...another biography that is a truely memorable reading experience...


No Pretty Pictures : a child of war
by Anita Lobel

Published: New York : Collins, 2008.  239 pages.
Reading Appeal:  Young Adult

...this is a true story
                    Narrative non-fiction                                                       thought provoking
...this is the autobiography of Anita Lobel who, from the age of 5 to age 10, lived a terrifying existence hiding from the Nazis. Anita tried to protect herself and her younger brother but was eventually captured and force marched from concentration camp to concentration camp.

Anita's story is a haunting memoir and unbelievably moving when you know you are reading of actual events that happened to a very young child.  Anita shares her experiences.  She tells us there are no pretty pictures remaining from her childhood.
      Moving                                        Biographical                                  Character-driven
It is amazing that Anita and her brother survived the ordeal of the Jewish Holocaust...and it is even more amazing that we are given the privilege of sharing Anita's experiences during World War II in this unforgetable book...

Interesting titbit:  Anital Lobel is an illustrator of childrens' books.

...an unforgetable and compelling read of a true life experience...

Mandurah Libraries

Author: Anita Lobel

...read the experience of young girl falling in love with ...

The wrong boy
by Suzy Zail

Published:  Newtown, N.S.W. : Black Dog, 2012.  256 pages
Reading Appeal:  Young Adult

Can you image finding some-one to love in a world ravaged by hatred and war?  Is this a love story...

       Coming-of-age                                                           Character-driven
The novel is fiction but is rooted in history.  It is the story of a young Jewish girl, aged 15, who is sent to Auschwitz with her family. Her name is Hanna and she is a talented pianist.
                                                          Love story
Hanna is desperate to live, as she daily witnesses the madness and death of those living in the concentration camp.  She sees an opportunity to survive through her music, by playing the piano to the camp commandant. Hanna meets the commandant's handsome son Karl and falls in love with the wrong boy.  The wrong boy is Karl, a German...
      Moving                                                                             Memorable
Interesting titbit:  Suzy Zail, the author, is the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor.
...this story is steeped in history and true romance...you won't be able to put this down...

Mandurah Libraries