We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport
A compelling account of the Kindertransport, the World War II program dedicated to moving Jewish children from occupied countries to relative safety in England, provides context for the wartime efforts by first outlining events from 1925-1938. As Jewish people’s rights were methodically chipped away under the Nazi’s anti-Semitic leadership, the hope that things would get better and a reluctance to separate families was eventually replaced by desperation as parents struggled to protect their children. By the time of the transports in 1938 and 1939, the futility of a family fleeing together was undeniable. This account focuses on three primary individuals whose stories are tracked in detail, and introduces many others in brief. The author’s first-person interviews with two of the primary subjects, and close work with the daughter of the third, give readers access to personal history within the broader context of the time. A final section relates what happened to the Kindertransport children in their new environment; 90% of them never saw their parents again. “Look, Listen, Remember” boxes interspersed throughout the volume cite related online sources and a lengthy postscript includes additional information about people introduced in the book, a timeline, glossary, further resources, and extensive source notes. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 10-14
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
20th Century
Holocaust
Jewish People
Oppression
Refugees
Separation
Survival
World History
World War II
Diversity subject:
Jewish
Publishers:
Scholastic, Scholastic Focus
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 341
ISBN: 9781338255720
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 940 Hopkinson