Saving Children from the Holocaust: The Kindertransport

The Holocaust Through Primary Sources

by Ann Byers

“Who will look after me . . . and why can't we all go together?” Kurt Fuchel asked his father these questions, as the young boy prepared to embark on a journey to England . . . alone. Fuchel was one of ten thousand children who made this journey shortly before World War II began. In 1938, Jews searched for a way out of Germany. But anti-Jewish laws and nations unwilling to accept fleeing refugees made escape difficult or impossible. England’s effort to save the children effort came to be known as the Kindertransport, and author Ann Byers discusses the heroes who organized the transports and the children who were saved from the Holocaust.

Genres: History, Holocaust, Nonfiction

128 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter in this book tells the story of a different person involved with the Kindertransports--either a child who rode the trains to safety or an adult who helped make these lifelines possible. The book is written for the middle-school set; the passages are simple in tone and most unusual terms are quickly defined. There are many photographs and direct quotes to aid in the learning. My one real bone to pick is that many of the photos are lined up with text so that you think that the subject of the photograph is the person you're reading about; in actuality, many of them are simply depicting people who are in "similar situations" as the subject of the chapter.

This book is simple and easy to read, yet tells a profound story from one of history's darkest hours. It's ideal for students writing reports, young people interested in WWII history, or adults (like yours truly) who just want a quick crash course in the Kindertransports.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kindertransport saved ten thousand children from the Holocaust.
Here are a few of their stories.

[Blake Biesecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was really good for me because I love learning about the Holocaust. The Holocaust was such a horrific time in the world. I could imagine how tough it would be for kids and adults to be living in that time. Some kids were very lucky all because of the Kindertransport. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about the Holocaust. Lots of the things are very gruesome for young children. I would say this book is good for the age range of 8 and older. Some of those kids are so lucky to be alive.

[Trixi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discovered this book while using our new SearchOhio option. This is a very quick read as it is written for teens. The great thing about this book is that it is completely primary source material. Each chapter is a different person who has given his/her story about being on the Kindertransport. Among the stories are one of 2 sisters who ended up staying with the Attenborough family and the other is about a cousin of Madeline Albright (Albright did not learn she was Jewish until she was an adult). Looking forward to reading others in this series.