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Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps
Award-winning author Andrea Warren presents a life-changing story of a young boy's struggle for survival in a Nazi-run concentration camp. In this Robert F. Silbert Honor Book, narrated in the voice of Holocaust survivor Jack Mandelbaum, readers will glimpse the dark reality of life during the Holocaust, and how one boy made it out alive.
When twelve-year-old Jack Mandelbaum is separated from his family and shipped off to the Blechhammer concentration camp, his life becomes a never-ending nightmare. With minimal food to eat and harsh living conditions threatening his health, Jack manages to survive by thinking of his family.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
When twelve-year-old Jack Mandelbaum is separated from his family and shipped off to the Blechhammer concentration camp, his life becomes a never-ending nightmare. With minimal food to eat and harsh living conditions threatening his health, Jack manages to survive by thinking of his family.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
146 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2001
234 people are currently reading
9089 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
May 30, 2020
The year is 2003. There is a 10 year old girl who has been granted special privileges to go into the 12-15 year old section of her school library. She picks up this book, mildly intruigied, and has no idea where this book will lead her.
Fast forward 8 years, the year is 2011, and that girl is in her last year of high school, determining what she wants to study in University. She realizes she has spent the last 8 years reading all she can about the Holocaust because of a book she once read in the school library. She settles on applying to the history department of her chosen school.
Fast forward another 5 years, the year is 2016, and the girl has spent 5 years studying History. She has taken every class on the Holocaust her school offers, in every department she can find it. She was taught by someone who fled Europe because of the Holocaust when he was a young boy, and she graduates with a lifelong love and interest in history, particularly the Holocaust.
This book honeslty changed my life. When I was a very young kid I wanted to do nothing but be a lawyer. And I still do, but I chose to study history instead of pursuing degrees that could move me closer to that life, because of this book. I’ve read it dozens of times, but not since I was young. It has always stayed with me, and I’m glad to have it back in my life.
I can’t really comment on the book, writing, story, etc, because of how biased I am. This book shaped who I am, so for that it will always and forever be 5 stars.
Fast forward 8 years, the year is 2011, and that girl is in her last year of high school, determining what she wants to study in University. She realizes she has spent the last 8 years reading all she can about the Holocaust because of a book she once read in the school library. She settles on applying to the history department of her chosen school.
Fast forward another 5 years, the year is 2016, and the girl has spent 5 years studying History. She has taken every class on the Holocaust her school offers, in every department she can find it. She was taught by someone who fled Europe because of the Holocaust when he was a young boy, and she graduates with a lifelong love and interest in history, particularly the Holocaust.
This book honeslty changed my life. When I was a very young kid I wanted to do nothing but be a lawyer. And I still do, but I chose to study history instead of pursuing degrees that could move me closer to that life, because of this book. I’ve read it dozens of times, but not since I was young. It has always stayed with me, and I’m glad to have it back in my life.
I can’t really comment on the book, writing, story, etc, because of how biased I am. This book shaped who I am, so for that it will always and forever be 5 stars.
September 27, 2022
One young man’s experience as an inmate in a Nazi death camp. Everything was taken away from him. He survives by holding on to love. This is truly inspiring!
April 8, 2010
There's always room for another book telling the story of a Holocaust survivor. This is a particularly nice one for young adults. It isn't too long or graphic, but still doesn't pull punches in sharing the experiences of 15-year-old Jack Mandelbaum.
Jack survived his time in concentrations camps for several reasons. He made good friends who gave him good advice and who helped him to laugh and keep his optimism going through his darkest days and moods of despair. His family was also a huge factor. He had a burning desire to survive so that he could be reunited with his family. He also made several key decisions. He decided, based on advice from a friend, that he would not take what was happening to him personally. He would treat it like a game in which he would outlast the Nazis. Also, he would not complain, but would act respectful, be likable and cooperative, and as good of a worker as he could. He chose not to hate the kapos, the guards, or the officers. He felt that the negative emotion of hate would consume energy that he needed for survival. He said, "In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human. I had been raised well and I knew who I was. My strategy was not to allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by hate."
After all of that, with good decisions and some luck, Jack survived the concentration camps. The sad part is that of the 80 people in Jack's extended family, only five survived. None of his immediate family survived.
Because of the way Jack chose to live during his concentration camp experiences, he has some very wise advice for the rest of us. He says:
Jack survived his time in concentrations camps for several reasons. He made good friends who gave him good advice and who helped him to laugh and keep his optimism going through his darkest days and moods of despair. His family was also a huge factor. He had a burning desire to survive so that he could be reunited with his family. He also made several key decisions. He decided, based on advice from a friend, that he would not take what was happening to him personally. He would treat it like a game in which he would outlast the Nazis. Also, he would not complain, but would act respectful, be likable and cooperative, and as good of a worker as he could. He chose not to hate the kapos, the guards, or the officers. He felt that the negative emotion of hate would consume energy that he needed for survival. He said, "In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human. I had been raised well and I knew who I was. My strategy was not to allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by hate."
After all of that, with good decisions and some luck, Jack survived the concentration camps. The sad part is that of the 80 people in Jack's extended family, only five survived. None of his immediate family survived.
Because of the way Jack chose to live during his concentration camp experiences, he has some very wise advice for the rest of us. He says:
One thing people wonder is why the Jews did not defend themselves, why we were like lambs led to the slaughter. In truth, many Jews fought back bravely. But the Holocaust was so well planned that we were overwhelmed. It started with little acts of racism and discrimination and eventually led to the murder of millions of innocents. We thought the European people would rise up out of basic decency and defend us. Some tried, but not enough. We must never think the Holocaust cannot happen again.
