We Are Witnesses: Five Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Powerful stories from young Holocaust victims.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the diary excerpts lack the power of a continuous narrative, though their cumulative effect is devastating. Only one photo of each diarist is provided; they range from muddy to riveting.

  • Persecution of the Jews.
  • Not as graphic as some other Holocaust accounts, but does describe massacres and cold-blooded murders. Boas describes the circumstances of each teenager's death. All the diarists are haunted by the murders of friends; descriptions of particular moments--
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

Among the Holocaust's millions of victims were many children and adolescents. Here, in their own words, are some of their powerful stories: vivid excerpts from the diaries of five Jewish teenagers, with concise commentary by Holocaust survivor Jacob Boas. The diarists come from different parts of Europe, yet they share common themes of hope, ambition, fear, and resilience.


Is it any good?

 

Few Holocaust diaries are as finely observed, or offer the same narrative opportunities, as Anne Frank's. Yet reading excerpts from these five journals is a powerful reminder that every victim's story deserves to be known. Each of the teenage writers reveals emotions that will resonate with readers: David's tenderheartedness, Yitzhak's idealism, Moshe's ambition, Eva's longing for her mother, Anne's desire for independence. They speak and act as adolescents do, yet the day-to-day events they chronicle grow increasingly horrifying.

The diaries show how the Nazi terror blankets Europe, touching the home countries of each of the five teens. The records of the three who spend time in Jewish ghettos are especially harrowing, filled with reports of manhunts, Nazi brutality, forced labor, and wrenching separations. Though his comments may at first seem intrusive, Jacob Boas proves a trustworthy guide, filling in details that enrich the diaries and eloquently showing how the teens are united in life as well as in death.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the teen writers. Teens: In what ways can you relate to them? How do their voices illuminate the Holocaust for you? Do you keep a diary?


This review was written by Cindy Kane

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This review was written by Cindy Kane
Author:Jacob Boas
Book type:Non-Fiction
Genre:History
Publisher:Marshall Cavendish Corp.
Publication date:January 1, 1995
Number of pages:196
Paperback price:$4.50
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 14

This review was written by Cindy Kane
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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