Recent research has found that kids look for books based on how they make them feel. I've tried to cover this in my descriptions. Orphan at My Door
This story is written as the diary of a 11-year-old daughter of a doctor in Ontario, Canada in 1897. Her family applies for a Barnardo Girl to help out around the house. In London, Dr. Barnardo rescued many orphan children from starvation and possible death in the slums. He arranged for them to travel to Canada to do housework. There are stories of child abuse, but this is a story of hope and an affirmation of the value of charity.
The author, Jean Little, was born in China and has been blind since birth. Orphan at My Door is her 31st book. Jean grew up in the house she uses for the setting of this story. "My characters are real enough," she says, "that if I get halfway through writing a book and decide I don't want to finish it, what makes me finish it is the characters. Because if I don't finish it, it's like killing them. Their only chance to live is if I finish the book."
Orphan at My Door is part of the "Dear Canada" series, which is similar to "Dear America" series. This hardcover book includes photos, and even recipes from the time. It makes a beautiful gift.
Clara's War
This is the story of a young Jewish girl who survives Terezin, a little known concentration camp that housed Jews before they were sent on to Auschwitz. Terezin is a fortress built in 1780 by Emperor Jospeph II for his mother. The world was led to believe that Terezin had been a "gift" from Hitler to the Jews, a place where conditions were generally good and where Jews were being kept safe from the handships of war. At Terezin, an estimated 97,000 Czech Jews died or were deported to other labour or death camps. Only 132 children were known to have survived.
This story has a happy ending despite it's great tragedy. This book is for the mature reader age 10 or older. Many girls read Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl, and then want to read more, this is the book for them. This book is also for those in interested in amateur drama. |