November 11, 2010
The book begins in pre-war Poland, with a fourteen-year-old Jack Mandelbaum living a very comfortable life with his family in the small town of Gdynia. The story takes us through the transformation of Poland from a peaceful European country to a place embroiled in the second World War. Jack changes from a happy-go-lucky teenager into a prisoner desperately trying to stay alive in multiple concentration camps. We vividly see the struggle for survival that Jack goes through on a daily basis.
The book is written so that we can see the world through a teenage-boy's eyes. A world that he is able to deal with because through all the death and destruction he witnesses, he truly believes that he will be reunited with his mother, father, sister and brother. As an outsider looking in, I knew the fate that had most probably befallen his mother and brother. After Jack was separated from his mother and younger brother I knew that they had probably been sent to a concentration camp where they were immediately killed in a gas chamber, but I found myself hoping, as Jack did, that they had somehow survived. Throughout the book, I found myself denying the reality of what had probably happened to Jack's family, as Jack continued to do through most of the book.
We learn what life was like in a concentration camp and what a human being can truly endure. Jack talked about his state of mind from day-to-day and what he saw in the faces of the men around him. He becomes an old soul who knows by looking at a fellow prisoner's face, that they have chosen to die and will do so within the week.
Unlike many of the books about the Holocaust that I have read, this story was told from the perspective of a teenager and kept the story focused on survival. There was no venturing from the story or an attempt to make the events portrayed anything other than what they were. At the end of the story, Jack, now an old man, takes the time to reflect on this time in his life. Prior to this, he had done his best to live in the present, however he never forgot his past, but he did not make being a concentration camp survivor the sole focus of his life.
I truly enjoyed how this book was written, however I did not enjoy the subject matter. This book would be quite useful in a middle-school classroom. I feel that the majority of students would be able to connect with Jack, even though it took place in a world so different from the one in which they currently live. The photographs and the informational afterward provide the background knowledge students may need to create a historical context for the time Jack had lived through.
The book is written so that we can see the world through a teenage-boy's eyes. A world that he is able to deal with because through all the death and destruction he witnesses, he truly believes that he will be reunited with his mother, father, sister and brother. As an outsider looking in, I knew the fate that had most probably befallen his mother and brother. After Jack was separated from his mother and younger brother I knew that they had probably been sent to a concentration camp where they were immediately killed in a gas chamber, but I found myself hoping, as Jack did, that they had somehow survived. Throughout the book, I found myself denying the reality of what had probably happened to Jack's family, as Jack continued to do through most of the book.
We learn what life was like in a concentration camp and what a human being can truly endure. Jack talked about his state of mind from day-to-day and what he saw in the faces of the men around him. He becomes an old soul who knows by looking at a fellow prisoner's face, that they have chosen to die and will do so within the week.
Unlike many of the books about the Holocaust that I have read, this story was told from the perspective of a teenager and kept the story focused on survival. There was no venturing from the story or an attempt to make the events portrayed anything other than what they were. At the end of the story, Jack, now an old man, takes the time to reflect on this time in his life. Prior to this, he had done his best to live in the present, however he never forgot his past, but he did not make being a concentration camp survivor the sole focus of his life.
I truly enjoyed how this book was written, however I did not enjoy the subject matter. This book would be quite useful in a middle-school classroom. I feel that the majority of students would be able to connect with Jack, even though it took place in a world so different from the one in which they currently live. The photographs and the informational afterward provide the background knowledge students may need to create a historical context for the time Jack had lived through.
February 28, 2017
I didn't realize this was like, a young reader book, or whatever you want to call it. That's not why I rated it lower than I otherwise might have, because young readers should read about the Holocaust too. But I rated it a bit lower because I don't think Wikipedia existed when this came out but it basically reads like a Wiki entry with very little color or heart. The author interviewed Holocaust victim Jack Mandelbaum, and then just described his story in the most basic of ways, quoting Mandelbaum a few times, but mostly just retelling what he told her. I think the book would have been 800% better in Mandelbaum's voice...one part was like "life at [insert camp here] was really tough" and then moved on to something else. Like, what? How was it tough? What are some specifics? Obviously the book goes into some detail but it's mostly just a factual description of what happened with a few interjections to explain how Mandelbaum felt, rather than an emotionally-driven story of a young boy who becomes a victim and then a survivor.
September 14, 2017
Jack Mandelbaum is living the life of a carefree 12 year old boy in 1939 Poland when the Nazi occupation begins when he is separated from his family and sent to the Blechammer concentration camp.
This is a great non-fiction YA telling of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps during WW-II. It is not overly graphic, but also does not pull any punches about the horrors the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camps suffered.
Jack survives his time in the camps in several ways.
The condition of the camps are filthy, but Jack tries to keep himself and his uniform as clean as possible - he knows that to fall sick and be unable to work, or deemed not useful he will be brought to the gas chambers or shot.
He works hard without complaint and tries not to stand out to the guards, who abuse / kill the camp prisoners just because they can.
He eats whatever scraps of food he can - potato peels, grass, rotten vegetables; he knows he must keep his strength to be able to work.
He tries to make friends with the other prisoners so they can help each other in their many times of need.
His need to be reunited with his family was a huge factor in his survival.
His conscience decision to not be consumed by hate also played a big role. His decision to not hate the German guards and the Jewish kapos, to follow the advice of a fellow prisoner and not take his captivity and what was happening to him personally helped him to concentrate more on his own survival. "My strategy was not allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by such hate."
But in my opinion the number 1 factor in Jacks survival of his ordeal was that he did now allow Hitlers view of Jews and what was happening to him to make him feel less than what he was -
a human being. "In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human. I had been raised well and I knew who I was."
