Central Resource Library’s interior will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 23 for Johnson County Library Foundation’s annual fundraising event, Library Lets Loose. The holds pickup window will remain open.
They Went Left by Monica Hesse is a powerful historical fiction novel set in the aftermath of World War II. The story follows Zofia, a young Holocaust survivor searching for her younger brother, Abek, who got separated from her during the liberation of Auschwitz. As she navigates through the ruins of war-torn Europe, Zofia grapples with the trauma of her past and the uncertainty of her future.
Fleeing away from chaos and leaving his family behind, the 11-year-old finds himself in Cuba, hoping and dreaming for the day he can finally make music in New York City with his parents. Along the way, a kind girl named Paloma befriends Daniel. However, even in this country, the two realize that there is not only greed and sadness in Germany, but also here in Cuba. In the end, will the two ever find peace and happiness or will they find themselves reaching for something unreachable?
Night is such an amazingly vivid, compelling, and tragic story about the Holocaust. It’s a memoir (of a sort) about the author’s experience during the Holocaust. The author Elie Wiesel is the narrator throughout the book and explains his journey with his father as they go through the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust.
This work recounts the point of view of Elie Wiesel as he faces the horrors of World War II. His family was taken away, and he was shuffled into concentration camps. This account showed to many that the people that were affected by the holocaust are more than numbers. They are living, breathing humans, with aspirations for the future and their life today. A thought-provoking work that truly makes one readjust their worldview to diversify for more and different insights. Recommended for all teens and above, and also recommended for a reread. Five out of Five.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne, is a powerful story about the holocaust and its horrors-- perfectly encapsulating its troubles through a young boy named Bruno. Heartwrenching and gripping, Bruno takes readers through a friendship between a German and a Jew as a barbwire fence separates the two indefinitely. This book is excellent for people wanting to know more about what the holocaust was like and the devastation it caused.
The Book Thief is an amazing historical fiction novel. This book does an amazing job at describing historical events and what some people went through during the holocaust as well as ensuring that the book is an interesting historical read. This book taught me a lot of new information that I did not know before and it furthered my understanding of the event. Overall the book is an enjoyable read with several perspectives and depictions.
Night is a non-fiction memoir book written by Elie Wiesel. The book is about how Jews were treated by the Nazis in concentration camps while they were being persecuted. The main characters are Elie and his father. He and his father want to escape the camps while they endure hard labor but the Nazis won’t let the Jews escape. Elie tries to survive the time through the winter in the camp by not running out of food or water during the journey.
The story is narrated by Jewish teenager, Eliezer who lives in Sighet. Later he gets captured and taken to Auschwitz and the nightmare begins. When they arrive, he gets separated from his family and gets put to work. Auschwitz gets evacuated and he goes on a brutal death march to another concentration camp. At the new camp the same torture happens and Eliezer is trying to survive so the inhumane treatment will stop. Finally when the camp gets liberated by America, Elizer is a void and has dealt with too much for being such a young boy.
The Diary of Anne Frank and Related Readings, edited by Frances Goodrich, is Historical Non-Fiction. Hiding with the Van Pels family was the Frank family. Among the Frank family was Anne Frank, a young woman who, no matter what happens, is always so cheerful. The Frank family, along with the Van Pels family, goes into hiding in the Secret Annex. The Secret Annex is a very tight place. There are strict rules, and everyone has to obey them. Anne writes down her feelings and what goes around in the annex.
Peter Van Pels is a boy who goes into hiding as the Nazis take over Germany. With the help of three people, Peter and his family, along with another family, hide in what is called “The Secret Annex.” The Van Pels family hid with the Frank family. While they are in hiding, Peter tries to be happy. He tries to forget what is happening, but things become worse after they are found.
