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His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg
An amazing and inspirational World War II story about how one man saved the lives of many.
Raoul Wallenberg’s name may not be a universally familiar one, but the impact he had is immeasurable. Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He did this by issuing protective passports and housing Jews in bui...more
Raoul Wallenberg’s name may not be a universally familiar one, but the impact he had is immeasurable. Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He did this by issuing protective passports and housing Jews in bui...more
Hardcover, 144 pages
Published
January 17th 2012
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(first published January 16th 2012)
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An Excellent Example for Young Readers
Children learn best from example; biographies are an excellent way to provide examples of supremely good deeds. And Raoul Wallenberg's story is certainly one worth knowing about. Ms. Borden tells of the life and deeds of Wallenberg in poetic free verse, with plenty of illustrations to make the book take in by young readers. Most appealing is the portrayal of Wallenberg as a boy, which is how he is presented on the cover. The young reader can readily apprecia...more
Children learn best from example; biographies are an excellent way to provide examples of supremely good deeds. And Raoul Wallenberg's story is certainly one worth knowing about. Ms. Borden tells of the life and deeds of Wallenberg in poetic free verse, with plenty of illustrations to make the book take in by young readers. Most appealing is the portrayal of Wallenberg as a boy, which is how he is presented on the cover. The young reader can readily apprecia...more
Before reading this book, I knew absolutely nothing about the Swede who risked his life to rescue Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust. In brief text set up to resemble a novel in verse, the author describes the early upbringing of this brave man who was born to privilege. Thanks to his grandfather's influence, he traveled widely and eventually was able to communicate in five languages. Since Sweden remained neutral during WWII, it would have been easy for Raoul Wallenberg to remain detached fro...more
At first the free verse arrangement put me off. However, it did work for this book. The combination of less text with fascinating illustrations worked very well. The designer of this book deserves a lot of praise. The fact that there was less text isn't a criticism. In fact, it may be a bonus for getting reluctant readers hooked on the book.
I was crying during a lot of this. Every now and then someone just is by nature a really good person, a "lamed Vav" if you know the Jewish belief about righ...more
I was crying during a lot of this. Every now and then someone just is by nature a really good person, a "lamed Vav" if you know the Jewish belief about righ...more
The information at the back of the book states that the author spent 10 years researching this book, so I was expecting an extensive treatment in the biography of this amazingly brave and courageous man. What I got was more of an outline than a book.
I was somewhat shocked when I received this rather thin, large-format book (10" x 7.5"). When I opened it up it looked like it was one long poem, but it was just formatted in a very non-traditional way. The text is completely left-justified, and bre...more
I was somewhat shocked when I received this rather thin, large-format book (10" x 7.5"). When I opened it up it looked like it was one long poem, but it was just formatted in a very non-traditional way. The text is completely left-justified, and bre...more
17 June 2011 HIS NAME WAS RAOUL WALLENBERG: COURAGE, RESCUE, AND MYSTERY DURING WORLD WAR II by Louise Borden, Houghton Mifflin, January 2012, 144p., ISBN: 978-0-618-50755-9
"Raoul told Per that he had an even better idea:
the Swedes would change the letter of protection
into a blue and yellow passport.
They would keep the three crowns of Sweden
but add a photo of the passport holder
and the Swedish minister's personal signature.
Raoul hoped that the Nazis
would respect a fancy document.
"The two friend...more
"Raoul told Per that he had an even better idea:
the Swedes would change the letter of protection
into a blue and yellow passport.
They would keep the three crowns of Sweden
but add a photo of the passport holder
and the Swedish minister's personal signature.
Raoul hoped that the Nazis
would respect a fancy document.
"The two friend...more
I've know the broad outlines of the story of Raoul Wallenberg since I was a teenager, but I really didn't have a good idea about many of the details. This book is written for a young reader, so it doesn't have a wealth of depth, but it still does a good job of showing Wallenberg's life and personality, so we understand how he became one of the great heroes of the Second World War. His efforts to save the Jews of Hungary remain a truly heroic humanitarian effort. His mysterious disappearance (and...more
Jul 19, 2012
Melissa
added it
One of our area libraries was talking about this author and what an excellent book this was for children regarding people who decided to make a difference during WWII. This biography is about the life of one man from Sweden whose education, family and business and political influences helped saved thousands of Jewish people from Nazi labor and death camps. Filled with maps, pictures of passports and documents, and newly discovered photography from a Russian prison, this books shows how one man d...more
This book is the definitive juvenile biography of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. While serving as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest between July and December 1944, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory saving tens of thousands of lives. Author Borden has a unique and appealing technique. (She also created the critically acclaimed title, The Journey That Saved Curious George.) The dou...more
I always enjoy a well-written, well-researched nonfiction book about something in history that I knew nothing of. This book fits that description. There are so many aspects of the Jewish discrimination and persecution (particularly in WWII) that I do not know. Many of us are aware, but we don't know the exact details. And so many terrible things happened to so many in several different countries. I didn't really know anything about Hungary's part in WWII, so this book was very insightful for me...more
Borden has created a thoroughly accessible book in this free-verse account of the life of Raoul Wallenberg. In this age of internet reading and sound bites, students will rarely pick up a book with too much text. This may be sad, but nevertheless true. The free verse makes it easy to read, but the information contained is rich with detail about this courageous hero of WW II. The book also contains important photographs and documents, including one of the famous Schutaz-Pass's (passports) that Ra...more
Raoul Wallenberg, who grew up in Sweden, traveled the world as a teenager, and learned to speak multiple languages fluently, was also a hero of great magnitude. He used his influence to secure the safety of tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust by issuing schutzpasses (passports) and boldly lobbying government officials for their freedom before he was captured by the Russians in 1947. Although his true fate remains unknown and his name is by no means a household word, there are at least...more
In January, I was very pleased to learn that Louise Borden and her book His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg had been named winner of the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are given annually to those outstanding works that authentically portray the Jewish experience.
Born into a relatively well-to-do family of bankers in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912, Raoul Wallenberg was always excited and curious about everything and his...more
Born into a relatively well-to-do family of bankers in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912, Raoul Wallenberg was always excited and curious about everything and his...more
Swedish-born Raoul Wallenberg spent his youth traveling the world and learning several languages, both things that made him an ideal candidate to help when Hungarian Jews were about be rounded up by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camps. Wallenberg was sent to Hungary to work at the Swedish legation, where he quickly got to work printing thousands of passes that proclaimed the bearers to be under the protection of the Swedish government, therefore preventing the Nazis from hauling them o...more
Fabulous book. The format makes it very easy to read, and the book is gorgeous to look at. Raoul Wallenberg's story is fascinating, and it has me wondering why we have movies like Schindler's List, about Schindler who had not the greatest moral compass, and yet we don't have feature films about Wallenberg. Something's wrong here! Props to Louise Borden for making sure that Raoul Wallenberg becomes more than just a side note in youth books about WWII. This is highly recommended for any library co...more
This book was a great introduction to the life and bravery of Raoul Wllenberg. However, because of the scant amount of text, it was just that, and nothing else. I would have loved to have seen more details in the writing to make the story pull me in more, but I did love that there were so many photos and illustrations to accompany the story. Overall, it's a good read, but I feel like I need to read another book to get a grasp on the whole story.
The world should know about Raoul Wallenberg. Author Louise Borden does a beautiful job of telling his story: how he grew up in neutral Sweden, traveled the world, graduated from Michigan State, and ultimately played a crucial role in saving the lives of Hungarian Jews. Borden's prose is broken into free verse poetry and is accompanied by photographs, maps, and other images, which add greatly to the story.
2013 winner of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award. The awards were announced at the Mid-Winter Meeting of the School, Synagogue and Community Center Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries. The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience.
4.5 stars. Fascinating and important subject for a biography for young people. Wallenberg has long been a hero of mine, but this book made a real impression, and I learned new details about his life and work. Beautiful graphic design and photo selection draws the reader in. Spare text is presented in a free-verse poetry format - at times it seems that's perfect to complement the graphic approach to the story, but at other times it leaves me wishing for more details.
I feel like I had heard the name at some time in my readings about Jews during WWII but could never have told his story. Borden's work is truly a tribute to an amazing person and who knew he did his undergraduate work at University of Michigan? Will have to seek out his statue the next time I visit campus. Written in free verse with great photographs.
This was a very well written non-fiction piece that brought to my attention a previously unknown figure of WWII history. His efforts were compatible with that of Schindler; however, Wallenberg's name, actions, and ultimate sacrifice are not widely included in WWII histories.
Raoul Wallenberg was a brave and intelligent man who saved the lives of many thousands of Jews by giving them protection under orders of the Swedish government. He came up with the plan for this protective order and worked tirelessly to see it through until the end of the war. Ultimately, he gave his life for others. His story is impressive and inspiring.
Have you already read Anne Frank, Elie Wiesel and you're looking for more information about what real people did during the Holocaust? If so, this true story of one Swedish architect's heroism during WWII is for you.
-Dawn
-Dawn
This was almost like a photo album accompanied by a very simplistic, but well-written, description of what this amazing Swedish man did in Nazi-supporting Hungary during WWII. I very much enjoyed the photo journal effect.
People read for entertainment or to learn something new.
This, while not traditionally entertaining, it is engaging, well written, and educational.
It is horrible that, i haven't hear of this courageous man and all he did to see that are good and safe. All the WWII, information I have read and we just now crossed.
I recommend this for any reader. There area photos and memorabilia.
Seriously good. He is like one of the nicest people. Anyone who isn't impressed by this book cant be friend.
This, while not traditionally entertaining, it is engaging, well written, and educational.
It is horrible that, i haven't hear of this courageous man and all he did to see that are good and safe. All the WWII, information I have read and we just now crossed.
I recommend this for any reader. There area photos and memorabilia.
Seriously good. He is like one of the nicest people. Anyone who isn't impressed by this book cant be friend.
Beautifully designed verse biography. Took me a while to get the rhythm of the verse. At times, I wished for more detail, but this was a lovely, impressionistic portrait of a fascinating hero.
This book was excellent. It's a moving, sometimes frightening, and ultimately inspirational story. Great choice for nonfiction for middle school kids, who always need heroes!
Great biography of the Swedish diplomat who saved many Hungarian Jews from deportation to death camps 1944-45 and then was arrested and imprisoned by the Soviets.
This is a nonfiction book classified as a TEEN book in our library. The first page hooked me, and I just had to read on! It is written in verse, highlighted by period photos, documents, etc., so the content flows quickly, without an overabundance of factual detail to bog the reader down. An intriguing and not so well-known story about an unsung hero from WWII, Raoul Wallenberg. He was a Swedish national who traveled to Hungary to rescue Jews. I normally avoid the normal lexicon of Holocaust book...more
A moving and inspiring young-adult biography of the great Raoul Wallenberg. This is a fitting introduction to all he achieved for children and adults alike. A book that should be read by anyone and everyone in this 100th anniversary of his birth year.
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There were already two Louises in my family when I was born: my mother and my grandmother, Nana, who lived with us when I was growing up. So early on, I was given the name Leezie. This is a name that my family still calls me. Years later, my niece was born and also named Louise. Then there were four of us with the same name! Louise is a fine name to have except that people often spell it incorrect...more
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Feb 15, 2012 09:10am