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Dear Canada
Turned Away
This dramatic story tells of 11-year-old Devorah's efforts to help her cousin and pen pal Sarah emigrate from Paris before the Nazis deport the Jews to internment camps. Devorah learns that 5,000 Jewish children in France have visas to leave the country, but the Canadian government will not let them in, leading Devorah to desperately lobby the government to change its policies. Turned Away illustrates the restrictions on the life of Jews in Paris via letters from Sarah who is living in German-occupied France. It also reveals Canada's dismal record on Jewish immigration during World War II and depicts the impact of the war in Canada. In Winnipeg, one intriguing response to the war was "If Day," when local people posed as Nazis and staged a mock invasion to illustrate what it would be like if the city was occupied. Also included are fascinating period documents and photographs, many from the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The historical consultants for Turned Away were Dr. Irving Abella, co-author of the ground-breaking book None is Too Many, and Terry Copp, author of the remarkable book No Price Too High.
Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 12, 2023
Continuing my plan to learn the history of Canada very slowly and by novels in diary format. Devorah is a just an ordinary young Jewish girl in Winnipeg in the early years of World War II. The trouble is that Devorah is a little bit too ordinary. Nothing happens in this book. Devorah has a cousin, Sarah, who's trapped in Paris hoping that her Canadian relatives can arrange visas and get her out of the country. Sarah writes mature, prescient letters in perfect English explaining the plight of France's Jews. Devorah's diary reads like she's fourteen going on thirty when she's supposed to be eleven. This wasn't a great one. Nothing wrong with it. Just very little actually happened on the Homefront. An optimistic friend and a pessimistic friend aren't enough to carry the story.
May 19, 2015
It's 1941 Manitoba and the war is only just getting underway. This is a story of the war through the eyes of a Jewish girl on the home front. It touches slightly upon several major concerns: the Winnipeg Grenadiers, Canadian pows in Hong Kong, Canadians fighting in the RAF over Europe, Japanese internment camps in BC and many other topics are touched upon. However the main subject in "Turned Away" is a very shameful episode in Canadian history which is barely known about these modern days. Myself I only learned of this several years ago, and from a children's novel at that. During WWII, Canada did not welcome any Jewish refugees from Europe. In fact they had a policy to turn them away, an antisemitic government was mirroring the sentiments a nation had been harbouring not with hate but with complacency. Canadians were shaken to their foundations when they found out what Hitler was doing to the Jews but the Liberal government wished to keep the issue off the table (having a vocally antisemitic immigration branch) and did nothing to reflect the change in societal attitudes. The US was not exactly open to Jewish refugees either but statistically Canada has turned out to be the country with the lowest number of Jewish refugees allowed entrance during WWII, with our record of 5000 Jews from 1933-1945 compared to the US's 200,000.*
This is a sad story, very sad. Mostly it tells the day to day life of Devorah in Manitoba who has brothers and cousins fighting in the war all over the world and her mother's brother and his family living in Paris, France. We find out what day-to-day life is like this year (1941) in Canada when things change from fairly normal to having war-time rationing and community deaths affecting daily living by the end. There is no great plot device; it is a quiet story, very sombre. Devorah and her cousin Sarah, in Paris, write to each other, and through this the reader experiences the horrendous atrocities the Nazis perpetrated on the Jews and in which the French themselves often participated. There is a lot of discussion about evil vs God, bad and good, who lets these things happen, the various reasons people do bad things from evil pleasure to being afraid not to comply. I learned quite a bit from this book, even though I read about this war a lot. One such thing was the "If Day" Manitoba created, allowing the city, schools and government included, to be mock invaded by Nazis. This must have been terrifying, especially for the children, but it really brought home the reality of what their family was experiencing overseas.
Carol Matas is one of our greatest current writers of historical fiction and she has handled this subject delicately without
hedging around about the horrors. The ending is sad and bittersweet and once again, I'm recommending a book in this series for the older age range of the suggested 8-12 years. Truly well-written!
*These numbers and facts are taken from the historical note at back of book; my own misguided knowledge and interpretation may have caused errors between how I've explained things and the more precise, expert information written by the author.
This is a sad story, very sad. Mostly it tells the day to day life of Devorah in Manitoba who has brothers and cousins fighting in the war all over the world and her mother's brother and his family living in Paris, France. We find out what day-to-day life is like this year (1941) in Canada when things change from fairly normal to having war-time rationing and community deaths affecting daily living by the end. There is no great plot device; it is a quiet story, very sombre. Devorah and her cousin Sarah, in Paris, write to each other, and through this the reader experiences the horrendous atrocities the Nazis perpetrated on the Jews and in which the French themselves often participated. There is a lot of discussion about evil vs God, bad and good, who lets these things happen, the various reasons people do bad things from evil pleasure to being afraid not to comply. I learned quite a bit from this book, even though I read about this war a lot. One such thing was the "If Day" Manitoba created, allowing the city, schools and government included, to be mock invaded by Nazis. This must have been terrifying, especially for the children, but it really brought home the reality of what their family was experiencing overseas.
