Witness by Karen Hesse

Witness by Karen Hesse is the story of a small Vermont town that is invaded by the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Many of the townspeople welcomed the Klan, joining their ranks immediately - including the preacher, an 18 year old student, and a prominent shop owner. Some of the townspeople remained wary, not joining but not stopping the hateful behavior. The rest, the African American father and 12 year old daughter, the Jewish father and 6 year old daughter, and even the people who were friends with them, were terrorized and even shot! Thankfully their reign of terror didn't last long... but certainly long enough to cause lasting damage, leaving folks scared, hurt, run off, and one dead.

This story is told through the perspectives of several different townspeople, including the two youngest and most hated by the Klan, 12 year old Leonora and 6 year old Esther. It is also told through some of the people who joined the Klan and even some people who didn't join and actively opposed their presence. I really enjoyed the free verse style of this book and the variety of perspectives shown. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle is about Daniel, a young Jewish boy sent alone by his family on a ship to Cuba to escape the Nazis. Daniel finds that Cuba is not very welcoming to the refugees. In fact, the only two people who seem to be kind to him are David, an old man, and Paloma, the daughter of one of the richest and most powerful men in Cuba. Paloma's father is the one who decides how much to charge in "fees" for refugees to be able to enter Cuba. It's his decisions that determine whether the refugees will be allowed to leave the ships and live in Cuba, or will be turned away and have to go back to Europe. Cuba was the last hope for many of these refugees. Paloma is determined to help them, however, by offering them kindness, food, and even a safe place to hide up in her dovecote ( a tower where she keeps doves). Daniel struggles with the realization that his family is probably never going to join him in Cuba, but overcomes his sadness when he finds a young boy named Daniel, his namesake, to take under his wing.

This was an interesting story. I didn't realize that so many Holocaust refugees ended up in Cuba. I also had no idea that Cuba was the last stop (after other North American countries) for the refugees and that they were sent back to Europe if Cuba wouldn't accept them. This story is told in free verse through the eyes of Daniel, David, Paloma, and sometimes even Paloma's cruel father. I really enjoyed this story and learned a lot about a part of history I didn't know much about before. I recommended this book to a student immediately after finishing it, and she's really enjoying it, too!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about about Liesel Meminger, a young German girl trying to find her place in the world during WWII. Her mother had to turn Liesel and her brother over to live in a foster home. On the train ride to their new home, Liesel's brother died. The image of him laying on the seat beside her haunts her through the remainder of the story. It is at his funeral that she steals her first book - The Grave Digger's Handbook. She arrives at her foster home alone, with not much more than this book, which she hides under her bed, unable to read it. Her new foster parents are an interesting pair, and Liesel immediately bonds with her Papa. When she is awakened by the recurring dream of her brother's death every night, Papa takes this time to teach Liesel how to read, using The Grave Digger's Handbook. Eventually, a person from Papa's past arrives, causing much hardship for the family. Max is the son of Papa's friend from the war. Max is Jewish, and is hidden in their basement for a long period of time. Liesel and Max become very close during this time. Max even uses the pages of his book about Hitler to write his own book for her. Unfortunately, Papa makes a big mistake that forces Max to leave the house, for fear of the safety of them all.

This was an excellent book. The narrator is Death, which makes the story even more interesting! I usually have a hard time reading stories that take place during WWII because of the ghastly things people did to other people. This book, however, was not difficult to read at all. The author did not make light of the atrocities done to the Jewish people during Hitler's reign, but it was told in such a way that was not too upsetting. There were so many elements within this story that came full circle and were resolved in the end. It was incredibly powerful!