New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
From the Silver Birch Award-winning author of The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser.
t's a dangerous time for thirteen-year-old Clara and her family. They have just been imprisoned in Terezin (Terezinstadt), a ghetto in a medieval town near Prague - which was built to show the world how "well" the Nazis were treating Jews during the Second World War. Here Clara encounters hunger, disease and filthy living conditions. Even worse is the constant threat of being deported to concentration camps where the possibility of death awaits her.
In the midst of the horror of these conditions, Clara still makes strong friendships and attends classes. Life in the ghetto takes an unusual turn for the young people when a children's opera, Brundibar, written by an inmate, allows them moments of joy and laughter. With a real escape being planned by Jacob, a family tragedy to confront, and an inspection tour by the Red Cross at hand, Clara has some life-challenging decisions to make. Inspired by real events.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 13
- Grade:
- 4 to 8
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Awards
- Short-listed, Canadian Library Association "Book of the Year for Children"
- Winner, Ontario Library Association – Red Maple Award
- Commended, Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award
Editorial Reviews
"Kacer doesn’t spare readers from the sheer horror of life in the ghetto or from the prospects of what lay beyond Terezin in the death camps that were the final destination of Terezins inmates. But in telling the story of Brundibar and giving readers a glimpse of the incredible artistic life that was secretly fostered in the ghetto, Kacer’s novel is also a story of hope, courage, and humanity in the face of overwhelming suffering and adversity."
— Quill & Quire
"This portrait of life in Terezin through the eyes of a girl in her early teens is spellbinding. The author conveys the reality of Clara’s experiences, her uncertainties, dreams and hardships realistically, but not frighteningly."
— The London Jewish Community News