With help from fellow prisoners, some luck and the decisions that he made - Jack was able to survive his ordeal in the camps. Since the war and his migration to the United States, Jack has been able to start a new life. He speaks about the war, the Holocaust and his experiences in hopes that we can learn from the past.
"One thing people wonder is why the Jews did not defend themselves, why we were like lambs led to the slaughter. In truth, many Jews fought back bravely. But the Holocaust was so well planned that we were overwhelmed. It started with little acts of racism and discrimination and eventually led to the murders of millions of innocents. We thought the European people would rise up out of basic decency and defend us. Some tried, but not enough. We must never think the Holocaust cannot happen again."
This is a great non-fiction YA telling of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps during WW-II. It is not overly graphic, but also does not pull any punches about the horrors the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camps suffered.
Jack survives his time in the camps in several ways.
The condition of the camps are filthy, but Jack tries to keep himself and his uniform as clean as possible - he knows that to fall sick and be unable to work, or deemed not useful he will be brought to the gas chambers or shot.
He works hard without complaint and tries not to stand out to the guards, who abuse / kill the camp prisoners just because they can.
He eats whatever scraps of food he can - potato peels, grass, rotten vegetables; he knows he must keep his strength to be able to work.
He tries to make friends with the other prisoners so they can help each other in their many times of need.
His need to be reunited with his family was a huge factor in his survival.
His conscience decision to not be consumed by hate also played a big role. His decision to not hate the German guards and the Jewish kapos, to follow the advice of a fellow prisoner and not take his captivity and what was happening to him personally helped him to concentrate more on his own survival. "My strategy was not allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by such hate."
But in my opinion the number 1 factor in Jacks survival of his ordeal was that he did now allow Hitlers view of Jews and what was happening to him to make him feel less than what he was -
a human being. "In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human. I had been raised well and I knew who I was."
With help from fellow prisoners, some luck and the decisions that he made - Jack was able to survive his ordeal in the camps. Since the war and his migration to the United States, Jack has been able to start a new life. He speaks about the war, the Holocaust and his experiences in hopes that we can learn from the past.
"One thing people wonder is why the Jews did not defend themselves, why we were like lambs led to the slaughter. In truth, many Jews fought back bravely. But the Holocaust was so well planned that we were overwhelmed. It started with little acts of racism and discrimination and eventually led to the murders of millions of innocents. We thought the European people would rise up out of basic decency and defend us. Some tried, but not enough. We must never think the Holocaust cannot happen again."
November 24, 2022
I would not say it was a good book, because I didn't feel good at all after reading it. But it surely was an eye-opening and heart clenching book. Reading this book made my worst nightmares look very tame. Story of a boy who was just 14 yrs old at the time of holocaust but had endured suffering for life. Separated from his family, he never knew if he would ever be able to meet them. Everyday he thought if he would see the next day.
But it is surely a book to get a life lesson from. After reading it, I felt we should never take life for granted because what hidden challenges life will throw in front us, we never know. While eating delicious food made by his mother in his home he never would have thought he would have to drink watery soup with rotten vegetables in it and eat bread filled with sawdust for next five yrs of his life. While sleeping in the soft mattress he never would have thought he would have to sleep in hard barracks for next five yrs of his life. And having a get-together with his happy family he never would have thought this will be the last chance he would ever see his family happy or last chance to ever see his family.
And last but not the least, it is not a book which after reading you pity on the victims(not that I don't feel bad about the victims of holocaust) but you learn how to stay strong and full of hope in the weakest of your moments from the survivors.
But it is surely a book to get a life lesson from. After reading it, I felt we should never take life for granted because what hidden challenges life will throw in front us, we never know. While eating delicious food made by his mother in his home he never would have thought he would have to drink watery soup with rotten vegetables in it and eat bread filled with sawdust for next five yrs of his life. While sleeping in the soft mattress he never would have thought he would have to sleep in hard barracks for next five yrs of his life. And having a get-together with his happy family he never would have thought this will be the last chance he would ever see his family happy or last chance to ever see his family.
And last but not the least, it is not a book which after reading you pity on the victims(not that I don't feel bad about the victims of holocaust) but you learn how to stay strong and full of hope in the weakest of your moments from the survivors.
April 30, 2010
The story is about Jack Mandelbaum who grows up in Poland, on the Baltic Sea, with his parents, older sister, and younger brother. He enjoyed a joyful, rich childhood, full of adventures. This quickly came to an end as Hitler rose to power. His father sent the entire family to live in a small village with relatives, hoping this would help them stay safe while he took care of the family business. As further restrictions are imposed on the Jewish population, Jack begins to lose his fun-loving attitude and look at the circumstanced around him more somberly. Soon after, he along with his mother and siblings are rounded up and transported to Auschwitz. The book goes on to describe Jack’s experiences in the concentration camp and his miraculous survival.
Authority:
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps, by Andrea Warren, was an honored as the recipient of the Robert F. Sibert award for outstanding informational young adult and children’s literature. The Sibert medal takes into consideration seven criteria a few of which are excellent, engaging, and distinctive visual presentation, appropriate organization and documentation, clear, accurate, and stimulating presentation, appropriate style of presentation for subject and for intended audience, supportive features, and respectful and of interest to children.
Accuracy:
The text is accurate, including the maps, charts, graphs, and other visual information. The story presented is touching while remaining objective throughout. In addition, this book is well organized with a great deal of resources for both students and teachers to look into for further research and information such as films, books (for younger and older readers), websites, etc.
Appropriateness:
Adolescents would be very engaged by this book in that it tells a true story in a simple, yet powerful way. Along the way, the illustrations show Jack’s family photos as long as those from the historical time period, which is flawlessly intertwined with his personal story. At the same time, the images and information are appropriate for the audience in that they are powerful enough but not gruesome and graphic.
Literary Artistry:
The book begins with a quote from Steven Spielberg: “Sadly, racial, ethnic, and cultural hatred and intolerance are not just history; they are current events.” Thus, readers are given an opportunity to look at the past and the atrocities committed during the Holocaust while reflecting on the discrimination and prejudice that continue to this day.
Attractiveness:
The book is very attractive and excellent for reluctant readers. Each chapter ends in an interesting, thought-provoking way that hooks the readers and makes him/her continue with the story. Furthermore, the cover is appealing and attracts readers to pick up the book. It captures Jack as an adolescent with emancipated men in a concentration camp in the background.
The end details how Mandelbaum rebuilt his life and persevered despite his past. He refused to let hate be a part of his life: “In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human […:] My strategy was not to allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by such hate” (127).
Authority:
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps, by Andrea Warren, was an honored as the recipient of the Robert F. Sibert award for outstanding informational young adult and children’s literature. The Sibert medal takes into consideration seven criteria a few of which are excellent, engaging, and distinctive visual presentation, appropriate organization and documentation, clear, accurate, and stimulating presentation, appropriate style of presentation for subject and for intended audience, supportive features, and respectful and of interest to children.
Accuracy:
The text is accurate, including the maps, charts, graphs, and other visual information. The story presented is touching while remaining objective throughout. In addition, this book is well organized with a great deal of resources for both students and teachers to look into for further research and information such as films, books (for younger and older readers), websites, etc.
Appropriateness:
Adolescents would be very engaged by this book in that it tells a true story in a simple, yet powerful way. Along the way, the illustrations show Jack’s family photos as long as those from the historical time period, which is flawlessly intertwined with his personal story. At the same time, the images and information are appropriate for the audience in that they are powerful enough but not gruesome and graphic.
Literary Artistry:
The book begins with a quote from Steven Spielberg: “Sadly, racial, ethnic, and cultural hatred and intolerance are not just history; they are current events.” Thus, readers are given an opportunity to look at the past and the atrocities committed during the Holocaust while reflecting on the discrimination and prejudice that continue to this day.
Attractiveness:
The book is very attractive and excellent for reluctant readers. Each chapter ends in an interesting, thought-provoking way that hooks the readers and makes him/her continue with the story. Furthermore, the cover is appealing and attracts readers to pick up the book. It captures Jack as an adolescent with emancipated men in a concentration camp in the background.
The end details how Mandelbaum rebuilt his life and persevered despite his past. He refused to let hate be a part of his life: “In spite of all the terrible things that happened to me, I did not allow Hitler to make me feel less than human […:] My strategy was not to allow myself to hate. I knew I could be consumed by such hate” (127).
October 26, 2009
I recently ordered this not knowing that it's intended for grade-school aged children. When I received it and started reading I was a little shocked. I can't imagine reading this myself at that age. I think if I were to hand this to a child in that age range it would have to depend on the child very, very much.
For a book aimed at children, this is certainly not hiding anything. I can't call it 'graphic' because it's not but it's startling nonetheless. The pictures, what Jack Mandelbaum saw and lived through, everything is startling, just as is everything having to do with the Holocaust.
This is definitely a book that an adult could read also - I was finished in about a day because I couldn't put it down. I think it'd be better for people just starting to read accounts of Holocaust survivors, if you've read many this may not shed any new light for you. The story is captivating though - every single page is amazing.
For a book aimed at children, this is certainly not hiding anything. I can't call it 'graphic' because it's not but it's startling nonetheless. The pictures, what Jack Mandelbaum saw and lived through, everything is startling, just as is everything having to do with the Holocaust.
This is definitely a book that an adult could read also - I was finished in about a day because I couldn't put it down. I think it'd be better for people just starting to read accounts of Holocaust survivors, if you've read many this may not shed any new light for you. The story is captivating though - every single page is amazing.
July 28, 2018
Having read a number of first-hand accounts of the Holocaust and experiences in the death camps and concentration camps, I'm always amazed at the recall from memory that authors are able to recount years later. This book by Andrea Warren about Jack Mandelbaum's life before WWII in Poland, during the war in various camps, and his life after the war looking for family survivors is one more testimonial about what the Nazis did to Jews and other "undesireables" in work and death camps. Jack provides lots of detail over most of his life in a fairly short book. Great read anyone but particularly for those interested in WWII and Holocaust.
October 16, 2016
a must read and if you have kids to its a perfect one for the kids to read to understand about the holocaust
July 23, 2017
This book was targeted for the younger generation - 10 years old and up. I qualify. It's an easy and quick read about 140 pgs and double spaced. However, it is a darn good story thru the eyes of a teenager that survived - barely - the Nazi Death Camps.
May 28, 2021
All of these men women and children that survived are hero’s! I can’t imagine what people went through during this time. Hope they did not have ever lasting true mental illness is amazing.
Very insightful NF story of survival. Thought provoking.
Very insightful NF story of survival. Thought provoking.
November 21, 2019
Excellent
This book a short but excellent. A wonderful story of survival in this horrible period of time. I liked it alot
This book a short but excellent. A wonderful story of survival in this horrible period of time. I liked it alot
April 19, 2018
"First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me"
- First They Came, Pastor Martin Niemoller
A poignant memoir of Jack Mandelbaum, a Holocaust survivor, who was separated from his family at age 15 when he was sent to concentration camp. He spent the next 3 years of his life in a series of concentration camps and known as #16013, where numbers were used by the Nazis as a way to strip off your identity & dehumanize you. He endured unimaginable hardships - malnutrition, hard labour, lice, dysentery, inclement weather, brutal living conditions. He survived these horrific atrocities through the friendships he forged, and above all, he was determined not to hate his captors & vowed to see his family again.
I enjoyed this memoir. It was well written with mellifluous storytelling. It chronicled Jack's life from the beginning, his captivity, liberation & his life after the war. What I find that is different in this memoir was that Jack shared about the time after his liberation, & the effects of the imprisonment to its survivors. He and all the other survivors endured physical & mental distress from the imprisonment. I find it so heartbreaking & harrowing at the same time.
I read a lot of memoirs about Holocaust survivors over the years. They may seem to be similar in a way but I see each of their stories as personal & unique. I admired their strength & will to survive, their willingness to share their stories & the most admirable & strongest virtue is their forgiveness towards their captors. It is not an easy task and yet sometimes forgiveness may be the only path we ought to take in order to move on.
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me"
- First They Came, Pastor Martin Niemoller
A poignant memoir of Jack Mandelbaum, a Holocaust survivor, who was separated from his family at age 15 when he was sent to concentration camp. He spent the next 3 years of his life in a series of concentration camps and known as #16013, where numbers were used by the Nazis as a way to strip off your identity & dehumanize you. He endured unimaginable hardships - malnutrition, hard labour, lice, dysentery, inclement weather, brutal living conditions. He survived these horrific atrocities through the friendships he forged, and above all, he was determined not to hate his captors & vowed to see his family again.
I enjoyed this memoir. It was well written with mellifluous storytelling. It chronicled Jack's life from the beginning, his captivity, liberation & his life after the war. What I find that is different in this memoir was that Jack shared about the time after his liberation, & the effects of the imprisonment to its survivors. He and all the other survivors endured physical & mental distress from the imprisonment. I find it so heartbreaking & harrowing at the same time.
I read a lot of memoirs about Holocaust survivors over the years. They may seem to be similar in a way but I see each of their stories as personal & unique. I admired their strength & will to survive, their willingness to share their stories & the most admirable & strongest virtue is their forgiveness towards their captors. It is not an easy task and yet sometimes forgiveness may be the only path we ought to take in order to move on.
August 25, 2016
I like the story because Jack never gave up. He didn’t let the mean words get to him and he played the game. He didn’t let Hitler win.
Character:
Jack Mandelbaum grew up in a Jewish home. When he was 14 he support his family by substituting for people who paid him to take their place in forced labor. After that Jack was send to the camps. His mom and brother Jakob didn’t go with him. After the war ended when he was 18, he decided to start over in America. He got married to Claudia and had seven children.
Jakob Mandelbaum is Jack younger brother. Jakob died in a gas chamber with his mom.
Mejloch Mandelbaum had been drafted to serve in the Baltic and stayed in the region to start a fish cannery. After that he was send to a concentration camp. Years later he was arrested in September 14, 1939. He almost survived the war but he died in 1944.
Moniek is Jacks friend. They met in the camps. He help Jack stay alive. After the war ended, Moniek moved to the United States in 1950, settled in New York State. He got married to Erica and had to sons together. They retired in Florida.
Important Scene: When the Nazi took Jack’s family away from their home.
Genre: Biography
Setting: Poland
This book reminds me of the book “The Diary of a young girl” by Anne Frank because she had to go through so much like hide for two years with her family during World War II and Jack had to leave his family to work in the camps.
I think people would want to read this book because Jack was a real person during World War II.
The author did not write a sequel.
Character:
Jack Mandelbaum grew up in a Jewish home. When he was 14 he support his family by substituting for people who paid him to take their place in forced labor. After that Jack was send to the camps. His mom and brother Jakob didn’t go with him. After the war ended when he was 18, he decided to start over in America. He got married to Claudia and had seven children.
Jakob Mandelbaum is Jack younger brother. Jakob died in a gas chamber with his mom.
Mejloch Mandelbaum had been drafted to serve in the Baltic and stayed in the region to start a fish cannery. After that he was send to a concentration camp. Years later he was arrested in September 14, 1939. He almost survived the war but he died in 1944.
Moniek is Jacks friend. They met in the camps. He help Jack stay alive. After the war ended, Moniek moved to the United States in 1950, settled in New York State. He got married to Erica and had to sons together. They retired in Florida.
Important Scene: When the Nazi took Jack’s family away from their home.
Genre: Biography
Setting: Poland
This book reminds me of the book “The Diary of a young girl” by Anne Frank because she had to go through so much like hide for two years with her family during World War II and Jack had to leave his family to work in the camps.
I think people would want to read this book because Jack was a real person during World War II.
The author did not write a sequel.
December 3, 2021
Surviving Hitler tells the story of Jack Mandelbaum, a young Polish Jewish boy who watched as his homeland was taken over by the Nazis and his endurance during the events of the Holocaust. Jack came from a wealthy family, but as Nazism spread across his country, he put himself as the main provider of his family when he learns his Dad was deported to the camps. Eventually, he too, was separated from his mother and siblings and sent the death camps as well. He witnessed the cruelty of Hitler's regime firsthand, but through luck and the help of a few kind inmates, Jack managed to barely survive the whole ordeal by the time liberation came. Sadly, his once large family tree had dwindled down just him and five extended relatives. However, Jack perseveres and makes a living in the U.S. before reuniting with his remaining family and starting one of his own.
From his own experiences during the Holocaust, Jack helped many other surviving victims throughout his life and contributed to many efforts to spread the word of the ordeal millions suffered, informing the public of the millions of stories that could never be told. Though he still has scars from his time, he has become one of the figures of hope for many others in the new generations. It is a wonderful, easy-to-read biography of this boy who miraculously survived death from the extreme human cruelty put upon him, and is very informative of how history should not be repeated and how it's ordinary people who can do the biggest of impacts.
From his own experiences during the Holocaust, Jack helped many other surviving victims throughout his life and contributed to many efforts to spread the word of the ordeal millions suffered, informing the public of the millions of stories that could never be told. Though he still has scars from his time, he has become one of the figures of hope for many others in the new generations. It is a wonderful, easy-to-read biography of this boy who miraculously survived death from the extreme human cruelty put upon him, and is very informative of how history should not be repeated and how it's ordinary people who can do the biggest of impacts.
November 8, 2014
This is the story of an ordinary Jewish boy brought up in a town near the Polish border and caught up in Hitler's final solution. Early in Hitler's take over of Poland, he was given some very good advice which helped him survive. The most important was that he could do whatever he had to do and to not give in to hate. During a large part of the early years of Hitler's plan, Jack Mandelbaum was was sole breadwinner for his family. His father was taken away and they never heard from him again. Many times Jack didn't think he could survive, but he kept on pushing himself, becoming such a good worker the Nazi's did not kill him. He also remained cheerful and compliant, a task almost as arduous as the physical work. He realized that hate would consume him and sap his strength and energy if he gave over to it.
This is a good book for Young adult readers. It is not so gruesome as most books and yet gives an accurate view of what went on in the cities and concentration camps.
This is a good book for Young adult readers. It is not so gruesome as most books and yet gives an accurate view of what went on in the cities and concentration camps.
September 29, 2016
This book was written in a well organized style. I have read many books that tell the stories of many who suffered and survived this horror, and yet every individual experience is so different and horrific still.
June 11, 2016
A moving story following a boy through Nazi occupied Poland and several concentration camps.
October 5, 2020
"People assume, as the survivors grow older, they put their suffering behind them. It is the exact opposite," Jack said. "The enormity of the crime becomes more intolerable because you have time to think about it."
This book is agonizing.
This is that kind of book that you could have finished in one seating but in reality you just couldn't; it's too gruesome and cruel for your mind to comprehend, thus you need time-outs to put the book down, drink some water, take a deep breath, and wipe your tears away.
Jack Mandelbaum was a normal teenage boy in pre-war Poland. Came from a middle-upper family, he knew nothing but comfort and love from his parents and family.
And then the war came.
Like other Jews in other countries, Jack and his family were forced to fled their home and sought refuge in their relatives' homes, until eventually they were captured by the Nazis and were put in a concentration camp. Separated from his mom, brother, uncle, and cousins, Jack became the sole survivor of his family and was forced to work. Through this book, Jack recalled the horror and suffering in the camp, constantly trying to stay alive despite diseases, harsh weather, starvation, and cruelty by the kapos and the Nazis.
Just like other books about Holocaust and the Second World War, this book will show you how brutal the treatment done by the Nazis against the Jews, and how the survivors of the Holocaust did not survive only to have their experience and sufferings to be forgotten, or worse, denied.
This book is agonizing.
This is that kind of book that you could have finished in one seating but in reality you just couldn't; it's too gruesome and cruel for your mind to comprehend, thus you need time-outs to put the book down, drink some water, take a deep breath, and wipe your tears away.
Jack Mandelbaum was a normal teenage boy in pre-war Poland. Came from a middle-upper family, he knew nothing but comfort and love from his parents and family.
And then the war came.
Like other Jews in other countries, Jack and his family were forced to fled their home and sought refuge in their relatives' homes, until eventually they were captured by the Nazis and were put in a concentration camp. Separated from his mom, brother, uncle, and cousins, Jack became the sole survivor of his family and was forced to work. Through this book, Jack recalled the horror and suffering in the camp, constantly trying to stay alive despite diseases, harsh weather, starvation, and cruelty by the kapos and the Nazis.
Just like other books about Holocaust and the Second World War, this book will show you how brutal the treatment done by the Nazis against the Jews, and how the survivors of the Holocaust did not survive only to have their experience and sufferings to be forgotten, or worse, denied.
February 7, 2018
In the beginning, Jack lived in his country. He thought life would be an easy adventure but as it says on the cover he has to survive Hitler. He is in his country but he has to leave because his father heard rumors that Glynda was going to be bombed. So he made his whole family move except for him because he had to keep a job and send money to his family. So they left to go there, grandpas. After that, they went there uncles and it was infested with lice.
Jacks father never sent the money. So, Jack had to earn some money for his own family. Then, he had to trade jobs for money. Afterwards, he tried to get a not so that if Hitler took him he could use them not to get him out. Next, because of the note, he had to go to Hitler in the camp. As a result, he was very hungry. Finally, Jack went out of the camp and was free to do whatever he wanted instead of being whipped.
I liked this book pretty good because it went into a lot of detail. It also was pretty good because she told it from a real-life perspective. And because some of the parts it wasn't a
Jacks father never sent the money. So, Jack had to earn some money for his own family. Then, he had to trade jobs for money. Afterwards, he tried to get a not so that if Hitler took him he could use them not to get him out. Next, because of the note, he had to go to Hitler in the camp. As a result, he was very hungry. Finally, Jack went out of the camp and was free to do whatever he wanted instead of being whipped.
I liked this book pretty good because it went into a lot of detail. It also was pretty good because she told it from a real-life perspective. And because some of the parts it wasn't a
December 10, 2018
Nonfiction is not my preferred genre, so it should be no surprise that it’s one of the last genres I need to finish for my 40 book challenge. I had this book in my classroom library, so I figured I would give it a try.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read about the Holocaust, but this felt like a necessary reminder. It pulled me in because it was told from the perspective of a boy named Jack and felt like one person’s story rather than an informational book. Every time I read about the Holocaust I am horrified anew at the many atrocities committed. It’s so important that we pass this knowledge on to the next generation so that they can remember it and not make the same mistakes.
This is a book I will recommend to all my students. I hope some of them will pick it up and take its messages of peace, kindness, hope, and tolerance to heart.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read about the Holocaust, but this felt like a necessary reminder. It pulled me in because it was told from the perspective of a boy named Jack and felt like one person’s story rather than an informational book. Every time I read about the Holocaust I am horrified anew at the many atrocities committed. It’s so important that we pass this knowledge on to the next generation so that they can remember it and not make the same mistakes.
This is a book I will recommend to all my students. I hope some of them will pick it up and take its messages of peace, kindness, hope, and tolerance to heart.
January 15, 2025
Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. And I'm just about done - there are just a few left that aren't at my closest two libraries.
This one was essentially a memoir, though written by someone else. This is one youngster's story of surviving. And it is the survivor's who's stories are more likely to be told. This is told in a fairly straightforward manner - and we don't really see the slaughter. Instead we see the slower version, of working to near-death and starvation. Certainly a story worth telling and told well, but basically an ordinary story.
This one was essentially a memoir, though written by someone else. This is one youngster's story of surviving. And it is the survivor's who's stories are more likely to be told. This is told in a fairly straightforward manner - and we don't really see the slaughter. Instead we see the slower version, of working to near-death and starvation. Certainly a story worth telling and told well, but basically an ordinary story.
January 21, 2020
This book is amazing. Whenever I read this book it was always very hard to put down. Their were always cliffhangers no matter where you left off. This book is definitely one of my favorites that I have ever read. Their were some sad and happy parts. I highly recommend reading this book. I hope to find more this great!
January 4, 2019
Good holocaust story.
May 9, 2019
A memorable book. The horrible things Jack went through and the horror of what Hitler and the Nazis did is unbelievable. May we never forget and may we do our part in lessening hate in the world.
October 3, 2020
I read this as a potential classroom book, but found myself completely fascinated by the story. A true story told on narrative form, it’s one of the most intimate perspectives on World War II that I’ve encountered. I will definitely be reading this with my students during our World History research unit.
March 7, 2018
I think this book is really good because it has a lot of information about what does on in a concentration camp. I think the author gave a lot of details of what goes on in a prisoner of the camp's mind. The major topic that the author focused on was the life of one prisoner in a concentration camp. Just being focused on one prisoner and his life, all the other prisoners go through the same exact stuff as him. I think the author was also trying to say in her writing that if we think our lives are bad then just live in a concentration camp, then see how good your life is compared to other people's lives.
This writing is powerful because it's about what's going on in a concentration camp and what prisoner have to do to survive. The prisoners are fed bread with sawdust in it and they are barely given any other food. They get a small cup of soup for breakfast lunch and dinner. Also, the author explains the work the prisoners have to do. They work all day and if you don't do a good job you have a high chance of dying from the guards abusing her right now.
I thought the writing was entertaining too because I really wanted the character to survive and see how his life plays out in the camp. It was kind of scary when the main character Jack got a small case of Typhus and one of the guards was nice to him and took him to the doctor at the camp. While he was at the doctor's there were other sick patients with the same disease getting death injections. Jack saw this and he got up immediately and fell to his knees. He tried his hardest to get up and walk so he would not die. He could only walk a little. When he wasn't walking he was crawling passed all of the dead bodies. He finally made it to the door and back to his bed.
This book gave me a lot of info about what life was like in a concentration camp. I would recommend this book to someone that likes survival books.
This writing is powerful because it's about what's going on in a concentration camp and what prisoner have to do to survive. The prisoners are fed bread with sawdust in it and they are barely given any other food. They get a small cup of soup for breakfast lunch and dinner. Also, the author explains the work the prisoners have to do. They work all day and if you don't do a good job you have a high chance of dying from the guards abusing her right now.
I thought the writing was entertaining too because I really wanted the character to survive and see how his life plays out in the camp. It was kind of scary when the main character Jack got a small case of Typhus and one of the guards was nice to him and took him to the doctor at the camp. While he was at the doctor's there were other sick patients with the same disease getting death injections. Jack saw this and he got up immediately and fell to his knees. He tried his hardest to get up and walk so he would not die. He could only walk a little. When he wasn't walking he was crawling passed all of the dead bodies. He finally made it to the door and back to his bed.
This book gave me a lot of info about what life was like in a concentration camp. I would recommend this book to someone that likes survival books.
April 26, 2016
Title: Surviving Hitler
Author: Andrea Warren
Genre: Nonfiction, Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
Theme(s): Holocaust, World War II
Opening line/sentence: Until he was twelve, Jack Mandelbaum assumed his life would always be a carefree adventure.
Brief Book Summary: Jack was twelve when his family left the city for the country side to escape the invading Nazi’s, but eventually they are captured. Jack was separated from his family and was sent the Blechhammer concentration camp. Jack’s determination to live and find his family helps him to survive Hitler.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: (Book Bird Reviews)
Award-winning author Andrea Warren presents a life-changing story of a young boy's struggle for survival in a Nazi-run concentration camp. In this Robert F. Silbert Honor Book, narrated in the voice of Holocaust survivor Jack Mandelbaum, readers will glimpse the dark reality of life during the Holocaust, and how one boy made it out alive. When twelve-year-old Jack Mandelbaum is separated from his family and shipped off to the Blechhammer concentration camp, his life becomes a never-ending nightmare. With minimal food to eat and harsh living conditions threatening his health, Jack manages to survive by thinking of his family. Supports the Common Core State Standards.