Carol Matas is one of our greatest current writers of historical fiction and she has handled this subject delicately without
hedging around about the horrors. The ending is sad and bittersweet and once again, I'm recommending a book in this series for the older age range of the suggested 8-12 years. Truly well-written!
*These numbers and facts are taken from the historical note at back of book; my own misguided knowledge and interpretation may have caused errors between how I've explained things and the more precise, expert information written by the author.
November 24, 2016
This was a cold and heartbreaking look at the way things were for Jewish Canadians at this time.
August 8, 2019
I’ve been enjoying reading the Dear Canada books about Jewish people. I’ve read a bit about the holocaust and struggles Jews had, but not so much from a Canadian perspective. Now I’ve learned that Winnipeg has quite a history!
The author did a great job capturing what a 12 year old’s life would be like during this time period. Devorah’s life was such a yo yo of highs and lows- one day she’s eating popcorn and seeing a movie, the next day she’s wondering if her brother is alive. She felt guilt of going to a summer camp while her cousin was being persecuted overseas. The sense of being pulled in both directions was very prominent and Devorah struggled to make sense of everything. I’m sure all of these things were felt by real people at the time and it was portrayed very well.
This book also showed me how indifferent Canada was to Jewish refugees during WW2, and I was shocked to read in the historical notes that Canada only accepted 5000 of them between 1933-1945 compared to USA’s 200,000 and Chile & Bolivia’s 14,000! That is an absolute disgrace and the Liberal Party should be ashamed of that. (FYI I’m not siding with any political party- just saying they were in power during that time period). It was also gross to learn about how Jews were persecuted in France- again, I have read about the holocaust but mostly from a German, Polish and Eastern European perspective. I was disappointed to say the least to see that France deported so many Jews. I’m glad that France has finally made a memorial for the victims, but it took a ridiculous amount of time.
My next Dear Canada I will read may be about the Japanese internment...yet another thing I need to learn more about!
The author did a great job capturing what a 12 year old’s life would be like during this time period. Devorah’s life was such a yo yo of highs and lows- one day she’s eating popcorn and seeing a movie, the next day she’s wondering if her brother is alive. She felt guilt of going to a summer camp while her cousin was being persecuted overseas. The sense of being pulled in both directions was very prominent and Devorah struggled to make sense of everything. I’m sure all of these things were felt by real people at the time and it was portrayed very well.
This book also showed me how indifferent Canada was to Jewish refugees during WW2, and I was shocked to read in the historical notes that Canada only accepted 5000 of them between 1933-1945 compared to USA’s 200,000 and Chile & Bolivia’s 14,000! That is an absolute disgrace and the Liberal Party should be ashamed of that. (FYI I’m not siding with any political party- just saying they were in power during that time period). It was also gross to learn about how Jews were persecuted in France- again, I have read about the holocaust but mostly from a German, Polish and Eastern European perspective. I was disappointed to say the least to see that France deported so many Jews. I’m glad that France has finally made a memorial for the victims, but it took a ridiculous amount of time.
My next Dear Canada I will read may be about the Japanese internment...yet another thing I need to learn more about!
February 17, 2017
Dear Devorah
our worst fears came to pass.Three huge bangs on the door. Mommy ran to my room and told me to keep the door closed and not to come out. Within minutes she came back and sank down on my bed weeping. "They've taken him,"she said."to drancy.Arrested."
TURNED AWAY
the world war 2 dairy of Devorah
By Carol Maya's.
-genre = true events
sometimes the book ,since it is a diary, has some boring days where dovorah doesn't write much while compared to others days . Dovorah's writing and thoughts are expressed well in the book and are also well organized.
This is a good book because it's taking about a serious topic in this world. The world war 2 was a global war that lasted from 1939-1945. I like this book because as the story builds the story get more interesting. I also learned stuff about world war 2. This book reminds us that we should be more thankful for what we have and to be free because some people forget that and most kids complain about going to school while others are fighting for their life's because of their beliefs . So this book sets a good reminder of what kids would be going through at this time period. If you don't like to read books that just tells a story but you like to be more in the characters world then I would recommend thos book because it is a diary so its more detailed and more realistic.
our worst fears came to pass.Three huge bangs on the door. Mommy ran to my room and told me to keep the door closed and not to come out. Within minutes she came back and sank down on my bed weeping. "They've taken him,"she said."to drancy.Arrested."
