Overview

""I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary past."" In this true and moving story, Alter Wiener, a teen Holocaust survivor of five Nazi prison camps during World War II, transports young readers back in time when an unexpected person demonstrated moral courage in repeated acts of kindness toward him. From nationally acclaimed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and award-winning illustrator Craig Orback, Gifts from the Enemy shows how acts of social justice and kindness can change lives. Parents and teachers will find this story a valuable and timely resource to help children understand in an age-appropriate way about the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred, stereotyping, and prejudice. The back matter includes a note from Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener to readers, discussion questions, activities to promote kindness, and more! Gifts from the Enemy is based on From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography self-published by Alter Wiener in 2007.

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9780578553269

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Reviews

"""Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives"" --School Library Journal From School Library Journal Gr 4-6--Ludwig bases this picture book on Alter Wiener's memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography (AuthorHouse, 2007). In a first-person narration, Wiener explains that he was 13 when the German soldiers killed his father; he was 15 when the Nazis came for him. The descriptions of his experiences in the concentration camps are accompanied by Orback's Norman Rockwell--like illustrations that convey the horror of the time period. The brightly hued illustrations of the small town of Chrzanow are in stark contrast to the dark and agonizing depictions of the camps. Among the darkness and despair, however, came an unexpected gift from the enemy: a German factory worker left him a sandwich every day for the 30 days he worked in the building. The book concludes with an afterword by Wiener, a paragraph explaining the Holocaust, vocabulary, discussion questions, and recommended activities. Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives. --Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY From Booklist Ludwig's picture-book adaptation of Alter Wiener's 2007 memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography, recounts Wiener's experiences as a Jewish youth in Poland during WWII. She describes his family life before the war, the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wiener's father's death during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, and Wiener's own deportation to a prison labor camp two years later. While life in the camps is brutal, Wiener also remembers the courage and kindness of one German woman, a camp employee, who risks her own life to smuggle food to him. Ludwig's text lacks specificity with regard to Holocaust atrocities, a plus for the intended audience. Orback's luminous oil paintings are respectful of the subject matter and make effective use of light and shadowing. Concluded with an afterword, discussion questions, and suggested activities, this should spark debates about judging individuals based on the actions of larger groups. Pair with Leon Leyson, Marilyn J. Harran, and Elisabeth B. Leyson's The Boy on the Wooden Box (2013) for another survivor story. Grades 3-5. --Kay Weisman"

Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives --School Library Journal From School Library Journal Gr 4-6--Ludwig bases this picture book on Alter Wiener's memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography (AuthorHouse, 2007). In a first-person narration, Wiener explains that he was 13 when the German soldiers killed his father; he was 15 when the Nazis came for him. The descriptions of his experiences in the concentration camps are accompanied by Orback's Norman Rockwell--like illustrations that convey the horror of the time period. The brightly hued illustrations of the small town of Chrzanow are in stark contrast to the dark and agonizing depictions of the camps. Among the darkness and despair, however, came an unexpected gift from the enemy: a German factory worker left him a sandwich every day for the 30 days he worked in the building. The book concludes with an afterword by Wiener, a paragraph explaining the Holocaust, vocabulary, discussion questions, and recommended activities. Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives. --Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY From Booklist Ludwig's picture-book adaptation of Alter Wiener's 2007 memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography, recounts Wiener's experiences as a Jewish youth in Poland during WWII. She describes his family life before the war, the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wiener's father's death during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, and Wiener's own deportation to a prison labor camp two years later. While life in the camps is brutal, Wiener also remembers the courage and kindness of one German woman, a camp employee, who risks her own life to smuggle food to him. Ludwig's text lacks specificity with regard to Holocaust atrocities, a plus for the intended audience. Orback's luminous oil paintings are respectful of the subject matter and make effective use of light and shadowing. Concluded with an afterword, discussion questions, and suggested activities, this should spark debates about judging individuals based on the actions of larger groups. Pair with Leon Leyson, Marilyn J. Harran, and Elisabeth B. Leyson's The Boy on the Wooden Box (2013) for another survivor story. Grades 3-5. --Kay Weisman

Author Information

TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author of numerous children's books that help kids connect with their peers in kinder, more inclusive ways. She presents at schools and conferences throughout the US and has received high praise from experts, educators, parents, and organizations for her work to foster social-emotional learning skills and empathy in students. Trudy lives in Portland, OR. For more information, visit trudyludwig.com. CRAIG ORBACK has extensive experience making children's stories come alive with his paintings. He has illustrated over 20 children's books, including Born to Draw Comics: The Story of Charles Schulz and the Creation of Peanuts and The Can Man. He also works on other projects for children's magazines and school textbook publishers. Craig lives with his family near Seattle, WA, where he teaches children's book illustration classes at several local colleges. Visit www.craigorback.com to see more of his work.

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