A wonderful book you’ll be able to add to your children’s or students’ library this coming winter is Gifts from the Enemy, by award-winning children’s author Trudy Ludwig. A nonfiction picture book for readers in grades 3-6, it’s based on the experiences of Alter Wiener, who as a teenager spent nearly three years in five concentration camps during World War II. Author of 64735: From a Name to a Number – A Holocaust Survivor’s Autobiography, Wiener is now 87 and one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors in the US’s Pacific Northwest, Trudy writes in her Kickstarter page for the book’s publication.
“His story is one of hope for anyone who has ever been devalued or treated poorly by others” and “shows how our words and actions are capable of breaking down or building up the human spirit.” Paintings by illustrator Craig Orback bring teenaged Alter Weiner’s story to life for learning history, empathy, and perspective taking. This is also illustrated social-emotional learning. Gifts from the Enemy will be released in both print and e-book formats.
Related links
- “Hurting others hurts us: Study”
- President Obama on the importance of context and perspective
- “The global free speech experiment for participants of all ages”
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