TURNED AWAY
the world war 2 dairy of Devorah
By Carol Maya's.
-genre = true events
sometimes the book ,since it is a diary, has some boring days where dovorah doesn't write much while compared to others days . Dovorah's writing and thoughts are expressed well in the book and are also well organized.
This is a good book because it's taking about a serious topic in this world. The world war 2 was a global war that lasted from 1939-1945. I like this book because as the story builds the story get more interesting. I also learned stuff about world war 2. This book reminds us that we should be more thankful for what we have and to be free because some people forget that and most kids complain about going to school while others are fighting for their life's because of their beliefs . So this book sets a good reminder of what kids would be going through at this time period. If you don't like to read books that just tells a story but you like to be more in the characters world then I would recommend thos book because it is a diary so its more detailed and more realistic.
March 7, 2023
I always enjoy the books from the Dear Canada series and this one was no exception. It is written from the perspective of 11 year old Devorah Bernstein who lives in Winnipeg Manitoba. She has two brothers fighting overseas - one as a pilot and one in Hong Kong. Many Canadians are not familiar with the story of the men who served in Hong Kong and the deprivations they faced during captivity as POW's so it was interesting to read ar least a little on this subject and know it will help more children to learn about this time. Devorah also has Jewish family in France and through their letters learns of the horrors being perpetrated upon the Jewish people. We see Devorah mature through her writings and read of her struggles to understand why all of this is happening and what place God has in it all. The really shameful thing that comes out in the epilogue is that Canada "had the worst record of allowing Jews into their country of any nation that could have invited them in." (page 176)
April 13, 2020
Devorah did a lot of complaining about eating too much and getting stomachaches. Heavy on the good versus evil debate. I like the story but I might have liked it better if Matas hadn’t also published Pieces of the Past for this series, which has a lot of similarities to Turned Away.
June 2, 2015
I think it was a good book,but when Sarah died it was sad
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 25, 2019i'm officially halfway through these suckers!!
November 13, 2025
3.5 star read for what the author wanted to get across about European Jews being denied refugee access to Canada and their sufferings under Nazi rule.
However, I come across this in the book:
"But I must admit that these servants make me a little nervous - because they are Chinese - and when I'm being shaved I wonder if they just let the knife slip a little … you see, some are hoping for the Japanese to come and save them. Fifth columnists, we call them. Bizarre logic when you think that the Japanese and Chinese are enemies - but some Chinese would still prefer life under the Japanese than life under the British."
I was surprised the author mentioned fifth columnists since they're a real minority, but then she just leaves it at that! It was extremely disappointing. If she's going to mention Chinese sentiment towards British and Japanese occupation of China, then at least give us the whole picture properly by including what the majority of Chinese people's sentiments were about the Japanese occupation (Hint: they hated it. How shocking.) After all, the Japanese occupation of China was happening even before World War 2 started.
It's not that hard to incorporate since she was already willing to write about Chinese fifth columnists. For example, she could have included what Morris might have witnessed about the experiences of the Chinese under Japanese occupation while serving as a soldier in Hong Kong. Chinese people were being beaten up and tortured by the Japanese. The Japanese experimented not only on Chinese prisoners of war (POW), but also civilians, which was much worse than what Morris mentioned in his letter in this book (which was playing basketball and sending letters home). Of course, regardless, prisoner camps under the Japanese were definitely awful as they were an outright violation of the Geneva Conventions.
The Chinese were terribly mistreated and were viewed as inferior by the Japanese (the Japanese referred to the Chinese as "pigs/swine") which were as bad as the Jews being mistreated and viewed as inferior (to the level of "stinking beasts") by the Nazis. There are so many similarities between these two groups' mistreatment, which makes the author's lack of proper handling of the issue on the Japanese occupation of China all the more disappointing.
And what's worse, the author mentions in the epilogue that Canada was one of the countries who accepted the fewest Jewish refugees during WWII. On the other hand, China at the time was the country that accepted Jewish refugees with open arms. Shanghai, China, was "the only place in the world that unconditionally offered refuge for Jews escaping from the Nazis" for a very long time. If she was going to talk about China in her book, she should at least mention this fact since she was so centered on the Jewish experience and even mentioned China in her book (but what did I expect, I suppose, since she views the Chinese in quite a negative light).
Another thing is, this book, which takes place from 1941-1942, mentions how our main character, Devorah, is always talking about how she would vote when she becomes an adult, how she condemns people in Germany for voting for Hitler, how she votes in school to make school changes, about voting rights, etc. That's because women could vote after the year 1918 in Canada. But the sad truth is, the First Nations people weren't allowed to vote unless they renounced their Registered Indian status until 1960, and Chinese Canadians weren't even allowed to vote at all until 1947, even if they were born and raised in Canada. And 1947 was when the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed and Chinese immigrants were finally allowed to join their families in Canada after years of separation.
