Review by Booklist Review
Claire Sarnowski first heard Polish immigrant Alter Wiener, then 87, speak about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor at her local Oregon middle school when she was just 9 years old. His story impressed her, and they became friends. Their relationship was so special that Sarnowski persuaded him to help her get a bill passed that mandated that the Holocaust be included in Oregon school curriculum. In this winning memoir, Sarnowski, now 14, recounts their story and the hard work that went into accomplishing it. Motivated by students advocating against gun violence after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shootings, Sarnowski hoped that if the Holocaust was taught in Oregon schools, students would understand why the Holocaust should never happen again. Tragically, Wiener died before the bill passed, but his legacy lives on, particularly through his unforgettable quotes. Both Wiener and Sarnowski embody the strength and resiliency of the human spirit, and their beautiful friendship and drive to advocate for change are inspiring.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child and an elderly Holocaust survivor form a life-changing friendship. Sarnowski, a Catholic girl who's cued white, met octogenarian Alter Weiner when, at age 9, she attended his presentation in Portland, Oregon, about his experiences during the Holocaust and its aftermath. Polish Jewish immigrant Weiner spent years as a teen in Nazi slave labor camps, enduring starvation and nearly being worked to death. After the war, he learned that more than 100 members of his family had been murdered in the concentration camps. Inspired by his presentation, Sarnowski contacted Weiner, hoping to find a way to help him make even more of an impact. With cooperation from Sarnowski's parents, the two made it their quest to pass a bill mandating the teaching of Holocaust and genocide studies in Oregon schools. The book meticulously describes the long, intense process of successfully getting the education bill through the Oregon state senate. Sarnowski and Weiner were devastated by hate speech and crimes in their own town and around the U.S. and the world, but this only strengthened their determination. Sarnowski comes across as a remarkable child: capable, intelligent, and wise beyond her years. Her intensely loving partnership with Weiner is at the core of the account, which is repetitive in places but contains moments of despair, heartbreak, laughter, and triumph. Readers will long remember Weiner and his hopeful instruction to be "better, not bitter." An inspiring and hopeful story. (author's note, resources and recommended reading) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
