Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport

Gr 4–8—Heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, Hodge's account tells of the flight of Jewish children from Germany and a few other countries at the outset of World War II. Unsure of the future, and terrified of their present, thousands of Jewish families made the unthinkable decision to send their children to Britain in an effort to save them from the atrocities that seemed to be looming in Hitler's Germany. Explaining the Holocaust is never easy, but Hodge does an outstanding job of describing the horrors of what was happening and then putting them in a historical context that is comprehensible to even young students with only a passing knowledge of the period. Complementing these explanations are the recollections of a few survivors who discuss the trips to Britain, the initial fright at being in a foreign land with no family and a language barrier, and their lives after the war. Photographs and artwork from some of the survivors are used effectively to enhance the presentation and add a sense of time and place. Excellent back matter includes a time line of events, useful books and websites for both children and adults, and a note to teachers and parents about discussing the Holocaust with children.Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA