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Irena's Children: A True Story of Courage
The story of Irena Sendler the female Oskar Schindler who took staggering risks to save 2,500 children from death and deportation in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II now adapted for a younger audience.
Irena Sendler was a young Polish woman living in Warsaw during World War II. Irena smuggled thousands of children out of the walled Jewish ghetto in toolboxes and coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through the dank sewers and into secret passages that led to abandoned buildings, where she convinced her friends and underground resistance network to hide them.
Irena Sendler was a young Polish woman living in Warsaw during World War II. Irena smuggled thousands of children out of the walled Jewish ghetto in toolboxes and coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through the dank sewers and into secret passages that led to abandoned buildings, where she convinced her friends and underground resistance network to hide them.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2016
111 people are currently reading
2842 people want to read
About the author
Mary Cronk Farrell
11 books86 followersMary Cronk Farrell's acclaimed books have received honors including Booklist Editor’s Choice, Washington State Book Award Finalist, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, Banks Street College Best Books, NY Public Library Best Books for Teens, Amelia Bloomer Project List and earned numerous starred reviews.
A former TV journalist, Mary writes compelling history books about courageous unknown women who faced extraordinary danger to help shape American history. Her engaging and powerful writing appeals to adults, as well as teens.
Mary has appeared on TV and radio across the nation and her multi-media presentations and workshops are popular with women’s and civic groups, and at conferences, museums, schools and libraries.
Profile photo/Jenny Lange
A former TV journalist, Mary writes compelling history books about courageous unknown women who faced extraordinary danger to help shape American history. Her engaging and powerful writing appeals to adults, as well as teens.
Mary has appeared on TV and radio across the nation and her multi-media presentations and workshops are popular with women’s and civic groups, and at conferences, museums, schools and libraries.
Profile photo/Jenny Lange
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
December 31, 2020
This is the Young Readers Version of this book. ISBN-13 : 978-1481449915, Grade level : 5 - 6
I had to read this children’s novel after reading Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto which is the adult version of this novel. Written for middle school or older readers, this novel tells the story of Irena Sendler, an extraordinary woman who saved thousands of children in Poland during WWI. Working in the social welfare office, Irena was constantly looking for ways to help the children in this war-torn city. Making up names, she would fake interviews so she could obtain aid to get money to help these children survive. Afraid that the Germans would check on this operation, Irena put the notions that the children had contagious diseases, which keep the Germans at bay. As the situation became direr, Irena found more individuals to help with her cause. Irena was a fighter. She became more determined to help these children survive, they started smuggling items into the ghetto in which the children lived and they tried helping them escape out of the ghetto’s walls. It was a continuous fight, one that took its toll on both the children, the parents, Irena and her team.
The novel showed the hardship that everyone endured as they tried to do the best for the family as this war played out beside them. The decisions that the families had to make, sometimes split-minute decisions as their children’s lives were on the line. The Germans were not stopping, they had a job to do and Irena had a job to do and unfortunately these two jobs were not the same. There is a ton of information inside this novel, an abundance of activity and a lot of characters to keep the pages turning. The novel included black-and-white photographs with captions which I felt brought the story closer to home. There were killing taking place daily, these deaths are hard to keep track of, and the methods that they were using, varied. I highly recommend this novel but with reservations. I believe that it should only be read by individuals who are acknowledgeable in this fight. It should be read by older readers who can manage the text and its contents for it is a difficult subject. I was very happy that the adult novel and this novel were very much alike, I was glad that Irena’s story was not minimized and that her fight in Poland was not down-played in this children’s novel.
I had to read this children’s novel after reading Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto which is the adult version of this novel. Written for middle school or older readers, this novel tells the story of Irena Sendler, an extraordinary woman who saved thousands of children in Poland during WWI. Working in the social welfare office, Irena was constantly looking for ways to help the children in this war-torn city. Making up names, she would fake interviews so she could obtain aid to get money to help these children survive. Afraid that the Germans would check on this operation, Irena put the notions that the children had contagious diseases, which keep the Germans at bay. As the situation became direr, Irena found more individuals to help with her cause. Irena was a fighter. She became more determined to help these children survive, they started smuggling items into the ghetto in which the children lived and they tried helping them escape out of the ghetto’s walls. It was a continuous fight, one that took its toll on both the children, the parents, Irena and her team.
The novel showed the hardship that everyone endured as they tried to do the best for the family as this war played out beside them. The decisions that the families had to make, sometimes split-minute decisions as their children’s lives were on the line. The Germans were not stopping, they had a job to do and Irena had a job to do and unfortunately these two jobs were not the same. There is a ton of information inside this novel, an abundance of activity and a lot of characters to keep the pages turning. The novel included black-and-white photographs with captions which I felt brought the story closer to home. There were killing taking place daily, these deaths are hard to keep track of, and the methods that they were using, varied. I highly recommend this novel but with reservations. I believe that it should only be read by individuals who are acknowledgeable in this fight. It should be read by older readers who can manage the text and its contents for it is a difficult subject. I was very happy that the adult novel and this novel were very much alike, I was glad that Irena’s story was not minimized and that her fight in Poland was not down-played in this children’s novel.
September 6, 2016
When a book captures my interest I usually finish it in short order. Not so with this Young Readers Edition of Irena’s Children. I had to read this one in segments, allowing myself breaks to breathe fresh air and seek sunshine after being immersed in the darkness that shrouded Warsaw, Poland during World War II. I’ve read other books about the Nazi’s horrendous ethnic cleansing campaign, but I think like many readers I chose to picture the victims as adults, suppressing the fact that the children of those adults faced the same fate. That isn’t possible with Irena’s Children. Never gratuitous in its depictions, it nevertheless doesn’t shy from portraying the realities of what was at stake for those seen as undesirable, as less than human. Nor does it soften the extreme danger Irena and everyone in her network faced by choosing to risk their lives to save the lives of others. Humanity snatching victory from inhumanity.
So who should read this Young Reader’s version? Any and all adults, especially those parents and teachers whose children will be reading it. And as for those children reading it, I think it best suited to readers 12+ due to the intense nature of the subject matter. It’s definitely a book that should be discussed and the historical background explored for a fuller understanding of its topic.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author, Mary Cronk Farrell. Mary is also a friend of mine, but that in no way influenced my review. Mary always has and always will tackle hard topics with skill and finesse.
So who should read this Young Reader’s version? Any and all adults, especially those parents and teachers whose children will be reading it. And as for those children reading it, I think it best suited to readers 12+ due to the intense nature of the subject matter. It’s definitely a book that should be discussed and the historical background explored for a fuller understanding of its topic.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author, Mary Cronk Farrell. Mary is also a friend of mine, but that in no way influenced my review. Mary always has and always will tackle hard topics with skill and finesse.
April 8, 2020
As I read this book I kept asking myself could I ever be as brave as Irene Sandler and her group of friends or as brave as any of the other, mainly Catholic groups that became allied to her in saving Jewish children from Nazi extermination in the Warsaw Ghetto? Yes, I believe I could act bravely, unthinking or spurred on by the anger of the moment but to act so bravely and so repeatedly in clear headed, conscious awareness of the Nazi punishment that awaited them should they be caught? No I couldn't do it and I am not even a bit ashamed to admit it.
What was that punishment that so completely steals away my courage? Apart from being tortured daily for however many months the Gestapo wanted, until they believed they had dragged every ounce of useful knowledge from you. You would then be shot but first, and here for me is the breaking point, they would shoot every single member of your family in front of you. Some of Irene's co conspirators had families of up to four children and every single day from 1939 to 1945 risked seeing them placed against a brick wall and shot in order to save another Jewish child that they had never met. As a parent I know I couldn't take that risk and I am astounded by their bravery.
At the start of the war there were approximately one million Jewish children in Poland. By the end of the war only five thousand of that million survived and two thousand five hundred of these were saved directly by Irene Sendler and her group of friends.
There are a lot of names in this book which can be confusing. Just remember that each one of them repeatedly risked their lives and their families lives so that another child could live.
What was that punishment that so completely steals away my courage? Apart from being tortured daily for however many months the Gestapo wanted, until they believed they had dragged every ounce of useful knowledge from you. You would then be shot but first, and here for me is the breaking point, they would shoot every single member of your family in front of you. Some of Irene's co conspirators had families of up to four children and every single day from 1939 to 1945 risked seeing them placed against a brick wall and shot in order to save another Jewish child that they had never met. As a parent I know I couldn't take that risk and I am astounded by their bravery.
At the start of the war there were approximately one million Jewish children in Poland. By the end of the war only five thousand of that million survived and two thousand five hundred of these were saved directly by Irene Sendler and her group of friends.
There are a lot of names in this book which can be confusing. Just remember that each one of them repeatedly risked their lives and their families lives so that another child could live.
November 16, 2016
Irena's Children: A True Story of Courage is about Irene Sendler. She was born on Poland in 1910, when she reached adulthood by the late 1930s into the 40s she witnessed the atrocities of the Holocaust. Irena, a Catholic woman worked as a Social Worker in Warsaw. She wanted to help the Jewish people and save their children. She knew she had to find a way to get into the Warsaw ghetto and help these children from being killed. She helped to find ways to sneak these children out by hiding them in tool boxes, coffins, find secret passages. She wrote down where the children went, gave them different names and helped to place them with families who wanted to help save these children. She risked her life for many years. She even ended up in in a prison and was tortured. This is her story and what she did for over two thousand children. I found this to be a good book about the Holocaust and Irena and other brave people who fought and risked their own lives to save these children.
October 24, 2016
It probably wasn't until 2009 when Anna Pacquin played the title role in the 2009 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler that most of us learned about what she had done during WWII. Since then, a few excellent picture books have also come out about this brave young woman, notably Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto by Susan Goldman Rubin, Irena's Jars of Secrets by Marcia Vaughan and Jars of Hope: How One Woman Helped Save 2,500 Children During the Holocaust by Jennifer Roy. These are all very well-done, and a wonderful way to introduce younger readers to what Irena Sendler accomplished right under the noses of the Nazis occupying her city, Warsaw, Poland, during World War II.
Now, however, a book has come out that goes even deeper into the work of Irena Sendler and the Polish Resistance. Originally written for adults, Irena's Children has been adapted for young readers who are beyond the picture book age.
Growing up in a religious Catholic home in Otwock, Poland, Irena saw that her father, a doctor and her hero, would always treat the Jewish families when no one else was willing to, and had also welcomed Jews as friends into their home, again when no one else would. Irena had played with the Jewish children growing up near her home, and had even learned to speak Yiddish by age six. In Warsaw, Irena went to social work school, always thinking of her deceased father as her inspiration because of the kindness he shown to all his patients. At the Free University, Irena's mentor and teacher had been Dr. Helena Radlikska, who taught her that "the commitment of a small group of well-intentioned people could shape the world in their vision of it." (pg 19)
Small wonder that when the German Luftwaffe began its unrelenting bombing of Warsaw in September 1939, destroying most of its building, it didn't take Irena long to spring into action. She began by finding food for soup kitchens, and delivering money to friends and teachers who were forced to go underground because of the Nazi occupation of Poland.
In 1940, Warsaw's Jews were first forced to build and then to live in a crowded ghetto. As it became more and more crowded, people began to stave and fall ill. Irena, because of her training, received permission to enter the ghetto as a public health specialist, bringing whatever food and medicine she could manage to sneak in. Soon, however, Irena found herself going from family to family asking them to let her smuggle their children out of the ghetto to safe places away from Warsaw. Hiding children however she could, in coffins, in carpenter's tool boxes, even wading through sewers, among other things, Irena worked hard to save as many of Poland's Jewish children as she could, even as she risked her own life on a daily basis to do it. All the while, Irena kept lists of the children and where they were placed so that they could be reunited with family after the war, list that were eventually buried under an apple tree in a friend's garden. Altogether, Irena saved around 2,500 children. She herself was arrested and, after being tortured, sentenced to be executed, only to be saved at the last minute.
I've always thought of Irena Sendler as a real hero, even though she didn't consider herself to be one. And of course, I knew there was much more to her story than what I found in the picture books about her. The Young Readers Edition of Irena's Children is an ideal age appropriate book for going deeper into what happened in Poland during World War II and for understanding exactly what Irena Sendler faced when she decided to become part of the resistance and not turn her back on friends and strangers. Mazzeo has clearly done a lot of research for this historical work about Sendler and even continues it, with information about some of the friends and children that Irena was involved with during the war and who survived it. Sendler's biography is well sourced with extensive Endnotes and there are copious photographs of many of the people with whom Irena surrounded herself with.
Sometimes, when an young readers edition is adapted from the adult book it can get a little confusing in places, but I found that Irena's Children, adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell, flows smoothly, with none of the jolts that sometimes causes the reader to become confused and/or lost in the details. Farrell is not stranger to WWII nonfiction. You may recall that she wrote a book a few years ago called Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific and is very comfortable working with this kind of information.
Irena's Children: A True Story of Courage is a gripping, tension filled work that is all the more poignant because of is true. I highly recommended this work not only for anyone interested in WWII, but for everyone else.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
Now, however, a book has come out that goes even deeper into the work of Irena Sendler and the Polish Resistance. Originally written for adults, Irena's Children has been adapted for young readers who are beyond the picture book age.
Growing up in a religious Catholic home in Otwock, Poland, Irena saw that her father, a doctor and her hero, would always treat the Jewish families when no one else was willing to, and had also welcomed Jews as friends into their home, again when no one else would. Irena had played with the Jewish children growing up near her home, and had even learned to speak Yiddish by age six. In Warsaw, Irena went to social work school, always thinking of her deceased father as her inspiration because of the kindness he shown to all his patients. At the Free University, Irena's mentor and teacher had been Dr. Helena Radlikska, who taught her that "the commitment of a small group of well-intentioned people could shape the world in their vision of it." (pg 19)
Small wonder that when the German Luftwaffe began its unrelenting bombing of Warsaw in September 1939, destroying most of its building, it didn't take Irena long to spring into action. She began by finding food for soup kitchens, and delivering money to friends and teachers who were forced to go underground because of the Nazi occupation of Poland.
In 1940, Warsaw's Jews were first forced to build and then to live in a crowded ghetto. As it became more and more crowded, people began to stave and fall ill. Irena, because of her training, received permission to enter the ghetto as a public health specialist, bringing whatever food and medicine she could manage to sneak in. Soon, however, Irena found herself going from family to family asking them to let her smuggle their children out of the ghetto to safe places away from Warsaw. Hiding children however she could, in coffins, in carpenter's tool boxes, even wading through sewers, among other things, Irena worked hard to save as many of Poland's Jewish children as she could, even as she risked her own life on a daily basis to do it. All the while, Irena kept lists of the children and where they were placed so that they could be reunited with family after the war, list that were eventually buried under an apple tree in a friend's garden. Altogether, Irena saved around 2,500 children. She herself was arrested and, after being tortured, sentenced to be executed, only to be saved at the last minute.
I've always thought of Irena Sendler as a real hero, even though she didn't consider herself to be one. And of course, I knew there was much more to her story than what I found in the picture books about her. The Young Readers Edition of Irena's Children is an ideal age appropriate book for going deeper into what happened in Poland during World War II and for understanding exactly what Irena Sendler faced when she decided to become part of the resistance and not turn her back on friends and strangers. Mazzeo has clearly done a lot of research for this historical work about Sendler and even continues it, with information about some of the friends and children that Irena was involved with during the war and who survived it. Sendler's biography is well sourced with extensive Endnotes and there are copious photographs of many of the people with whom Irena surrounded herself with.
Sometimes, when an young readers edition is adapted from the adult book it can get a little confusing in places, but I found that Irena's Children, adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell, flows smoothly, with none of the jolts that sometimes causes the reader to become confused and/or lost in the details. Farrell is not stranger to WWII nonfiction. You may recall that she wrote a book a few years ago called Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific and is very comfortable working with this kind of information.
Irena's Children: A True Story of Courage is a gripping, tension filled work that is all the more poignant because of is true. I highly recommended this work not only for anyone interested in WWII, but for everyone else.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
March 28, 2022
A well-written, clearly detailed but difficult book to read: agonising, harrowing and distressing. Not a book to go to bed with.
Irene Sendler was an incredibly brave and resourceful woman; her sacrifice saved the lives of many children. Yet, this book is more about the pure evil that mankind is capable of. I would advise everyone to read this.
At the dinner table, my husband and both my teenage children made note of how anguished I looked and worried over what was troubling me. I read on the way to and from work - let the train take the strain. When I mentioned how upsetting I found this book, my husband advised we talk of it after the meal. He knows a great deal, which is one of the reasons I married him; he studied English at university and seems to remember almost everything he has read, from as far back as his school days.
I'm informed by my children, the war of 1939-1945 is brushed over when taught in secondary education: a dispute between countries in Europe that led to conflict might be an exaggeration, but not by much apparently.
We are again, at a point in time, where a crazed, megalomaniac has chosen to terrorise a neighbouring country. Should he be allowed, he may not stop at Ukraine and could easily point his weapons at Poland, Finland, Romania and others.
The democratically elected, liberal-minded, leaders of the world should read this. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, I doubt their memories of the atrocities wrecked on Europe by Nazi Germany have been forgotten.
Please read this.
Irene Sendler was an incredibly brave and resourceful woman; her sacrifice saved the lives of many children. Yet, this book is more about the pure evil that mankind is capable of. I would advise everyone to read this.
At the dinner table, my husband and both my teenage children made note of how anguished I looked and worried over what was troubling me. I read on the way to and from work - let the train take the strain. When I mentioned how upsetting I found this book, my husband advised we talk of it after the meal. He knows a great deal, which is one of the reasons I married him; he studied English at university and seems to remember almost everything he has read, from as far back as his school days.
I'm informed by my children, the war of 1939-1945 is brushed over when taught in secondary education: a dispute between countries in Europe that led to conflict might be an exaggeration, but not by much apparently.
We are again, at a point in time, where a crazed, megalomaniac has chosen to terrorise a neighbouring country. Should he be allowed, he may not stop at Ukraine and could easily point his weapons at Poland, Finland, Romania and others.
The democratically elected, liberal-minded, leaders of the world should read this. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, I doubt their memories of the atrocities wrecked on Europe by Nazi Germany have been forgotten.
Please read this.
July 12, 2019
Irena was a social worker in Poland during WWII who saved thousands of Polish Jewish children by any means available. She smuggled them out in coffins, under coats, through the sewers, and by faking their identification. She and her supporters risked their lives to save these children and she was mostly successful. Her husband was at the front and she never saw him when she fell in love with a Jewish man whom she married after the war. Irena was jailed by the Gestapo and suffered tremendous harm. On the day of her execution the Resistance bribed her jailers and instead of turning left to be killed, the jailor had her turn right to freedom. After the war her troubles were not over as Poland was under control of another harsh master, the USSR. She had to keep very quiet about her role in the Resistance as the Communists tried to punish the children she saved. After the end of the Cold War in 1990 things were better. But Irena was insistent that she was just part of a large group of people in Poland who did their part to save children. This book is about the war years and doesn't cover the Communist years. It is a powerful and inspiring book about a wonderful woman. In 2008 she died at the age of 98. She is buried in a wooded cemetery in Warsaw where even in the cold of November you may find lighted votive candles and flowers on her grave.
October 2, 2017
First sentence: In her native Poland, Irena Sendler is a famous heroine today.
Premise/plot: Irena Sendler rescued Jewish children during the Second World War. She did not act alone. It was a team effort; but she played a leadership role. It's estimated that she (and her team) rescued 2,500 Jewish children during the war before she was arrested and "executed." This is a young reader's edition of the book Irena's Children.
Sendler was a Catholic who followed her conscience. She was in the right place at the right time to do something about the evil she saw. (I believe she was a social worker.) "When Irena thought of the risks she took going in and out of the ghetto, she decided she might as well go all out. She could only die once."(87)
My thoughts: Irena's Children is a fascinating, haunting book. Not every reader wants to read about the Holocaust. But I think every reader should read at least one or two books about the Holocaust in their life. Should Irena's Children be that book? Maybe.
I think NONFICTION is so important. While historical fiction can be gripping and compelling, nothing really can take the place of a well written biography or autobiography. (This one is a biography; Sendler died in 2008.)
Definitely recommended.
Premise/plot: Irena Sendler rescued Jewish children during the Second World War. She did not act alone. It was a team effort; but she played a leadership role. It's estimated that she (and her team) rescued 2,500 Jewish children during the war before she was arrested and "executed." This is a young reader's edition of the book Irena's Children.
Sendler was a Catholic who followed her conscience. She was in the right place at the right time to do something about the evil she saw. (I believe she was a social worker.) "When Irena thought of the risks she took going in and out of the ghetto, she decided she might as well go all out. She could only die once."(87)
My thoughts: Irena's Children is a fascinating, haunting book. Not every reader wants to read about the Holocaust. But I think every reader should read at least one or two books about the Holocaust in their life. Should Irena's Children be that book? Maybe.
I think NONFICTION is so important. While historical fiction can be gripping and compelling, nothing really can take the place of a well written biography or autobiography. (This one is a biography; Sendler died in 2008.)
Definitely recommended.
October 12, 2016
This book should be mandatory reading for everyone! Although this was adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell for young readers, I was quickly entranced and read it in a day. I think it also has a lesson we all need to be refreshed on, the horrific atrocities we do to those who are different from us. It will make you sad, cry, sad, and sick over the senseless cruelty, but you will feel hope when you read of the courage of Irena and her friends. I highly recommend this well written and thought provoking book for all ages!
January 2, 2021
I didn't at first notice that I had picked up the children's version from the thrift store. It's one I'll keep, but I'm not sure I'd want to read the full version.
The descriptions were sad enough, but the pictures. They are worth a thousand words.
Can I be that brave if it comes down to it?
The descriptions were sad enough, but the pictures. They are worth a thousand words.
Can I be that brave if it comes down to it?
January 2, 2021
Irena Sendler, the “female Oskar Schindler” helped to save 2,500 children in Warsaw during Nazi occupation. This gripping read is her story.
November 5, 2022
In 6th grade, I learned about WW2. I knew it was sad but until I read this book, I didn't know just how terrible it was. All the people who stood up for themselves in WW2 were so brave- including Irena Sendler who saved thousands of lives
September 10, 2021
This is the extraordinary true storyof one woman's fight to save Jewish children from the Nazis. It is a young reader's version of the original book and is suitable for Grades 5 and up. Although written for young readers the author describes the horrors suffered by the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis. It tells how Irene and her friends and coworkers successfully saved about 2500 children from the concentration camps and death. An.excellent book!
June 5, 2020
So many heroes.
In the face of unthinkable cruelty, so many people risked their own lives and those of their loved ones in order to help save precious lives around them. This account of Irena Sendler's life and resistance activities in Poland is a gripping true story, which had me crying, shuddering, and marveling at what a person can endure and still survive. The lengths these heroes went to smuggle people to safety is nothing short of astounding. I see the hand of Providence throughout these pages as there are so many instances where, inexplicably, the safe houses were overlooked by the searching Gestapo, and children were rescued and transported under the very noses of the guards.
This story is about so many courageous people; the members of the resistance and freedom fighters, Zegota, foster families, nurses, Janusz Korczak and other orphanage caretakers...and so many, many more. There was terrible loss of life, yet through the unflagging efforts of people like these, so many lives were preserved within a place that was on the Nazis' demolition list.
The ultimate destruction of Warsaw and the Ghetto, including almost all of its people, is described throughout this story, yet it is still, in many ways, a quiet story of hope, of perseverance through trauma and tragedy, and of compassion for one's fellow man.
Edited to add:
This is an intense topic, and I would recommend this particular book for high-school-age and up. Despite its being marketed toward "young readers," it's still a great read for adults, and, in my opinion, not for elementary readers.
For younger kids mature enough for the subject matter, there are some great picture books about Irena: Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto and Irena's Jars of Secrets.
For more about the Warsaw Ghetto: Child of the Warsaw Ghetto.
For further reading about Dr. Korczak: A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children and The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak (which I haven't read yet).
Krasinski Square is mentioned in "Irena's Children" and this is a picture book about it we have always liked: The Cats In Krasinski Square.
These are all great books with which to start for younger readers (or listeners). As always, I recommend pre-reading them yourself, however, to determine if your child seems ready for them.
In the face of unthinkable cruelty, so many people risked their own lives and those of their loved ones in order to help save precious lives around them. This account of Irena Sendler's life and resistance activities in Poland is a gripping true story, which had me crying, shuddering, and marveling at what a person can endure and still survive. The lengths these heroes went to smuggle people to safety is nothing short of astounding. I see the hand of Providence throughout these pages as there are so many instances where, inexplicably, the safe houses were overlooked by the searching Gestapo, and children were rescued and transported under the very noses of the guards.
This story is about so many courageous people; the members of the resistance and freedom fighters, Zegota, foster families, nurses, Janusz Korczak and other orphanage caretakers...and so many, many more. There was terrible loss of life, yet through the unflagging efforts of people like these, so many lives were preserved within a place that was on the Nazis' demolition list.
The ultimate destruction of Warsaw and the Ghetto, including almost all of its people, is described throughout this story, yet it is still, in many ways, a quiet story of hope, of perseverance through trauma and tragedy, and of compassion for one's fellow man.
Edited to add:
This is an intense topic, and I would recommend this particular book for high-school-age and up. Despite its being marketed toward "young readers," it's still a great read for adults, and, in my opinion, not for elementary readers.
For younger kids mature enough for the subject matter, there are some great picture books about Irena: Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto and Irena's Jars of Secrets.
For more about the Warsaw Ghetto: Child of the Warsaw Ghetto.
For further reading about Dr. Korczak: A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children and The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak (which I haven't read yet).
Krasinski Square is mentioned in "Irena's Children" and this is a picture book about it we have always liked: The Cats In Krasinski Square.
These are all great books with which to start for younger readers (or listeners). As always, I recommend pre-reading them yourself, however, to determine if your child seems ready for them.
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September 19, 2016Irena’s Children: Young Reader’s Edition: A True Story of Courage by Tilar J. Mazzeo. Adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell. 257 pages.
A friend recently said to me that she no longer reads books that are upsetting or disturbing. I asked if she reads nonfiction or fiction about historical events. She replied, no, not if such accounts are upsetting. In our current disturbing world there is a tendency to avoid such accounts. However, this is a time when we need to be informed not only about current events but historical accounts that will help us understand some of the dangers of current events. Irena’s Children: Young Reader’s Edition is such a book. Yes, it is disturbing to read about how the Nazis persecuted and murdered Jews prior to and during World War II. But currently, we have a presidential candidate who is advocating barring certain groups of entering our country and also making negative remarks about specific religious groups. What might those threats lead to?
Irena’s Children: Young Reader’s Edition tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto and the the horrific events that took place there as the Nazis set out to eliminate the large Jewish population of Poland, particularly in the city of Warsaw. “At the start of the war, there were an estimated 3.4 million Jews in Poland. Historians say fewer that 11,000 of the Warsaw Jews survived. “ (p. 229.)
Irena’s Children tells the story of Irena Sendler who with a network of trusted colleagues saved about 2500 children. With tremendous courage and personal sacrifice Irena and her network toiled throughout the War to find safe hiding places for the Jewish children of the ghetto who otherwise would have been murdered. They smuggled children and babies out of the ghetto in coffins, toolboxes and through the sewers. They found places for the children to survive. At one time Irena was arrested by the SS and terribly tortured - legs and feet broken, terrible wounds all over her body. However, she escaped and returned to helping “her” children . No, this is not pleasant reading. But, the account of Irena’s courage in the midst of terrible inhumanity is an inspiration. Young people who are reading about the Holocaust will find that this book makes an important contribution to their understanding of the period. Mary Cronk Farrell’s adaptation of the book for adults provides important background for young readers and emphasizes the contribution of teens who were in Irena’s network.
A friend recently said to me that she no longer reads books that are upsetting or disturbing. I asked if she reads nonfiction or fiction about historical events. She replied, no, not if such accounts are upsetting. In our current disturbing world there is a tendency to avoid such accounts. However, this is a time when we need to be informed not only about current events but historical accounts that will help us understand some of the dangers of current events. Irena’s Children: Young Reader’s Edition is such a book. Yes, it is disturbing to read about how the Nazis persecuted and murdered Jews prior to and during World War II. But currently, we have a presidential candidate who is advocating barring certain groups of entering our country and also making negative remarks about specific religious groups. What might those threats lead to?
Irena’s Children: Young Reader’s Edition tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto and the the horrific events that took place there as the Nazis set out to eliminate the large Jewish population of Poland, particularly in the city of Warsaw. “At the start of the war, there were an estimated 3.4 million Jews in Poland. Historians say fewer that 11,000 of the Warsaw Jews survived. “ (p. 229.)
Irena’s Children tells the story of Irena Sendler who with a network of trusted colleagues saved about 2500 children. With tremendous courage and personal sacrifice Irena and her network toiled throughout the War to find safe hiding places for the Jewish children of the ghetto who otherwise would have been murdered. They smuggled children and babies out of the ghetto in coffins, toolboxes and through the sewers. They found places for the children to survive. At one time Irena was arrested by the SS and terribly tortured - legs and feet broken, terrible wounds all over her body. However, she escaped and returned to helping “her” children . No, this is not pleasant reading. But, the account of Irena’s courage in the midst of terrible inhumanity is an inspiration. Young people who are reading about the Holocaust will find that this book makes an important contribution to their understanding of the period. Mary Cronk Farrell’s adaptation of the book for adults provides important background for young readers and emphasizes the contribution of teens who were in Irena’s network.
September 29, 2016
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the Nazis invaded Poland and forced the country’s Jews into the Warsaw Ghetto, a young social worker named Irena Sendler decided to do her part to help Warsaw’s Jews. She worked with the Polish Underground to smuggle over 2,000 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and into safety. During this time, Irena was arrested by the Gestapo and brutally tortured. Through it all, she never betrayed her fellow Polish Underground members or her rescued children.
Tilan Mazzeo tells this remarkable story in her book Irena’s Children, adapted for young readers by Mary Conk Farrell. I was familar with Farrell from her young adult book Pure Grit: How WWII Nurses in the Pacific survived Combat and Prison Camps. This was a difficult book for me to read because of the horror’s these women endured. However, Farrell did an excellent job relating their story and keeping the content accessible to her intended audience. Irena’s Children was not an easy read; Holocaust books never are. I think the choice of Farrell to adapt it was a great idea.
At times, the writing seemed a bit awkward or even repetitive. I think this was simply the result of adapting a book written for adults into a book that children will read. As a librarian, I would have some trouble gauging the book’s intended age group. There was some pretty tough vocabulary in the book, and the subject is a difficult one. At the same time, the tone of the writing seemed geared towards a younger reader instead of a young adult reader. This puts the book in danger of being too difficult for middle grade readers, but not able to hold the interest of young adult readers. However, I think any reader who is interested in the subject matter would stick with this book to the end.
The story of Irena Sendler is a remarkable one, and an important one. Irena’s Children makes this story accessible to younger readers. This is a story that needs to be told and Mazzeo and Farrell have done just that. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Philip M. Hoose’s book The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club, as both focus on a young person sacrificing personal safety to do the right thing, even when those around them are doing otherwise.
When the Nazis invaded Poland and forced the country’s Jews into the Warsaw Ghetto, a young social worker named Irena Sendler decided to do her part to help Warsaw’s Jews. She worked with the Polish Underground to smuggle over 2,000 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and into safety. During this time, Irena was arrested by the Gestapo and brutally tortured. Through it all, she never betrayed her fellow Polish Underground members or her rescued children.
Tilan Mazzeo tells this remarkable story in her book Irena’s Children, adapted for young readers by Mary Conk Farrell. I was familar with Farrell from her young adult book Pure Grit: How WWII Nurses in the Pacific survived Combat and Prison Camps. This was a difficult book for me to read because of the horror’s these women endured. However, Farrell did an excellent job relating their story and keeping the content accessible to her intended audience. Irena’s Children was not an easy read; Holocaust books never are. I think the choice of Farrell to adapt it was a great idea.
At times, the writing seemed a bit awkward or even repetitive. I think this was simply the result of adapting a book written for adults into a book that children will read. As a librarian, I would have some trouble gauging the book’s intended age group. There was some pretty tough vocabulary in the book, and the subject is a difficult one. At the same time, the tone of the writing seemed geared towards a younger reader instead of a young adult reader. This puts the book in danger of being too difficult for middle grade readers, but not able to hold the interest of young adult readers. However, I think any reader who is interested in the subject matter would stick with this book to the end.
The story of Irena Sendler is a remarkable one, and an important one. Irena’s Children makes this story accessible to younger readers. This is a story that needs to be told and Mazzeo and Farrell have done just that. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Philip M. Hoose’s book The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club, as both focus on a young person sacrificing personal safety to do the right thing, even when those around them are doing otherwise.
November 27, 2016
I was not aware that Poland in 1939 was the heart of European Jewry with the highest population. However, statistically Poland was the least forgiving to Jews in their country during WWII. In 1939, Poland had about 3.4 million Jews within their borders. After 1945, there were less than 250,000. Between 100,000-120,00 Jews left Poland for resettlement in Israel between 1946-48 due to post-WWII antisemitic hostilities. At the height of the war, the Nazis were averaging two cattle car shifts per day out of Warsaw with 12,000 people per trip to Treblinka with Hitler's Final Solution.
This book features one of the heroes of the Polish Resistance, Catholic nurse and social worker Irena Sendler. She is referred to as the 'Oskar Schindler of Poland'. She saved over 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto as part of the underground resistance network she created with other sympathetic friends and colleagues in the medical field.
Several vignettes stand out. One was a trembling Jewish 3 year-old who Irena transported out in public, coaching him to smile and keep quiet. They practiced reciting the Lord's Prayer (which was a favorite Nazi trip-up) and the boy became scared when they boarded a city bus. He started crying and calling out for his mother, in Yiddish. The entire bus fell silent; as the punishment for aiding Jews was being shot on sight. Many Poles aided the Nazis for money or to curry favor. Irena whispered 'help me' to the bus driver, who feigned a vehicle malfunction and unboarded the entire bus a few blocks later. The bus driver then dropped her off in a remote alley and wished her luck.
Another was after the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising when Jewish Resistance Fighters revolted on the eve of Passover and kept the Nazis at bay for almost a month in May 1943. The ghetto was then burned to the ground block by block. Before the Jews surrendered, they gave the Nazis the best they had.
"The streets fell silent. The ghetto ground was strewn with dead. Some two hundred resistance fighters, and even more Germans, perished. Old men came from their hiding places to kiss the cold cheeks of the young heroes lying motionless on the sidewalks."
This young reader's edition is highly recommended.
This book features one of the heroes of the Polish Resistance, Catholic nurse and social worker Irena Sendler. She is referred to as the 'Oskar Schindler of Poland'. She saved over 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto as part of the underground resistance network she created with other sympathetic friends and colleagues in the medical field.
Several vignettes stand out. One was a trembling Jewish 3 year-old who Irena transported out in public, coaching him to smile and keep quiet. They practiced reciting the Lord's Prayer (which was a favorite Nazi trip-up) and the boy became scared when they boarded a city bus. He started crying and calling out for his mother, in Yiddish. The entire bus fell silent; as the punishment for aiding Jews was being shot on sight. Many Poles aided the Nazis for money or to curry favor. Irena whispered 'help me' to the bus driver, who feigned a vehicle malfunction and unboarded the entire bus a few blocks later. The bus driver then dropped her off in a remote alley and wished her luck.
Another was after the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising when Jewish Resistance Fighters revolted on the eve of Passover and kept the Nazis at bay for almost a month in May 1943. The ghetto was then burned to the ground block by block. Before the Jews surrendered, they gave the Nazis the best they had.
"The streets fell silent. The ghetto ground was strewn with dead. Some two hundred resistance fighters, and even more Germans, perished. Old men came from their hiding places to kiss the cold cheeks of the young heroes lying motionless on the sidewalks."
This young reader's edition is highly recommended.
November 4, 2019
In the biography, Irena’s Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo, the author wrote about Irena Sendlers’s courageous life. Irena Sendler was a very brave woman that was born in a petrifying time period. Irena Sendler is most known for saving children from the holocaust. She would his these children all over the city and keep lists of where they were and who they were. Irena Sendler had a very risky life, because if anyone found these lists, she would most likely be executed and all the children would be put into concentration camps.
Irena Sendler was born in Warsaw, Poland, during a very difficult time period. It was during The Great Depression and The Holocaust. During this time, the Nazi’s took any Jewish person and put them in concentration camps. Irena then risked her life to save thousands of children's lives. She did very illegal things to help these children, too. She made fake polish passports to get the Jewish children out of the city. Irena is not a Jewish person, but she commonly got searched by the Gestapo. This had caused her to become very paranoid and couldn’t trust anyone, but her family. Irena went through a lot of obstacles in life. She is also a very family oriented person, since that’s all she had. Irean was a very good and wholesome person. A person that everyone should try and be in life.
This book was very hard for me to get through, especially the beginning where the book talked about her upbringing. I am a person who likes fiction books better and I am able to retain more information about fiction books. I picked this book because I thought I would enjoy it, because I have always found these topics in social studies interesting. Overall, I found this story of Irena Sendler very uplifting and inspiring. It makes me want to help more people in any way I can. Irena risked her life just to make these children’s lives longer. Irena is very heroic and serves to be known everywhere.
Irena Sendler was born in Warsaw, Poland, during a very difficult time period. It was during The Great Depression and The Holocaust. During this time, the Nazi’s took any Jewish person and put them in concentration camps. Irena then risked her life to save thousands of children's lives. She did very illegal things to help these children, too. She made fake polish passports to get the Jewish children out of the city. Irena is not a Jewish person, but she commonly got searched by the Gestapo. This had caused her to become very paranoid and couldn’t trust anyone, but her family. Irena went through a lot of obstacles in life. She is also a very family oriented person, since that’s all she had. Irean was a very good and wholesome person. A person that everyone should try and be in life.
This book was very hard for me to get through, especially the beginning where the book talked about her upbringing. I am a person who likes fiction books better and I am able to retain more information about fiction books. I picked this book because I thought I would enjoy it, because I have always found these topics in social studies interesting. Overall, I found this story of Irena Sendler very uplifting and inspiring. It makes me want to help more people in any way I can. Irena risked her life just to make these children’s lives longer. Irena is very heroic and serves to be known everywhere.
August 20, 2016
This riveting true story of bravery reads like a novel. The setting is so well evoked that I felt like I was walking beside Irena as the horror of what is happening to the Jewish people in Warsaw begins to dawn on the young, idealistic social worker Irena. Irena uses her job to help the Jewish families and pulls fellow workers and friends into her network to save the children and outfox the Nazis. Sometimes adaptations feel simplistic with shorter sentences and paragraphs, a shadow of the adult book. Not so here. I have not read the adult version, but this lyrical telling is so well written with vivid setting details and a clear sense of narrative as the story unfolds. I was on the edge of my seat, every time Irena rescued another child. Would they get out? Would she get arrested? Would one of her cohorts? I appreciated the stories of the actions of other characters, too, Irena’s friends who helped. It revealed the breadth and depth of Polish people who did everything they could to stop the Nazis, at risk of their own lives.
The strength of the writing allowed tough storytelling that kept me reading. The details of the Nazi horror are not covered up, but because we feel the characters’ pain and their courage, we want to learn more. We keep reading and cheering them on. This is a terrific book for readers of all ages to experience what true courage is and how important it is for every day people to stand up in the face of evil. And that is the very best aspect of this book - it wasn’t the politicians who made a difference, it was every day people who said - enough. This is not right. We need to keep doing that today and stories like this can show us the way.
The strength of the writing allowed tough storytelling that kept me reading. The details of the Nazi horror are not covered up, but because we feel the characters’ pain and their courage, we want to learn more. We keep reading and cheering them on. This is a terrific book for readers of all ages to experience what true courage is and how important it is for every day people to stand up in the face of evil. And that is the very best aspect of this book - it wasn’t the politicians who made a difference, it was every day people who said - enough. This is not right. We need to keep doing that today and stories like this can show us the way.
September 9, 2016
In the young readers edition of Irena’s Children, Irena Sendler emphasized repeatedly that she was not alone in her actions and that others helped her save innocent Jewish children of Nazi-occupied Warsaw, Poland.
After reading her story, two images linger in my mind.
The most painful image of brutalized children made me both admire and resent the author and adapter for their ability to bring me into the ghetto. The black and white photos drew me even deeper into a place I did not want to go.
At the same time, I could clearly see and hear the stories of the many people, some of them nameless, who helped to save thousands of children’s lives.
Because of the brutality and because this well-researched story rang so true, Irena’s Children was anything but an easy read. The narrative, however, pulled me through as I marveled each time Irena, her courageous friends, and the sweet children managed to survive.
While Irena could not have rescued them alone, her efforts made a world of difference to each child she helped save. This is a book that paints a devastating reality alongside a triumph of humanity.
After reading her story, two images linger in my mind.
The most painful image of brutalized children made me both admire and resent the author and adapter for their ability to bring me into the ghetto. The black and white photos drew me even deeper into a place I did not want to go.
At the same time, I could clearly see and hear the stories of the many people, some of them nameless, who helped to save thousands of children’s lives.
Because of the brutality and because this well-researched story rang so true, Irena’s Children was anything but an easy read. The narrative, however, pulled me through as I marveled each time Irena, her courageous friends, and the sweet children managed to survive.
While Irena could not have rescued them alone, her efforts made a world of difference to each child she helped save. This is a book that paints a devastating reality alongside a triumph of humanity.
December 23, 2016
Irena's Children was the story of a brave, courageous and heroic women. Regardless of the barriers (Nazis) , she managed to save the lives of over 2000 innocent Jewish children. I was intrigued by the book and it's content along with the overall theme. I really enjoyed the book for the reason that it impacted my thinking, I realized that you have to be careful by your surroundings and every move you make is being watched by an envious individual. My least favorite part though was the ending, the ending could have been more interesting. As I approached the last remaining chapters, my interest on finishing the book were minimal. Overall it's an easy book to read and follow, the text is straight forward. I don't know if it was simply me or if the mistakes I found in the book were purposely made to incorporate a hidden meaning that I didn't understand, but I found myself confused in certain sections from the book. Although this was an excellent book I can not give it 5 stars due to the ending, but I do recommend that individuals read this.
November 14, 2016
Considering that this story is directed towards younger children, I am worried about the two introduction segments at the beginning of the novel. If children between the ages of 9-12 pick up this book in store, they may find that the introductions read as historical fact, and may believe the book to be dry. This, however, is not the case. This novel provides excellent insight into a woman I have always longed to know more about. Her bravery was insurmountable, and I hope that in a similar situation I would have the courage to act as she did.
