthinkable decision to send their children to Britain in an effort to save them from the atrocities that seemed to be looming in Hitler's Germany. Explaining the Holocaust is never easy, but Hodge does an outstanding job of describing the horrors of what was happening and then putting them in a historical context that is comprehensible to even young students with only a passing knowledge of the period. Complementing these explanations are the recollections of a few survivors who discuss the trips to Britain, the initial fright at being in a foreign land with no family and a language barrier, and their lives after the war. Photographs and artwork from some of the survivors are used effectively to enhance the presentation and add a sense of time and place. Excellent back matter includes a time line of events, useful books and websites for both children and adults, and a note to teachers and parents about discussing the Holocaust with children.Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2012
Grades 5-12 *Starred Review* Filled with gripping personal biographies, this history of the famous 1939 rescue of 10,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust weaves together a general overview with the detailed memories of eight survivors. Boxed accounts in first-person voices tell stories of young people who were sent away from home to live with strangers and what happened to them after they fledon the journey across Europe to Britain, and then with their new host families. Neither melodramatic nor sentimental, the simple, accessible prose reveals the historical realities of how non-Jewish children were taught to love Hitler and to hate Jews, along with the heartbreak of saying good-bye and the fact that most of the rescued would never see their parents again. The spacious design features small historical photos and individual portraits on every double-page spread, as well as color paintings by artist-survivor Hans Jackson, who shows scenes of book burning, the horror of Kristallnacht, and much more. The extensive back matter is part of the story and includes a glossary, a map of the children's route, and a bibliography with current websites. Even with all the books out there about the Kindertransport, readers will grab this exemplary title for historical research and for personal reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)