I Survived – The Nazi Invasion, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis (Easy reader– 4-7 grade appropriate)
Max and his little sister, Zena, are Jewish children forced into a ghetto surrounded by barbed wire and patrolled by soldiers. Their father has already been taken away by the Nazis and their mother has died. Max is driven to survive by the words of his Aunt Hannah, “The Nazis want to take everything from us. Do not let them take away your hope.”
Through a miraculous series of events and the help of people along the way, Max and his sister are able to escape from the ghetto enclosure and make it to the Loda Forest. The people they meet while they are on the run and how they eventually escape to America makes for an interesting story.
This book is one in a series of nine books dealing with the theme of survival. It is fast moving and presents a very descriptive narrative.
Who Was Beatrix Potter? by Sarah Fabing (Easy reading biography, 4-7 grade appropriate)
Beatrix Potter, the creator of Peter Rabbit, led a very interesting, diverse life. Born in 1866, she was the epitome of a woman who wanted to make her own choices in a world that still expected a woman to fit a given role.
Beatrix was home-schooled and also isolated from other children because of her mother’s fears. Beatrix did spend a great deal of time outdoors, and it was there that she developed her ability to sketch, paint, and draw. She eventually took art classes at Kensington Museum at the age of 15.
Peter Rabbit was actually created in a letter that Beatrix wrote to a friend. The Adventures of Peter Rabbit is one of 23 books written by Potter over a span of 30 years.
This biography is filled with interesting detail and illustrations. It is one in a series of biographies written as easy readers.
About the reviewer:
Kathy Larabell, Book reviewer and member of the Friends of the San Benito County Library, states “I am an educator who recently returned from an extensive career in teaching. Most of my teaching time was spent in middle school teaching language arts which I love. Reading has been my passion along with music and travel since I was a young girl. I hope you enjoy these reviews and these wonderful, creative books.”