(PUBLISHER: HarperTrophy (New York NY:), PUBLISHED: 2002 c2001.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Alice F. Stern (VOYA, June 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 2))
Jack Mandelbaum, a Polish Jew, had a happy family life until 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, beginning World War II. Fifteen-year-old Jack is sent to Nazi concentration camps. Despite fear, starvation, and other horrors, he survives. Teachers often use fiction to introduce the Holocaust--particularly the concentration camp experience--to younger students, who are not as emotionally ready as older teens for titles such as Elie Wiesel's Night. Warren's book would be a perfect nonfiction title for fifth through seventh grade. The author gets the tone just right for the age level. She does not skirt the horrors, but because Jack maintains a positive attitude, this book is not a devastating read. Warren includes enough background information so that students new to the subject will have some context, but not so much that the book will seem old hat to students who are already familiar with the Holocaust. The author includes good supplementary material, such as more information on concentration camps, and lists recommendations of excellent print and nonprint resources, organized according to age. Because few of Jack's family photos survived the war, the photographs used in the book are sometimes generic WWII-era photos--Hitler, a group of religious Jews, lines of people arriving at an unidentified concentration camp. These are high quality and evocative, however, and act more as background to Jack's story. Despite that quibble, this book is a valuable addition to Holocaust literature for children and teens and should be in every middle school collection. Index. Photos. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2001, HarperCollins, 160p, $16.95. Ages 11 to 14.
(PUBLISHER: HarperCollinsPublishers (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews offer a brief summary of the text stating that the author of this text offers students a glimpse into what it was like to be a child during this horrific time. The first review states that this text supports the common core standards while the second review says it would be a valuable addition to a classroom library. The second review discusses the additional features that this text offers aside from the story.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The text is written in third person point of view which allows readers to gain insight into the characters minds as well as into the time period of this text. This text offers students with a variety of additional features that they can use to explore and learn more. There is a table of contents, an index, and a multimedia section where students can find different texts relating to the holocaust.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Once students have finished reading this story, they will continue researching the holocaust. The will find another holocaust survivor’s story on the Internet and prepare a small presentation on the person’s life. When their presentations are complete, they will share them with the class.
Author: Andrea Warren
Genre: Nonfiction, Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
Theme(s): Holocaust, World War II
Opening line/sentence: Until he was twelve, Jack Mandelbaum assumed his life would always be a carefree adventure.
Brief Book Summary: Jack was twelve when his family left the city for the country side to escape the invading Nazi’s, but eventually they are captured. Jack was separated from his family and was sent the Blechhammer concentration camp. Jack’s determination to live and find his family helps him to survive Hitler.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: (Book Bird Reviews)
Award-winning author Andrea Warren presents a life-changing story of a young boy's struggle for survival in a Nazi-run concentration camp. In this Robert F. Silbert Honor Book, narrated in the voice of Holocaust survivor Jack Mandelbaum, readers will glimpse the dark reality of life during the Holocaust, and how one boy made it out alive. When twelve-year-old Jack Mandelbaum is separated from his family and shipped off to the Blechhammer concentration camp, his life becomes a never-ending nightmare. With minimal food to eat and harsh living conditions threatening his health, Jack manages to survive by thinking of his family. Supports the Common Core State Standards.
(PUBLISHER: HarperTrophy (New York NY:), PUBLISHED: 2002 c2001.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Alice F. Stern (VOYA, June 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 2))
Jack Mandelbaum, a Polish Jew, had a happy family life until 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, beginning World War II. Fifteen-year-old Jack is sent to Nazi concentration camps. Despite fear, starvation, and other horrors, he survives. Teachers often use fiction to introduce the Holocaust--particularly the concentration camp experience--to younger students, who are not as emotionally ready as older teens for titles such as Elie Wiesel's Night. Warren's book would be a perfect nonfiction title for fifth through seventh grade. The author gets the tone just right for the age level. She does not skirt the horrors, but because Jack maintains a positive attitude, this book is not a devastating read. Warren includes enough background information so that students new to the subject will have some context, but not so much that the book will seem old hat to students who are already familiar with the Holocaust. The author includes good supplementary material, such as more information on concentration camps, and lists recommendations of excellent print and nonprint resources, organized according to age. Because few of Jack's family photos survived the war, the photographs used in the book are sometimes generic WWII-era photos--Hitler, a group of religious Jews, lines of people arriving at an unidentified concentration camp. These are high quality and evocative, however, and act more as background to Jack's story. Despite that quibble, this book is a valuable addition to Holocaust literature for children and teens and should be in every middle school collection. Index. Photos. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2001, HarperCollins, 160p, $16.95. Ages 11 to 14.
(PUBLISHER: HarperCollinsPublishers (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews offer a brief summary of the text stating that the author of this text offers students a glimpse into what it was like to be a child during this horrific time. The first review states that this text supports the common core standards while the second review says it would be a valuable addition to a classroom library. The second review discusses the additional features that this text offers aside from the story.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The text is written in third person point of view which allows readers to gain insight into the characters minds as well as into the time period of this text. This text offers students with a variety of additional features that they can use to explore and learn more. There is a table of contents, an index, and a multimedia section where students can find different texts relating to the holocaust.
Consideration of Instructional Application: Once students have finished reading this story, they will continue researching the holocaust. The will find another holocaust survivor’s story on the Internet and prepare a small presentation on the person’s life. When their presentations are complete, they will share them with the class.
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