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A Boy Named 68818
Fourteen-year old Srulek Storch could have perished the day he arrived at the Auschwitz concentration camp. But he did not. He survived that day . . . and then the next. And through the sheer strength of his faith and headstrong will he continued to survive while giving hope to himself . . . and his fellow prisoners.
A Boy Named 68818 is the gripping true-life account of spiritual resistance and survival under horrific circumstances.
Israel Starck's dramatic memoir is targeted to tweens (ages 10-14) as well as adults. His story speaks to the generation of today who may know little or nothing of the Holocaust era. A Boy Named 68818 introduces the tragic events of the Holocaust to today's youth, in order to pass on and preserve its lessons, ones which remain startlingly relevant to this day.
A Boy Named 68818 is richly illuminated with stunning and thoughtful illustrations which bring the pages to life. The compelling drawings advance the narrative, adding visual information and mood which words alone cannot convey.
A Boy Named 68818 embraces its Jewish ethnicity in both language and context, staying faithful to the time and culture its story represents.
A Boy Named 68818 includes the unprecedented in-depth and interactive learning guide, "Exploring Srulek's World". This guide transports the reader deeper into the events and era of World War II. It includes timelines, maps and a breakdown of the illustrations and themes found in the chapters, making it attractive and engaging for both educators and lay readers alike.
A Boy Named 68818 is the gripping true-life account of spiritual resistance and survival under horrific circumstances.
Israel Starck's dramatic memoir is targeted to tweens (ages 10-14) as well as adults. His story speaks to the generation of today who may know little or nothing of the Holocaust era. A Boy Named 68818 introduces the tragic events of the Holocaust to today's youth, in order to pass on and preserve its lessons, ones which remain startlingly relevant to this day.
A Boy Named 68818 is richly illuminated with stunning and thoughtful illustrations which bring the pages to life. The compelling drawings advance the narrative, adding visual information and mood which words alone cannot convey.
A Boy Named 68818 embraces its Jewish ethnicity in both language and context, staying faithful to the time and culture its story represents.
A Boy Named 68818 includes the unprecedented in-depth and interactive learning guide, "Exploring Srulek's World". This guide transports the reader deeper into the events and era of World War II. It includes timelines, maps and a breakdown of the illustrations and themes found in the chapters, making it attractive and engaging for both educators and lay readers alike.
- GenresHolocaust
345 pages, Hardcover
Published October 12, 2015
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 2, 2016
A BOY NAMED 68818 is a Holocaust biography/memoir that is unique, layered, and extremely teachable.
UNIQUE:
A BOY NAMED 68818 tells the story of Srulek Storch, a Jewish fourteen-year-old in wartime Czechoslovakia, who is arrested by the Nazis and deported to Auschwitz.
What is fascinating about this book is that it is co-written by Srulek (Israel Starck) and his daughter, Miriam (Starck) Miller. And so the book is both a memoir and a biography, since the memories of Nazi occupied Europe and the Nazi camps belong to Israel the survivor, yet those memories have been "translated" by his daughter into compelling, concise prose.
Although we don't get to see the story from Miriam's perspective directly (as seen in the second generation text MAUS by Art Spiegelman, for example), we can't help but be aware that Miriam has chosen to tell her father's story with certain words and in a particular way. And so her voice -- and the voice of the second generation -- is ever-present.
LAYERED:
In addition to its compelling central narrative, A BOY NAMED 68818 is enhanced by exceptional illustrations, poetry (including the well known poem "The Butterfly" by Pavel Friedman), and biblical quotations. On the surface, these enhancements can be seen as overwhelming Srulek's story, but, as we fall into Srulek's world, these artworks, poems, and quotations can be seen as becoming part of the protagonist's journey.
In another context, the biblical quotations would be seen as cliché, but here they reflect Srulek's religious Jewish upbringing and religious beliefs, while the poetry throughout the book reminds us of the broader historical context and points to the idiosyncrasy of each individual's Holocaust experience. The illustrations by Gadi Pollack and Alex Firley are entirely absorbing and at times beautiful, despite the horrors they often convey.
