The Diary of Laura's Twin

December 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old Laura Wyman is preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, and the rabbi has given her class a special assignment. The students will "twin" with a Jewish child who, due to the Holocaust, never had the opportunity to celebrate this important milestone. When she tries to get out of the project, the rabbi gives Laura Mrs. Mandelcorn's phone number and asks that she visit her. The elderly woman gives the child a diary from 19411943, and Laura immerses herself in the gripping story of Sara Gittler, a girl living in the Warsaw ghetto. Kacer's text alternates between Sara's diary entries and Laura's present-day story. However, the plodding third-person narration for Laura is too descriptive, spelling out all of her thoughts and feelings. The writing in Sara's diary is much more fluid and compelling, which makes the book as a whole seem unbalanced. Secondary story lines involving school bullies and vandalism to the local Jewish cemetery are a bit contrived, and readers will realize that the diary belongs to Mrs. Mandelcorn much sooner than Laura does. Nonetheless, Kacer does provide an interesting, highly readable story of life in the Warsaw ghetto complete with historical photographs. Students participating in similar "twinning" projects will relate to Laura's discovery of how lessons learned from World War II can resonate today."Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL"

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