  | Hidden hope : how a toy and a hero saved lives during the Holocaust Author: Boxer, Elisa | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
Jewish teenager Jacqueline Gauthier, a member of the French Resistance who had to conceal her identity, was one who risked her life in secret workshops, forging papers with new names and without stars in order to help others escape. But how to get these life-saving papers to families in hiding? An ordinary wooden toy duck held the answer, a hidden compartment: hope in a hollow.
| Illustrator: | Bates, Amy June |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.20 Points: .5 Quiz: 522151 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (04/15/23)
School Library Journal (+) (00/02/23)
Booklist (+) (12/01/23)
The Hornbook (00/05/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/15/2023 *Starred Review* In this dramatic true story, readers encounter Jacqueline Gauthier, a teenager in the French Resistance, who navigated a network of subterfuge to save hundreds of threatened Jews during WWII by concealing forged documents within a toy that she biked to families in hiding. “After all, who would suspect / that a wooden duck / . . . had a secret? // A hidden compartment. / Hope in a hollow.” But this young woman held a dangerous secret of her own: her real name was Judith Geller, and she, too, was Jewish. Boxer’s action-packed recounting of Geller’s determination, selflessness, and agency is a refreshing alternative to the more prolific gentile-savior stories of the Holocaust. The efficient yet informative text conveys the urgency of Geller’s mission, with occasional words enlarged for emphasis or offset, hurtling like Geller on her precious bicycle. Bates’ muted Old World palette is reminiscent of her stunning work in Gittel’s Journey (2019). These evocative, shadowy panels are< punctuated vibrantly with pops of red from Geller’s beret. One particularly haunting spread casts the reader’s gaze through a jagged, broken windowpane to bear witness to soldiers’ cruelties. With extensive back matter supporting both the author's and the illustrator’s work, this is a harrowing account of one girl’s bravery and a compelling assurance for youth that everyone has a potential hero within. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
