A mysterious diary links modern-day Laura to Sara, a young Jewish girl fighting to stay alive during WWII.
Laura has just three weeks to go before her Jewish coming of age ceremony, called a Bat Mitzvah, when she is assigned a special project. She is to read the diary of Sara Gittler, a young girl her own age who was imprisoned by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Sara never had the chance to celebrate her coming of age, so Laura is to learn about Sara's life and then share her Bat Mitzvah with her "twin" by speaking of her at the ceremony.
Reluctant to undertake the project at first, Laura quickly becomes caught up by Sara's struggle to survive. Sara's diary unfolds with the details of her daily life in the Ghetto, a world full of fear, confusion, tragedy and above all, courage. From Sara's brave story in the past, Laura learns how to find the courage to confront the possibility of a friend's current involvement in the desecration of a Jewish cemetery.
Includes photographs, biographies of young heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and true accounts of "Twinning Ceremonies".
| GMD | BOOK |
| Classification | F KAC |
| Publisher | 2008 |
| Subject | Juvenile FictionHolocaust - HeroesHolocaust (1939 - 1945)Holocaust - Hiding and SurvivingHolocaustDiaryWarsaw GhettoJewish GhettoTeenagersJuvenile Fiction / Social Themes / AdolescenceFiction / HistoricalHistoricalHistorical FictionHistorical NovelHistorical fictionHolocaust - PolandPolandBat MitzvahComing of AgeFiction / Coming of Age |
| Description | 2009 Canadian Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature Winner 2009 National Jewish Book Award for Children's and YA Literature Winner 2009 Olive Branch Book Award Winner
"Sara's journal is so well-written that you forget it is historical fiction as you read. Kacer has effectively contrasted the lives of two Jewish girls, Sara in the Warsaw Ghetto and Laura in present day Montreal ... Whether you read this novel for your own personal enjoyment or use it as a supplementary resource when teaching grade 6 social studies, this book is well worth reading. Highly recommended." - CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Kacer does provide an interesting, highly readable story of life in the Warsaw ghetto complete with historical photographs." - School Library Journal
"The author beautifully melds historical events with the contemporary issues Laura is facing ... This story of history, faith, and hope belongs in every public and Judaic library and would be a welcomed addition to any Holocaust curriculum. Highly recommended." - Jewish Book World
"The diary entries are vividly written and readers will be drawn into the account just as Laura is." - Resource Links
"Kacer gives young readers a gentle avenue into a traumatic, difficult past they need to know about." - Toronto Star |
| ISBN | 9781897187395 |
| Additional ISBN | 1897187394 |
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