The book is jam-packed and can sometimes be seen as being overthought and disjointed, but this combination also makes the reading experience intense, as well as reflective of the authors' goal to educate. In this sense, A BOY NAMED 68818 feels urgent, almost achingly desperate, mirroring the urgency of Holocaust education in the 21st Century and pointing to a time -- coming all too soon -- when there will no longer be witnesses and survivors of the Nazis' atrocities to tell their stories in person.
EXTREMELY TEACHABLE:
What makes this book outstanding as an educational text is the extensive supplementary materials that can be found at the back of the book. (Note that while the book is 346 pages long, the main story takes up only the first 211 pages, many of which are artworks and poems -- this makes the text an excellent resource for classrooms and a worthy introduction to Holocaust testimony.) The supplementary materials include maps, historical timelines, family photographs, primary documents, images of real artifacts, suggested classroom activities, and reader questions, which will no doubt make this book a pleasure to teach.
UNIQUE:
A BOY NAMED 68818 tells the story of Srulek Storch, a Jewish fourteen-year-old in wartime Czechoslovakia, who is arrested by the Nazis and deported to Auschwitz.
What is fascinating about this book is that it is co-written by Srulek (Israel Starck) and his daughter, Miriam (Starck) Miller. And so the book is both a memoir and a biography, since the memories of Nazi occupied Europe and the Nazi camps belong to Israel the survivor, yet those memories have been "translated" by his daughter into compelling, concise prose.
Although we don't get to see the story from Miriam's perspective directly (as seen in the second generation text MAUS by Art Spiegelman, for example), we can't help but be aware that Miriam has chosen to tell her father's story with certain words and in a particular way. And so her voice -- and the voice of the second generation -- is ever-present.
LAYERED:
In addition to its compelling central narrative, A BOY NAMED 68818 is enhanced by exceptional illustrations, poetry (including the well known poem "The Butterfly" by Pavel Friedman), and biblical quotations. On the surface, these enhancements can be seen as overwhelming Srulek's story, but, as we fall into Srulek's world, these artworks, poems, and quotations can be seen as becoming part of the protagonist's journey.
In another context, the biblical quotations would be seen as cliché, but here they reflect Srulek's religious Jewish upbringing and religious beliefs, while the poetry throughout the book reminds us of the broader historical context and points to the idiosyncrasy of each individual's Holocaust experience. The illustrations by Gadi Pollack and Alex Firley are entirely absorbing and at times beautiful, despite the horrors they often convey.
The book is jam-packed and can sometimes be seen as being overthought and disjointed, but this combination also makes the reading experience intense, as well as reflective of the authors' goal to educate. In this sense, A BOY NAMED 68818 feels urgent, almost achingly desperate, mirroring the urgency of Holocaust education in the 21st Century and pointing to a time -- coming all too soon -- when there will no longer be witnesses and survivors of the Nazis' atrocities to tell their stories in person.
EXTREMELY TEACHABLE:
What makes this book outstanding as an educational text is the extensive supplementary materials that can be found at the back of the book. (Note that while the book is 346 pages long, the main story takes up only the first 211 pages, many of which are artworks and poems -- this makes the text an excellent resource for classrooms and a worthy introduction to Holocaust testimony.) The supplementary materials include maps, historical timelines, family photographs, primary documents, images of real artifacts, suggested classroom activities, and reader questions, which will no doubt make this book a pleasure to teach.
May 29, 2016
This book tells the story of Sruley Storch beginning with his early family life in Czechoslovakia, his family's eviction and "resettlement" to Auschwitz, and his many trials throughout his young life from 1929 to 1948. Written for middle school aged children, the book contains beautiful illustrations, a stunningly descriptive story, and Appendices containing a glossary of terms, maps, timelines, and a learning guide. An excellent and easy to read story for both children and adults.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews