Hidden Like Anne Frank

by: Marcel Prins & Peter Henk Steenhuis

This book is such an interesting and intriguing read. With fourteen individual stories, it would be impossible to list all of the main characters.

I am so glad that I read this book! I have been to the Holocaust Museum in D.C. and have read many books about other Holocaust experiences, but I never really realized there were so many Jewish people that were sent into hiding. These stories are real and very well put together. As the author states at the beginning, he started out writing down the story of what his mother experienced during her being hidden in World War II. He found more stories and was intrigued at how different each story was. I am amazed at these stories; the trials and tribulations of each of the children and their families during this tumultuous time.

I had a thought of using this book in my classroom where the students choose one of the stories to document and follow on a map and make connections to the people in the story. There is one story when the person says the word hell and another of the stories where the young lady talks about being forced to have sex with one of the older boys in the home she was hiding. 6th graders may be a little young for those two parts...they are, after all, what really happened and I don't fault the writer for leaving those parts in the book. So just be aware and make your decision whether to use this book in the classroom. (By the way, the book I have is from Scholastic and I did buy it at a school book fair).

Wonder

by: R.J. Palacio
Main Characters: Auggie, his mom and dad, Via, Jack, Summer, and many others.

This story is about a boy who is born with a craniofacial deformity. He was sheltered from the world by his family, as he was home-schooled. Auggie did not know how hard the world could be because his family protected him from it. There comes a time when every child must learn the harsh realities of the world; Auggie entered a private school for 5th grade. In reality, he always knew that people reacted to seeing him. He felt it with every look, every whisper, and every time he saw people hurry away. Even though he knew this reality, he was unaware of just how little he actually knew of it. His fifth grade year started out as the most difficult thing he could imagine. By the end of the year however, he got to experience the other side of the harsh reality: the good in others. Truthfully, there is more good in the world than bad. Even if it is hard to see sometimes. For the most part, most people do choose kind.

I highly recommend this book for any age, but middle school is the best target for this book. This is an incredible book. Read it.