I get that this book focuses on the Jewish Canadian experience, but I also see the author trying to include issues faced by other minority groups (eg: the Japanese Canadian interment camps). For that, I applaud the author on her efforts. However, for this reason, when I read about Devorah repeatedly talking about voting and lobbying, I just wish the author would at least mention that not all Canadians even had the privilege to vote during that time period, and that Devorah would be able to vote because she was considered white. It makes her writing give off a feeling that the author is very narrow-minded in her world view.
However, I come across this in the book:
"But I must admit that these servants make me a little nervous - because they are Chinese - and when I'm being shaved I wonder if they just let the knife slip a little … you see, some are hoping for the Japanese to come and save them. Fifth columnists, we call them. Bizarre logic when you think that the Japanese and Chinese are enemies - but some Chinese would still prefer life under the Japanese than life under the British."
I was surprised the author mentioned fifth columnists since they're a real minority, but then she just leaves it at that! It was extremely disappointing. If she's going to mention Chinese sentiment towards British and Japanese occupation of China, then at least give us the whole picture properly by including what the majority of Chinese people's sentiments were about the Japanese occupation (Hint: they hated it. How shocking.) After all, the Japanese occupation of China was happening even before World War 2 started.
It's not that hard to incorporate since she was already willing to write about Chinese fifth columnists. For example, she could have included what Morris might have witnessed about the experiences of the Chinese under Japanese occupation while serving as a soldier in Hong Kong. Chinese people were being beaten up and tortured by the Japanese. The Japanese experimented not only on Chinese prisoners of war (POW), but also civilians, which was much worse than what Morris mentioned in his letter in this book (which was playing basketball and sending letters home). Of course, regardless, prisoner camps under the Japanese were definitely awful as they were an outright violation of the Geneva Conventions.
The Chinese were terribly mistreated and were viewed as inferior by the Japanese (the Japanese referred to the Chinese as "pigs/swine") which were as bad as the Jews being mistreated and viewed as inferior (to the level of "stinking beasts") by the Nazis. There are so many similarities between these two groups' mistreatment, which makes the author's lack of proper handling of the issue on the Japanese occupation of China all the more disappointing.
And what's worse, the author mentions in the epilogue that Canada was one of the countries who accepted the fewest Jewish refugees during WWII. On the other hand, China at the time was the country that accepted Jewish refugees with open arms. Shanghai, China, was "the only place in the world that unconditionally offered refuge for Jews escaping from the Nazis" for a very long time. If she was going to talk about China in her book, she should at least mention this fact since she was so centered on the Jewish experience and even mentioned China in her book (but what did I expect, I suppose, since she views the Chinese in quite a negative light).
Another thing is, this book, which takes place from 1941-1942, mentions how our main character, Devorah, is always talking about how she would vote when she becomes an adult, how she condemns people in Germany for voting for Hitler, how she votes in school to make school changes, about voting rights, etc. That's because women could vote after the year 1918 in Canada. But the sad truth is, the First Nations people weren't allowed to vote unless they renounced their Registered Indian status until 1960, and Chinese Canadians weren't even allowed to vote at all until 1947, even if they were born and raised in Canada. And 1947 was when the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed and Chinese immigrants were finally allowed to join their families in Canada after years of separation.
I get that this book focuses on the Jewish Canadian experience, but I also see the author trying to include issues faced by other minority groups (eg: the Japanese Canadian interment camps). For that, I applaud the author on her efforts. However, for this reason, when I read about Devorah repeatedly talking about voting and lobbying, I just wish the author would at least mention that not all Canadians even had the privilege to vote during that time period, and that Devorah would be able to vote because she was considered white. It makes her writing give off a feeling that the author is very narrow-minded in her world view.
July 24, 2013
Eleven year old Jewish girl Devorah Bernstein has her two older brothers fighting in World War Two, plus her cousin Sarah in France to worry about. Before her brothers left she worried about nothing, but now she is. Her friend Elizabeth is always so happy all the time, while her friend from her old school, Marcie shares her endless worries with Devorah, about her own brother who is working with the medical corps, and the plight of Jews in Europe. In spite of this, Devorah is trying all she can to help with the war effort. But soon, Hong Kong surrenders to Japan, and hundreds of Canadian soldiers, including Devorah's brother Morris, are taken prisoner. But she won't give up.
As the war continues on, Devorah's brother Adam's plane is missing in France, but very quickly he is found. His letter describes being hidden in Paris by the resistance, and who should he see but their cousin Sarah and her family.
A few months later, Sarah's letters get worse with all of the unjust happenings in France, fortunately the Gestapo are targeting foreign-born Jews to be deported in interment camps (It's not very fortunate for them, though) Devorah decides she needs to take a stand and organizes a group of Jewish children from her old school. Together they hand out pamphlets, raise money, and awareness of what's happening to the Jews in Europe. Soon, the Bernsteins learn that Five Thousand Jewish Children in France have been given visas to leave the country, but the Canadian government won't allow them in just because ONE man hates Jews. Even a trip to Ottawa has no effect whatsoever to help Sarah's family to come overseas. Then the worst happens. Sarah catches pneumonia and dies due to starvation and no money for medicine. Devorah goes into a depression until an inspiring letter comes from Adam. Devorah decides to stay strong and help more Jews.
This book was a little bit shorter than the normal size of a Dear Canada book, but I learned a lot from it. I knew that almost six million Jews will killed due to the Holocaust, but I didn't know that many could be saved if Canada had not restricted the number of Jewish refugees entering the country. And it also arose the question of why so many British children were saved when thousands of Jewish children who were in much more danger rejected? This is another jewel in the Dear Canada series. While the website says this book is appropriate for girls ages nine to twelve, it should be eleven to fifteen instead. I recommend this book to everyone!
As the war continues on, Devorah's brother Adam's plane is missing in France, but very quickly he is found. His letter describes being hidden in Paris by the resistance, and who should he see but their cousin Sarah and her family.
A few months later, Sarah's letters get worse with all of the unjust happenings in France, fortunately the Gestapo are targeting foreign-born Jews to be deported in interment camps (It's not very fortunate for them, though) Devorah decides she needs to take a stand and organizes a group of Jewish children from her old school. Together they hand out pamphlets, raise money, and awareness of what's happening to the Jews in Europe. Soon, the Bernsteins learn that Five Thousand Jewish Children in France have been given visas to leave the country, but the Canadian government won't allow them in just because ONE man hates Jews. Even a trip to Ottawa has no effect whatsoever to help Sarah's family to come overseas. Then the worst happens. Sarah catches pneumonia and dies due to starvation and no money for medicine. Devorah goes into a depression until an inspiring letter comes from Adam. Devorah decides to stay strong and help more Jews.
This book was a little bit shorter than the normal size of a Dear Canada book, but I learned a lot from it. I knew that almost six million Jews will killed due to the Holocaust, but I didn't know that many could be saved if Canada had not restricted the number of Jewish refugees entering the country. And it also arose the question of why so many British children were saved when thousands of Jewish children who were in much more danger rejected? This is another jewel in the Dear Canada series. While the website says this book is appropriate for girls ages nine to twelve, it should be eleven to fifteen instead. I recommend this book to everyone!
September 8, 2021
I generally like Carol Matas's books. I have read practically ever single book for has written about WWII. I even still own a few. So I was a little disappointed in how...slow this book felt to me. I didn't clip along like a lot of her other books.
Matas tries to give us many views on the war by having Devy be good friends with her cousin Sarah, who is a Jewish girl in occupied France. Devy pastes several letters from her into her journal to try and give the persecutions of Jewish people in German occupied territory the heaviness that it deserves. That was all well and fine. Marcus, her brother, and cousin Isaac are in Japan occupied Hong Kong in a prisoner of war camp. Adam, her other brother, is flying fighter planes in England. All the while we have Devy constantly going "How can we do more? How can I do more?" It was a weird combination of too much stuff going on while nothing was going on, if you know what I mean? Poor Devy, while trying to help, is mostly just listing what everyone else was doing.
Her father is a doctor (has anyone else noticed how often the father's are doctors in these books and how often SOMEONE end up becoming a doctor in the epilogue or is that just me?) so he's gone most of the day. Her mother does all sorts of volunteer work and often seems to be away. Both brothers fighting the war. Devy seems to be often left to her own devices and spends an awful lot of time going to the cinema. Ah 1941, when kids under 12 are safe to roam...
Anyhow, I think it's a pretty good starting point to get into talking about WWII and the Holocaust.
There is talk of food shortages and being hungry. There is a mention of suicide. There is a several deaths mentioned in the book, but none of it is graphic and i don't think I would worry to much about giving this book to a younger reader.
