Anne Frank's World Re-Visited

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

In Amsterdam in the middle of World War II, two Jewish families--the Franks and the Van Pels--hide away in an annex above an office, praying for survival and the downfall of the Nazis. In Annexed, Dogar has created her vision of what it was like in the annex with Anne Frank from Peter van Pels' point of view. To take a time and character so closely scrutinized by the world and so well documented--by the world renowned diary of Anne Frank--is a challenge, to say the least, but Dogar has done a good job at not over-sensationalizing the material. She also manages to stay true to what she believes might have gone through the mind of a teenage boy in a time of personal and world-wide crisis. Following Peter from the morning before seclusion to his death (potentially, according to records, in a concentration camp sick bay), readers see the hope and the despair, two sides of many moments he experienced as his memories are shared in the book.

Full of hate and fear, love, shame, sexual longing, wavering faith, and all the “why” questions one could ponder, Peter examines life both inside and outside the walls of the annex and tries to make sense of it all, all the while experiencing the morphing relationships inside the hideout as tensions flow between the families and genders. Why, Peter asks, must I hide instead of fight? Why do we have to be the chosen people? Why does being Jewish have to define everything about me? Will I ever experience life beyond this point?

Dogar’s writing is powerful and conveys life in the annex as it probably was: stifling, claustrophobic, lacking in privacy, and frustrating while at times also joyful, grateful, and full of the knowledge that beauty truly is in the small, unnoticed things. As Dogar examines the emotions Peter, the lone adolescent male, might have felt as he matured, readers also get a sense of the other characters through Peter’s descriptions of them. And unlike other narratives, Dogar follows Peter and imagines--with the aid of research--what he must have gone through after capture, both in Auschwitz and on the death march that followed in his final days.

I highly recommend this, whether you're a fan of literary fiction, historical fiction, coming-of-age stories, or just about any other type. It's not a light story, as the premise indicates, but it's worth the journey. This as Dogar's first historical fiction, and she worked hard to get the research right (though she admits in the back to altering minor timeline events for continuity's sake). The whole product is well done, emotional, and absolutely worth the read.

-Jenny

Age 13+ (some mature content)
Copyright October 2010
ISBN: 9780547501956
Available as an eBook
Image from www.goodreads.com

A Sweet Celebration of Life

Desser the Best Ever Cat by Maggie Smith

In this gentle story a little girl tells the story of her family cat Desser, the "best ever cat." He starts as a kitten before she is born and grows with her, experiencing her first steps, her first real bed, her first day at school. One day, when Desser is older and has slowed down a lot, he gets sick and passes away. The girl cries and, with her family, buries him under a tree. Her mother tells her that Desser will always be with her because he will always be in her heart. As time passes, the family adopts another kitten, Ginger, who is also pretty great. The little girl tells Ginger all about Desser, sharing the story of his life just as she has done for us as readers, and the happy, healthy cycle begins again.

Smith's narration is clear and her illustrations altogether fun, but the best part by far is her visual portrayal of Desser. Cat lovers everywhere will appreciate the bright, evocative pictures of Desser as he sprawls across the backs of chairs, hides in a box, and flattens his ears uncertainly when our narrator is brought home as a baby. I read this book with Ruby, and at every page I stopped to show her a new picture, saying, "My cat does that too!" Smith gets it, and she shares that understanding of the pet-owner relationship well.

My cat Socks, 17-years-old!

 Desser the Best Ever Cat is a good book to broach the subject of mortality with young kids, especially when pertaining to the loss of a pet. Though it touches a sad and emotional subject, Smith approaches it as a celebration of the life once lived, starting sweet and ending the same.

-Jenny

Age 4-8
Copyright April 2001
ISBN: 9780375810565
Image from www.bn.com

Chasing Storms

Storm Runners by Roland Smith (Book 1 Storm Runners)

Chase Masters and his father are known as Storm Runners. They chase after extreme weather and help people prepare. However, while they are chasing storms, they are both running from their past. A tragic car accident took Chase's mother and younger sister two years before. Some time later, Chase's father was struck by lightning, and after being in a coma for two days, a new man was born.

Both are heading down to Florida to help prepare people for Hurricane Emily. Chase's father heads for where he thinks the hurricane will make landfall and leaves Chase with "family friends." There Chase meets Nicole Rossi, whose family owns and operates a circus. The Rossi family lives in Florida in the off season with their menagerie of animals.

Momma Rossi, Nicole's grandmother, predicts that the hurricane will actually make landfall where they live. Chase's instincts agree, but he does what he was taught by his father: Be prepared, be smart.

On Chase's first and only day at another school, Hurricane Emily makes landfall, and it's up to Chase, Nicole, and and new acquaintance Rashawn to survive the onslaught with danger all around in one of the deadliest hurricanes on record.

Roland Smith is one of the best writers for young readers, especially for boys. This story may be short, but it is full of energy. Smith has a way of writing that puts you smack dab in the middle of the story.

With the loss of his mother and sister, Chase and his father have held up remarkably well, maintaining their family of two. I get the sense that Chase longs for more. With the job that he and his father do, they are on the move lot, which means many different schools for Chase and no sense of permanence or a chance to make friends his own age.

When the hurricane hits, Chase uses the knowledge taught by his father to help him and his friends survive. This is a great series for fans of Hatchet. Regardless, it's Roland Smith...go out and pick this book up. Then when you're done, read the rest of his books. Peak is my absolute favorite...if you'd like a recommendation.

The Surge, Book Two in this series will be out in September 2011.

-Ruby

Ages 9-12
Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 1, 2011)
ISBN: 9780545081757
Not available as an eBook at this time.