Hiding Edith

December 1, 2006
Gr 4-6-Edith Schwalb was one of many Jewish children who were hidden by the Jewish Scouts of France in a large house in the village of Moissac. The townspeople helped to protect the children, warning the house mother of Nazi raids, during which time the young scouts disappeared into the hills on camping trips. Schwalbs story is told from the beginning of her familys hardships through the end of the war, and includes the typical privations and separations of Holocaust memoirs. What makes this book unique is the depiction of a special refuge that managed to save every resident child, except one who was removed by her parents. An introduction provides basic World War II history. Black-and-white photographs personalize the story. While the dialogue and emotions are somewhat fictionalized and certain facts have been compressed (as explained in the epilogue), the book seems to be a good reflection of the subjects experiences."Heidi Estrin, Feldman Childrens Library at Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, FL"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2006
In her latest book, Kacer recounts some extraordinary history: in Moissac, France, under Nazi occupation, a French Jewish couple hid 100 Jewish refugee children--with the support of the townspeople. Kacer, who based her account on interviews, tells the story of one child, Edith Schwalb. Captioned black-and-white photos on almost every page show Edith at home in Vienna before the war, then in Belgium, and then, separated from her parents, living with the rescuers. She remembers her intense longing for her family even as she is kept busy with chores, school, homework, choir, and camping trips. Part of the Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers, which also includes Kacer's " The Underground Reporters "(2005), this account of survivors, each story a triumph in the darkness of genocide, uses the truth of a young child's viewpoint to move readers and bring the history close. Link this to Howard Greenfield's " The Hidden Children "(1993).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)