Matas tries to give us many views on the war by having Devy be good friends with her cousin Sarah, who is a Jewish girl in occupied France. Devy pastes several letters from her into her journal to try and give the persecutions of Jewish people in German occupied territory the heaviness that it deserves. That was all well and fine. Marcus, her brother, and cousin Isaac are in Japan occupied Hong Kong in a prisoner of war camp. Adam, her other brother, is flying fighter planes in England. All the while we have Devy constantly going "How can we do more? How can I do more?" It was a weird combination of too much stuff going on while nothing was going on, if you know what I mean? Poor Devy, while trying to help, is mostly just listing what everyone else was doing.
Her father is a doctor (has anyone else noticed how often the father's are doctors in these books and how often SOMEONE end up becoming a doctor in the epilogue or is that just me?) so he's gone most of the day. Her mother does all sorts of volunteer work and often seems to be away. Both brothers fighting the war. Devy seems to be often left to her own devices and spends an awful lot of time going to the cinema. Ah 1941, when kids under 12 are safe to roam...
Anyhow, I think it's a pretty good starting point to get into talking about WWII and the Holocaust.
There is talk of food shortages and being hungry. There is a mention of suicide. There is a several deaths mentioned in the book, but none of it is graphic and i don't think I would worry to much about giving this book to a younger reader.
November 9, 2010
The book 'Turned Away' By Carol Matas is a historical fiction book.
I recommend this book to people who like to read diary formed books about what has happened a long
time ago but may be a very sad book for some people. It is about an 11 Jewish girl that lives in
Winnipeg during World War II. Her brothers are fighting in the war. Her cousins are living in France
and cannot immigrate to Canada. The girl (Devorah) and her family do everything they can
to help the war effort and hope every day that their family will be okay. Things are getting tougher
in France. They are searching for Jews and send them of to some place. Everyone hopes that those
are rumors but unfortunately for them it isn't. Sarah, (Devorah's cousin) died in a concentration camp
close to the end of the book. The story ended but the war didn't yet.
What I really liked about this book is that the author was very accurate about where the places were and
at what date things happened. There were even some places I know from Winnipeg that were in that book.
I also liked how descriptive the author was and how detailed everything was. It seemed like a true story even though it is fiction. That's what I think about the book and I encourage others to read it, too! (:
I recommend this book to people who like to read diary formed books about what has happened a long
time ago but may be a very sad book for some people. It is about an 11 Jewish girl that lives in
Winnipeg during World War II. Her brothers are fighting in the war. Her cousins are living in France
and cannot immigrate to Canada. The girl (Devorah) and her family do everything they can
to help the war effort and hope every day that their family will be okay. Things are getting tougher
in France. They are searching for Jews and send them of to some place. Everyone hopes that those
are rumors but unfortunately for them it isn't. Sarah, (Devorah's cousin) died in a concentration camp
close to the end of the book. The story ended but the war didn't yet.
What I really liked about this book is that the author was very accurate about where the places were and
at what date things happened. There were even some places I know from Winnipeg that were in that book.
I also liked how descriptive the author was and how detailed everything was. It seemed like a true story even though it is fiction. That's what I think about the book and I encourage others to read it, too! (:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2012
I'm not much of a fiction fan. However Scholastic's "Dear. . . " series are always books I can't put down. "Turned Away" was no exception. Because this was from the "Dear Canada" series, I learned things about WWII I never heard as an American. I didn't know Canadian troops were stationed in Hong Kong and the statistics about them through the book were very interesting. Also, I had never heard of "If Day" where they participated in one day that might be what life would be like if the Nazis were to invade Canada. Of course, the story was compelling. Devorah has a Jewish cousin in France. They send packages to her family, and in the midst of Devorah's life there is worry about Sarah, as well as letters Sarah is able to get to Devorah. I am an adult reading this series, and I sometimes think the issues confronted may be a little too complex for younger children. I highly enjoyed this book, and the only thing that I didn't like about it (aside from how it ended) was that a 12 year old kept calling her mother "Mommy". That sounded a little too young for a twelve year old, but then again maybe that was common in 1941 Canada.
April 18, 2017
Unlike many of the other Dear America/Dear Canada books, this book dealt equally with historical narrative and philosophical dialogue, in a way which I found realistic and accurate, especially for a pre-teen living during World War II.
As a Jew, I grew up learning about the horrors wrought upon European Jews by the Axis powers, and the role of non-Jewish French people in the Holocaust. Yet while the background of Devorah's story was not unfamiliar, it was refreshing to read the letters between Devorah and her cousin in order to see what Jewish life was like in occupied France.
However. While, as a US native, I'm familiar with the role of US men, women, and children in the war effort, I had NO idea of the kind or degree of hard work that Canadians - Jewish, Gentile, young and old - did toward the war effort. I had certainly never heard of "If Day," and wouldn't have even given a thought to the efforts of the residents of Winnipeg and the Canadian Jewish Congress. But thanks to this little book, I have a wider understanding of how that war was, truly, a World War.
