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

Am I Kosher Yet?

Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher by Laurel Snyder; illustrated by David Goldin

Baxter is “a curious sort of pig,” so when an old man at the bus stop starts wishing it were sundown, he can’t help but ask why. The old man describes Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and Baxter thinks it sounds great, so he asks how he can be part of Shabbat dinner. Another man tells him he can’t: he’s not kosher!

Baxter tries everything to be kosher: he eats jars of pickles and loaves of challah; he even tries to be a cow! Nothing works. But then one day, he meets a rabbi, and she tells him there’s been a terrible misunderstanding—he cannot be kosher, but that just means he can’t be eaten! Everyone is welcome at Shabbat dinner!

Each page has a mixed-media illustration, containing both drawings and photographs combined to create a scene. These make for interesting pictures that some kids may find off-putting while others will greatly enjoy. The big, googly eyes of each character keep the illustrations light. A letter from the author at the back gives a brief description of the social aspects of Shabbat, and a glossary of terms—with fun definitions—supports the narrative. Though this book does not cover any religious aspects of Shabbat or Judaism, beyond “mitzvah” (good deeds) and a mention of the Sabbath, it’s a fun and cute introduction to this weekly Jewish occasion. Definitely recommended!

And besides, any picture book that talks about the deliciousness of kugel (a "traditional Jewish casserole of sorts") is a winner for me!

-Jenny

Age 4-8

Copyright February 2011
ISBN: 9781582463155

Image from www.inerfaithfamily.com