Irena's Children is a perfect novel to be used for teaching classrooms about the Holocaust in elementary schools and would also work well as an independent study novel for school projects (I chose a Holocaust memoir during high school). The pictures dispersed within did a wonderful job of building the story.
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review*
Irena's Children is a perfect novel to be used for teaching classrooms about the Holocaust in elementary schools and would also work well as an independent study novel for school projects (I chose a Holocaust memoir during high school). The pictures dispersed within did a wonderful job of building the story.
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review*
June 8, 2017
I started out reading this book to my children, as it is the "Young Readers Edition", but within a chapter knew that it would lose my younger children's attention. Plus, it is a pretty rough read for a child.
This book made me feel both in awe at the goodness and strength of both the Polish citizens and Jewish Resistance fighters. I also felt so sad at the horribleness of the Nazis. How could this have happened?
Irene Sendler, along with many others, helped to save 2500 children from the Warsaw ghetto.
I cannot remove the image from my head of Dr. Korczak, who cared for Jewish orphans, being rounded up with all the children, and marched to the boxcars, where they would be taken to their deaths. He was not Jewish, he did not have to stay, but he chose to, telling a German SS officer, "You do not leave a sick child in the night and you do not leave children at a time like this."
I loved this book! I would definitely give this a pg-13 rating for the violence.
This book made me feel both in awe at the goodness and strength of both the Polish citizens and Jewish Resistance fighters. I also felt so sad at the horribleness of the Nazis. How could this have happened?
Irene Sendler, along with many others, helped to save 2500 children from the Warsaw ghetto.
I cannot remove the image from my head of Dr. Korczak, who cared for Jewish orphans, being rounded up with all the children, and marched to the boxcars, where they would be taken to their deaths. He was not Jewish, he did not have to stay, but he chose to, telling a German SS officer, "You do not leave a sick child in the night and you do not leave children at a time like this."
I loved this book! I would definitely give this a pg-13 rating for the violence.
April 24, 2018
I thought this book was okay. I thought Irena’s story was incredible. She saved thousands of children from the Warsaw ghetto, and helped them survive the harsh conditions. It talked a lot about her network, which made it kind of hard to me to follow. Plus, since it took place in Poland, it had some words that didn’t make sense. When you’re reading this book you really have to pay attention to surrounding details to for the whole picture to make sense. Otherwise, the author does a good job at showing how well Irena does her job, and how efficient she was. She would smuggle children out of ghetto straight past guards. She would bring stuff into the ghetto too, like vaccinations for kids. The saddest part for me was when Irena brought 10 vaccinations for an orphanage in the ghetto, and the kids had to decide who should take it.
December 26, 2016
IRENA’S CHILDREN by Tilar J. Mazzeo is a young reader’s edition of a true story about life in the Warsaw Ghetto in World War II.
A young Polish public health worker named Irena Sendler smuggled thousands of children out of the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw. Children snuck through sewers, hid in coffins, and were concealed under overcoats in daring attempts to escape death.
Librarians will find this story of survival during the Holocaust an appealing alternative to standard Holocaust offerings. The focus on a heroic female will draw the interest of girls.
The author’s website contains information and videos about Irena Sendler. Go to http://www.tilar-mazzeo-author.com/le...
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
A young Polish public health worker named Irena Sendler smuggled thousands of children out of the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw. Children snuck through sewers, hid in coffins, and were concealed under overcoats in daring attempts to escape death.
Librarians will find this story of survival during the Holocaust an appealing alternative to standard Holocaust offerings. The focus on a heroic female will draw the interest of girls.
The author’s website contains information and videos about Irena Sendler. Go to http://www.tilar-mazzeo-author.com/le...
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
June 1, 2017
This is one of the most amazing WWII era books I've ever read. I've read a lot of them. The book closes with a quote that could not be more fitting in regards to Irena Sendler and the devoted underground of heroes that helped her save thousands of Jews.
"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."-Mahatma Gandhi-
This is exactly what Irena did during her remarkable lifetime.
I also found this book to be a great documentation of the history of Warsaw, Poland pre and post WWII.
"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."-Mahatma Gandhi-
This is exactly what Irena did during her remarkable lifetime.
I also found this book to be a great documentation of the history of Warsaw, Poland pre and post WWII.
July 21, 2020
An extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman.
"According to Jewish tradition, there are in every generation a small number of people whose goodness renovates the entire world in the face of evil, and Irena was named among them. "
"Irena was always emphatic that she saved 2,500 Jewish children's lives," Yoram Gross––the wartime boy known as Jerzy––recalls, "she corrected this by saying that she doesn't know the exact number and that she was saving the children together with friends that helped her."
"According to Jewish tradition, there are in every generation a small number of people whose goodness renovates the entire world in the face of evil, and Irena was named among them. "
"Irena was always emphatic that she saved 2,500 Jewish children's lives," Yoram Gross––the wartime boy known as Jerzy––recalls, "she corrected this by saying that she doesn't know the exact number and that she was saving the children together with friends that helped her."
July 7, 2017
What a POWERFUL book! This is the Young Readers Edition- at some point, I'm sure I'll read the unadapted version, but regardless this is a must-read about World War 2. I've read a fair number of nonfiction books about what happened to the Jewish people at that time, but I had no idea that the Nazis tried to wipe out the Polish people, as well. What this brave humans did to try and save lives is remarkable and admirable. Tears will be in your eyes.
November 18, 2017
The author warned this would be a difficult story to read about and I thought "Of course--its world war 2." But I had never read so thoroughly about the devastation of Warsaw. And the author was right--the difficult content of the story was necessary in order to see what a ray of light Irena was. How strong her courage was, and how much hope she gave to thousands of children who were doomed for death.
February 21, 2018
Irena said that what she did was normal, nothing special, what anyone would do. Thing is, it wasn’t normal. Only 5,000 of a million Jewish children survived WWII in Poland. She and her network were strange, weird and absurd. Thank God they were.
This wasn’t a smooth read, but it is powerful. I am glad for the time I spent reading it and I hope I will be weird and absurd, like Irena, if necessary.
This wasn’t a smooth read, but it is powerful. I am glad for the time I spent reading it and I hope I will be weird and absurd, like Irena, if necessary.
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