Award-winning book:
IBPA Gold Benjamin Franklin Award
Oregon Spirit Book Honor Award
Comstock Read Aloud Honors
Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award- World History
"...deeply moving....Even the smallest details of the story are haunting." — Kirkus
"Contemplative, gentle, and wise, Wiener's story, told by Trudy Ludwig and depicted through Craig Orback's tasteful yet realistic artwork, helps young readers understand the injustice of stereotyping and the poignancy of love and kindess...." Foreword
"Gr 4-6–Ludwig bases this picture book on Alter Wiener’s memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography (AuthorHouse, 2007). In a first-person narration, Wiener explains that he was 13 when the German soldiers killed his father; he was 15 when the Nazis came for him. The descriptions of his experiences in the concentration camps are accompanied by Orback’s Norman Rockwell–like illustrations that convey the horror of the time period. The brightly hued illustrations of the small town of Chrzanow are in stark contrast to the dark and agonizing depictions of the camps. Among the darkness and despair, however, came an unexpected gift from the enemy: a German factory worker left him a sandwich every day for the 30 days he worked in the building. The book concludes with an afterword by Wiener, a paragraph explaining the Holocaust, vocabulary, discussion questions, and recommended activities. Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives." —School Library Journal
"This is an important book. It may be Trudy's most important. It's bold, it's daring, it's true and oh so needed."
— Dr. Michele Borba, Today Show parenting contributor, child expert, and best-selling author
"Gifts from the Enemy is breathtaking. It's a valuable resource to help young people develop empathy, compassion, and caring. This book will inspire youth to help others, emphasizing the small acts of alliance and support which the latest bullying prevention research tells us are most important."
— Stan Davis, founding member of the International Bullying Prevention Association and author of Empowering Bystanders in Bullying Prevention
"Gifts from the Enemy is an extremely timely piece to help our children understand the power of their words and actions. This book is a must read for children and adults who work with them."
— Mary Yoder Holsopple, coauthor of Building Peace: Overcoming Violence in Communities and Bullying Prevention Coordinator for over 20 Indiana schools
"Gifts from the Enemy is a very important story that illustrates in a unique, personal, and profound way how acts of kindness need to be acknowledged and celebrated."
— Jill Ann Slansky, Ed.D., President, Oregon Holocaust Resource Center
"This is a very important book, challenging the world's most horrendous mind-sets, which must be confronted as boldly as possible. It also serves to remind everyone of this atrocious time in history and the need to resolutely stand against a recurrence. Trudy Ludwig's writing is strong yet doesn't preach and will help to make young readers stand up against injustice."
— Gretchen Olson, President, Board of Directors, Hands and Words Are Not For Hurting Project
"Gifts from the Enemy is sheer perfection. It is a moving, timely story that will help educators, counseling professionals, and parents to foster social justice, kindness, and compassion in our youth."
— Laura Barbour, LSW, Elementary School Counselor
05/01/2014
Gr 4–6—Ludwig bases this picture book on Alter Wiener's memoir, From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography (AuthorHouse, 2007). In a first-person narration, Wiener explains that he was 13 when the German soldiers killed his father; he was 15 when the Nazis came for him. The descriptions of his experiences in the concentration camps are accompanied by Orback's Norman Rockwell—like illustrations that convey the horror of the time period. The brightly hued illustrations of the small town of Chrzanow are in stark contrast to the dark and agonizing depictions of the camps. Among the darkness and despair, however, came an unexpected gift from the enemy: a German factory worker left him a sandwich every day for the 30 days he worked in the building. The book concludes with an afterword by Wiener, a paragraph explaining the Holocaust, vocabulary, discussion questions, and recommended activities. Teachers will want to read this story as an introduction to the Holocaust or to spark discussion about the importance of kindness in all of our lives.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY
2014-03-31
This book is a biography of Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener, but from time to time, he seems like a supporting character. In adapting Wiener's memoir for adults for children, Ludwig seems to want to be absolutely certain that they know the history of the Holocaust. She spends several pages summarizing Hitler's campaign against the Jews, which causes the thread of Wiener's narration to become occasionally lost. At times, the book reads more like a textbook than the life story of a boy who survived the Holocaust. Even the most traumatic passages sound oddly detached: "Many good and decent people lost their lives to this hatred—including my own friends and family." The last several pages of the book, however, are deeply moving. A factory worker—someone who hardly knows him—risks her life to give him a bread-and-cheese sandwich every day. Even the smallest details of the story are haunting. A sign in the factory reads, "Do not look at the prisoners. Do not talk to the prisoners.... If you do, you will be DOOMED." These details are what make the story work. The facial expressions in a few of Orback's full-bleed, atmospherically lit oil paintings are almost painful to look at. The story loses focus on occasion, but no one who reads it will forget the history. (vocabulary list, study guide) (Picture book/biography. 7-12)
