Syvia is only four years old when the Nazis invade Poland. Soon, she is forced with her family and the rest of the Jewish people in the city of Lodz into the ghettos. There, life is dangerous, and her family suffers many close calls as they see their friends and relatives taken from them. As a small child, Syvia is in more danger than the rest, and her family must take extreme measures to protect her. Still, there is nothing that can protect her from the constant hunger and the fear of discovery. At the end of the war, when the Lodz ghetto is liberated, there are only about 800 survivors out of as many as 270,000 that once lived there. Syvia is one of only twelve children to survive the Lodz ghetto. This book tells her story of growing up in the midst of the Holocaust. Based on an interview of Syvia as an adult, and written by her niece in the form of verse, this work portrays her experiences with vivid details that allow the reader a window into Syvia's childhood. A prologue, introduction, author's note, time line, and introductions to each part offer factual information that provides the reader a context for the events of the narrative.
Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award 2011
Date read: 5/31/2010
ISBN-10: 076145277X
ISBN-13: 9780761452775
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