As a Jew, I grew up learning about the horrors wrought upon European Jews by the Axis powers, and the role of non-Jewish French people in the Holocaust. Yet while the background of Devorah's story was not unfamiliar, it was refreshing to read the letters between Devorah and her cousin in order to see what Jewish life was like in occupied France.
However. While, as a US native, I'm familiar with the role of US men, women, and children in the war effort, I had NO idea of the kind or degree of hard work that Canadians - Jewish, Gentile, young and old - did toward the war effort. I had certainly never heard of "If Day," and wouldn't have even given a thought to the efforts of the residents of Winnipeg and the Canadian Jewish Congress. But thanks to this little book, I have a wider understanding of how that war was, truly, a World War.
April 5, 2018
“Turned Away” by Carol Matas is a suspenseful and breathtaking book. This book is written in diary form. If you like the novel “Making Bombs for Hitler” you'll like this one. This is historical fiction and the author also writes other books like this one.
The main character is Devorah Bernstein. Her brothers and cousin went to sign up for the war. She is constantly worried about them all.She is scared her whole family will not make it. Her brothers are always sending her letters that explain how the war is what secret events go on that are not shared in the newspaper.
Deborah is just like an ordinary girl who is eleven years old. She loves having popcorn and drinking hot chocolate. She has 2 friends one is Elisabeth One is Marcie. They like popcorn and chocolate as well.
I love this book because it's based on WWII. It sounds like it's based on a true story but it's not. I thought it would be boring actually it's not. Do you think her brother's and Cousin will make it? Find out in the book TURNED AWAY!!!
The main character is Devorah Bernstein. Her brothers and cousin went to sign up for the war. She is constantly worried about them all.She is scared her whole family will not make it. Her brothers are always sending her letters that explain how the war is what secret events go on that are not shared in the newspaper.
Deborah is just like an ordinary girl who is eleven years old. She loves having popcorn and drinking hot chocolate. She has 2 friends one is Elisabeth One is Marcie. They like popcorn and chocolate as well.
I love this book because it's based on WWII. It sounds like it's based on a true story but it's not. I thought it would be boring actually it's not. Do you think her brother's and Cousin will make it? Find out in the book TURNED AWAY!!!
June 19, 2010
This is the last book that I thought I would be pulling off the library shelf, but I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed it.
"Turned Away" is one of the books in the famous "Dear Canada" series. I have read one other "Dear Canada" book, but I didn't like it, because I was to young to understand the importance of history and events from the past in the story.
This book shows how the jews were treated in World War II, by having a girl make regular diary entries while the war was going on. It taught me alot of new things about the way that they lived, and how differently and un-fairly they were treated. A very interesting thing about this book is that it is writen from the perspective of a young girl, which I found quite intriguing and helped me to relate to the book a bit more.
"Turned Away" is one of the books in the famous "Dear Canada" series. I have read one other "Dear Canada" book, but I didn't like it, because I was to young to understand the importance of history and events from the past in the story.
This book shows how the jews were treated in World War II, by having a girl make regular diary entries while the war was going on. It taught me alot of new things about the way that they lived, and how differently and un-fairly they were treated. A very interesting thing about this book is that it is writen from the perspective of a young girl, which I found quite intriguing and helped me to relate to the book a bit more.
July 13, 2013
Matas, Carol. (2005). Turned away: The World War II diary of Devorah Bernstein. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada Ltd.
Written in a diary format, Devorah, a Canadian, records her significant moments and perceptions of World War II . Her two brothers have signed up to fight in the war and her cousin lives in France and is facing first-hand the horrors of war. Devorah shares her understanding or lack of understanding of the conflict in a preteen style.
This book is full of factual information with maps and pictures at the end. It will speak to curious students about what occurred during World War II from the perspective of one family. I would recommend this book for students in grade five up to grade eight.
Written in a diary format, Devorah, a Canadian, records her significant moments and perceptions of World War II . Her two brothers have signed up to fight in the war and her cousin lives in France and is facing first-hand the horrors of war. Devorah shares her understanding or lack of understanding of the conflict in a preteen style.
This book is full of factual information with maps and pictures at the end. It will speak to curious students about what occurred during World War II from the perspective of one family. I would recommend this book for students in grade five up to grade eight.
February 6, 2019
I find it so fascinating and nauseating that Canada refused to allow so many Jewish people to come into their country during World War II. It was not as though they were killing people outright but they were causing people to have no other choice but get sent away to death camps. One thing that also caught my attention was "If Day". I had never heard of something so intense and shocking to convince people that the war was bad. It was much more intense then a protest or a fundraiser. It showed what was happening to so many people. I do think that during "If Day" they should have rounded up the Jews and showed the reality that they were living in as well. This book was eye opening to the realities of life in World War II. and I am so glad to have read it.
