Chance: Escape from the Holocaust
Shulevitz describes his experiences during and after World War II in a narrative recounting his life from age four to young teenager. During that time, he and his parents, Jews, fled Poland for Russia, ending up in a work camp in Siberia. When they were released from the camp they made their way south, eventually settling in Turkestan for the duration of the war. After the war they went first to a displaced person camp in Germany and then to France before immigrating to Israel. Hunger is a recurring theme; even with all his parents did to try to feed and protect him, his longing for food was constant. While the narrative tone is not childlike, it is written with a remarkable matter-of-factness that captures the sense of a child witnessing, experiencing, and describing events that he doesn’t always fully comprehend (and in some cases, still doesn’t today). The many wonderful visual elements incorporated throughout include stick figures echoing his early childhood works to drawings and sketches that show his development as a young artist to graphic panels with dialogue. There are also a handful of photographs. Larger-than-typical typeface makes for a hefty but accessible volume. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 11 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Formats:
Biography, Autobiography and Memoir
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
20th Century
Art and Artists
Autobiography/Memoir
Fathers
Holocaust
Jewish People
Memory
Mothers
Refugees
Survival
World History
World War II
Diversity subject:
Jewish
Publisher:
Farrar Straus Giroux
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 329
ISBN: 9780374313715
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Shulevitz