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  • Gifts from the Enemy

Gifts from the Enemy

Author
Trudy Ludwig
Illustrator
Craig Orback
Publication Date
September 03, 2019
Genre / Grade Band
Non-fiction /  4th − 5th
Language
English
Format
Picture Book
Gifts from the Enemy
Description

"I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary past."

In this true and moving story, Alter Wiener, a teen Holocaust survivor of five Nazi prison camps during World War II, transports young readers back in time when an unexpected person demonstrated moral courage in repeated acts of kindness toward him. From nationally acclaimed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and award-winning illustrator Craig Orback, Gifts from the Enemy shows how acts of social justice and kindness can change lives.

Parents and teachers will find this story a valuable and timely resource to help children understand in an age-appropriate way about the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred, stereotyping, and prejudice. The back matter includes a note from Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener to readers, discussion questions, activities to promote kindness, and more! Gifts from the Enemy is based on From a Name to a Number: A Holocaust Survivor's Autobiography self-published by Alter Wiener in 2007.

Publication date
September 03, 2019
Genre
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780578553269
Publisher
Ludwig Creative, Inc.
BISAC categories
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF025090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | Holocaust

School Library Journal

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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Trudy Ludwig
TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author of numerous children's books, including The Invisible Boy, a School Library Journal Best Picture Books Selection and a recommended back-to-school book by USA Today and Scholastic Teacher. Her books and presentations focus on promoting kids' social-emotional learning skills and help empower them to be kinder, more compassionate, and inclusive in their social world. Trudy has collaborated with leading experts and organizations, including Sesame Workshop, the International Bullying Prevention Association, Committee for Children, and ConnectSafely.org.

KATHRYN OTOSHI is an award-winning author/illustrator, best known for her character-building number/color book series: One, Zero, and Two. She is also the co-author of Beautiful Hands, a book about possibilities and reaching your dreams. She travels across the country to encourage children to develop strong character traits and to help readers and teachers find creative methods to engage and connect with their students through the power of reading, art, and literature. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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