This is a wonderful book. It is a story about a girl finding a hidden room in her new house. She finds a skeleton in this room, as well as a diary. After reading the diary she learns that her new house was once a part of the underground railroad.
Milada, a gentile girl living in Czechoslovakia in 1942, is turning eleven on her next birthday. When the Nazi’s converge upon her town, she is separated from her family and taken to a Lebensborn center in Poland for girls who have been deemed candidates to become perfect Aryans. Milada, who is not Jewish, resents her blond hair and blue eyes, knowing these are the reason she is chosen. Upon reaching the Nazi center, Milada’s name is changed to “Eva” and she and the other girls are forced to speak German. During her stay at the center, “Eva” makes a friend, but also sees girls who fall under the spell of the Nazi brainwashing. She must summon all of her emotional strength to remember her real name and family. “Eva” secretly wears a pin given to her by her Grandmother with the warning “Remember who you are. Always.” This book shows an aspect of the Nazi regime that is not commonly portrayed in children’s literature. It is a chilling account of the psychological control the Nazi’s had over their youngest victims. Milada has never met a Jewish person, so the Jewish content is limited to sympathetic references to the impact of the Nazi regime on the Jewish community. Someone Named Eva reveals evil through the innocence of a child’s eyes. This is not a Jewish Holocaust story, but would make a formidable addition to any Holocaust collection.
Jennie Clendenin
Escape from Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became An American Boy by Andrea Warren could be categorized as a biogrpahy, but I think it is better suited for a non-fiction/ informational category. This book is filled with maps, photographs, letters, and historical artifacts for children to pour over. My fifth graders loved this book. And, athough it wasn’t a quick read, they spent the necessary time to soak up as much information as they could about this Vietnamese child.
Tiger Woods: A Biography for Kids gives a unique look into the lives offamed golpher, Tiger Woods. Children who follow golf or professional sports recognize the phenomenon that is Tiger Woods, and they will excitedly peruse the pages of this short book to learn more about this sports hero.
Moses is a wonderful book that recounts many stories of slaves who “rode” the underground railroad to freedom. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book and would be a great addition to any teacher’s collection of Historical Fiction texts.