The Underground Reporters

by Kathy Kacer

In a quiet village in Czechoslovakia, laws restricted the freedom of Jewish people during WWII. A small plot of land by the river was allocated to the village’s Jewish youth, and it was here that some brave young people decided to create a newspaper.

Genres: Holocaust, History, Nonfiction, Jewish, World War II, War

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Kathy Kacer was born in Toronto and has lived there all her life (with the exception of three years in New Brunswick). She has a Master’s degree in Psychology and worked for many years with troubled teens and their families. She stopped working full time in 1995 to pursue her dream of becoming a children’s author. That dream came true with the publication of her first book, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, in 1999. She has been writing ever since.

Her parents were both survivors of the Holocaust. Her mother survived the war in hiding; her father was a survivor of the concentration camps. Their stories of survival were an inspiration to Kathy as she was growing up. As an adult, she was determined to write their stories and pass them on to young readers. She went on to write more than twenty books, all focused on the Holocaust. These books include The Night Spies, The Diary of Laura’s Twin, To Hope and Back, Hiding Edith, the Whispers series, and The Magician of Auschwitz. Many of her books have won awards in Canada, the United States, and Israel. Her books have been sold in over twenty countries around the world.

In addition to writing, Kathy teaches at the University of Toronto (Continuing Studies). She also speaks to children in schools and libraries around the world about the importance of understanding the Holocaust and keeping its memory alive. In addition, she lectures in universities and colleges on the topic of teaching sensitive material to young children.

She is married and has two children, Gabi and Jake. Both children share her family’s love of stories.

Reviews

[Hannah :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

bruh i cried. the last couple of chapters. holy shit.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly found this book at a charity shop recently and grabbed it up at soon as I saw the title and synoposis. It was a quick read (which is strange to say for a non-fiction war book). I loved getting to know each character and how they came involved in a small town in Czechoslovakia. There is hope and sadness in the pages. Not as much details given as other war books, but in a way it made the story more effective. It is a book I'd hand to my thirteen-year-old sister without a qualm. Definitely worth reading :)

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting this to be one of my favorites of my tour through illustrated J/YA Holocaust books, but it was. A compelling story about a group of Jewish kids in WWII Budejovice who, despite their struggles as their parents were forced out of work and subjected to smaller quarters and draconian regulations, built community with an underground newspaper that circulated among the whole Jewish population, kids and adults, and talked about light and serious issues right up until Thereseienstadt. Ends a weeper (as one might expect) but still hopeful about the human spirit. The miraculous preservation of the issues of Klepy offer an unusual kind of survival story - not just the story of the survival of individuals, but the survival of a community spirit and the children who perished but live on through the work they did on Klepy. Perfect tone for YA.

[Guguk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ngenes banget~ ｡･ﾟﾟ･(＞_＜)･ﾟﾟ･｡

Tapi kalo mau dipikir-2, anak-2 yang dalam kondisi perang dan tertindas seperti itu pun semangatnya masih berkobar.., lha kok aku yang hidup tenang-damai-aman-sentosa masih berani-2nya ngeluh ini-itu (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) Fight!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. The courage shown by the Jewish people during WWI has always blown me away. The details of the courage of this group of children/young people is beyond words for me. They were determined to do something to keep their spirits, and the spirits of an entire town, up. So they started this newspaper which, thanks to an equally courageous Christian, has survived to this day. Ripped from their homes and parents, they continued to hope. It wasn't always realized but for those who survived, they kept the memories of their former childhood friend alive through this newspaper.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and not as violent as some other books I've read about the holocaust.

[Dee Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story. I feel like with a different author this book could have been so much better, so much more. What is here is incredible, but it left me wanting more.

[Ariq Bagaskara · Rating 5 out of 5]

pain.

[Ben Shackleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving book, extremely informative too. My Mum met the author who wrote this autobiographically.

[Ignatius Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kisah nyata yang diceritakan melalui sudut pandang john seorang anak yahudi di Budejovice, Rep. Ceko tentang hari harinya menghadapi kekejaman nazi pada perang dunia kedua. ngeri sendiri bacanya ga kebayang gimana kalo terjadi sekarang, dan salut dengan perjuangan john dan kawan2nya hingga akhir cerita. ga ngerti harus nulis review gimana soalnya saya bukan seorang expert cuma penikmat aja (jujur agak random ambil buku ini dari rak di toko buku pas beli dan ga nyesel beli buku ini ceritanya bagus dan jadi tau lebih banyak sejarah yg sebagian orang bahkan ga tau)

[Dian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jd makin tahu kekejaman Nazi melalui buku ini ...

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is just okay but I keep finding myself thinking about the story and the characters...

[Mar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. A true story about Jewish children and teens who start a newspaper to keep up their hopes in the early days of WWII.