February 15, 2013
Heartattack in Winnipeg
Picture this,your in winnipeg across the Atlantic ocean from your cousin in France.With the Nazis outside the door. This story is about a girl in Winnipeg she finds out that 5,000 jews have visas to come to Canada but is turned away by the Canadian goverment.One night in France they hear three loud knocks on the door read the book to find out what happens.I enjoyed the book i would like to now a bit more about what happend to (sarah) her cousin.This book is great if you like holocaust stories. This book is turend away by Carol Mats
Picture this,your in winnipeg across the Atlantic ocean from your cousin in France.With the Nazis outside the door. This story is about a girl in Winnipeg she finds out that 5,000 jews have visas to come to Canada but is turned away by the Canadian goverment.One night in France they hear three loud knocks on the door read the book to find out what happens.I enjoyed the book i would like to now a bit more about what happend to (sarah) her cousin.This book is great if you like holocaust stories. This book is turend away by Carol Mats
August 6, 2016
This is the first of the Dear Canada diary series that I have read. I wonder if they are all this good?
The fictional diarist is charmingly spunky, as I imagine most of the other diarists in the series must also be. As she is growing from child to young woman, she is also dealing with the absence of family members: some fighting overseas and one particularly loved cousin trapped in France. She is bewildered by the unfairness of Canada's meagre response to those who wanted to escape, and this unfairness is the book's strongest message.
The fictional diarist is charmingly spunky, as I imagine most of the other diarists in the series must also be. As she is growing from child to young woman, she is also dealing with the absence of family members: some fighting overseas and one particularly loved cousin trapped in France. She is bewildered by the unfairness of Canada's meagre response to those who wanted to escape, and this unfairness is the book's strongest message.
November 3, 2018
At first, I thought I would hate this book because Devorah sounded like American Girl’s Molly McIntire and because I just finished “A Prairie as Wide as the Sea”. Then, she started to grow on me with her questions, her humor, and her war effort. Devorah’s such an inspiration. Another thing I loved were Sarah’s letters because they reminded me of “One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping.” The letters proved me wrong about the Holocaust. The Holocaust wasn’t like being grounded permanently for nothing. It was basically child abuse!
July 8, 2019
I’ve been curious about this “Dear Canada” series for a while. I work in a library and often see these books cross my desk. This was the first one I’ve read which follows the adventures of an eleven-year-old Jewish girl in Canada during WWII. Her brothers are off to war in different parts of the world, her cousin & family in France are in danger, and her family at home is doing everything they can on their end to help the war effort. Good book, but sad at times. I enjoyed it. A lot of history weaved into a fictional story. You can tell the author really did her research when writing this!
August 25, 2017
Another book in the Dear Canada series, "Turned Away" is a book worth reading. The author, Carol Matas, has created a story that shows many sides to World War II, which I have yet to read about myself. Along with her ability to create characters that feel so real, she is able to show the dark side of the War and the heroism of individuals during that time.
Like all Dear Canada books, I have learned so much more about Canada's history.
Like all Dear Canada books, I have learned so much more about Canada's history.
July 3, 2012
By far the best Dear Canada book in the series. I really helped me understand the Holocaust and the effect it had not inly on the population of Europe but also on the North American population. I was very realistic and helped me get a perspective on how people had to deal with the cruelties of WWll and how we can find ourselves in the darkest of times.
November 19, 2012
Turned Away is another book from the Dear Canada series which focuses on World War II and the treatment of the Jewish people around the world. This story follows the life of a young girl, Devorah Bernstein, and how she deals with the war and ways to help her cousin, Sarah, who's living with her family in Paris at the time.
October 23, 2015
My favourite part was when Devorah's brothers both survived the war. The worst part was when Devorah's cousin Sarah died because of pneumonia. My favourite character was Devorah because she was mostly nice and was mostly always happy. The worst character was Hitler because he was mean to people and started a war. Auryn 12 years old, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2016
this is undoubtedly one of my favorite dear America/Canada books. Devorah explores some deep existential questions far too challenging for her age, but what can you do? they are the questions we all end up asking, and it would have been interesting to have read this as a kid. I wonder what I would have thought then.
November 21, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, it was about a girl who lived in Winnipeg during World War 2. The book was the diary of Devorah and it was very interesting, she talked about how her brother was in Hong Kong fighting. And about her life, and everything that was happeing in it!
June 5, 2013
This was a compelling book about what it was like to be Jewish in Canada during WWII. I always enjoy books that bring a new perspective to people's experiences during the war, so this was very interesting!
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