Young Adult Nonfiction Holocaust
To Look a Nazi in the Eye
A teen's account of a war criminal trial
- Publisher
- Second Story Press
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2017
- Category
- Holocaust, Prejudice & Racism
- Recommended Age
- 15 to 18
- Recommended Grade
- 9 to 12
- Recommended Reading age
- 13 to 18
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781772600407
- Publish Date
- Sep 2017
- List Price
- $15.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781772600414
- Publish Date
- Sep 2017
- List Price
- $8.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
The true story of nineteen-year-old Jordana Lebowitz’s time at the trial of Oskar Groening, known as the "bookkeeper of Auschwitz", a man charged with being complicit in the deaths of more than 300,000 Jews. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Jordana was still not prepared for what she would see and hear. Listening to Groening’s testimony and to the Holocaust survivors who came to testify against him, Jordana felt the weight of being witness to history – a history that we need to remember now more than ever.
About the authors
Kathy Kacer est une auteure primée qui a écrit de nombreux livres sur l'holocauste pour les jeunes lecteurs, dont The Magician of Auschwitz, L'histoire d'Edith, Le journal de Sara et Les espions de la nuit. Elle s'estime honorée de contribuer à faire connaître l'histoire familiale de Jenny Kay Dupuis. Kathy vit avec sa famille à Toronto.
Kathy Kacer has won many awards for her writing, including the American Jewish Library Association Award. In 1999, she wrote the first book in Second Story's Holocaust Remembrance Series, The Secret of Gabi's Dresser. Since then, she's penned four other books in the series. Kacer now writes about the Holocaust for young readers and travels the country speaking about it. Kacer lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her family.
Jordana Lebowitz attended the trial of Oskar Groening in 2015. She is dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and set up a Nazi cattle car exhibit at her university that was seen by more than 2,000 people. From Toronto, she has worked for Holocaust organizations in Australia and California and travels frequently.
Awards
- Runner-up, Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Teen Readers
- Winner, Canadian Jewish Literary Award - Memoir/Biography
- Short-listed, Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature
Editorial Reviews
Kacer deftly handles the complex and tense dramatic nonfiction narrative and its layers of emotion… A must-have in a YA collection.
AJL Reviews
With living survivors seen through the eyes of a contemporary teen, the Holocaust is made present... 72 years after the liberation of the death camps, this immediacy is vital.
Kirkus Reviews
The book is filled with serious quandaries and issues but is also an exciting page-turner. Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.
Jewish Book Council
"To Look a Nazi in the Eye addresses topics such as prejudice, tolerance, the Holocaust, social justice, citizenship, as well demonstrating that young people can and do have a voice."
Professionally Speaking
Focussing on the real stories and feelings of real human beings who lived through the worst horrors imaginable, Kacer keeps the book both an engrossing read and a powerful messenger. Highly Recommended.
CM: Canadian Review of Materials
By the time readers reach the end of the book, they will realize as Jordana does that the trial wasn’t so much about justice for the millions of Jewish people who were murdered, but about sending a message worldwide that hatred will not go unchecked. That there are consequences.... That young people must listen to the lessons of history and take an active role in making this world a better place.
Edmonton Jewish News
...Kacer is able to help the reader better understand the conflict with which both [Lebowitz and Groening] are struggling. Although no direct transcript of the testimony exists, Kacer's treatment of Groening's story is fair and even-keeled...
Canadian Children's Book News
The fact that with each passing year, fewer and fewer survivors are alive to tell their stories makes this account important.... A stirring reminder of the importance of history and activism.
School Library Journal
Other titles by
Le goût de l’espoir
By Chance Alone: The Young Readers' Edition
By Chance Alone: The Young Readers' Edition
A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz
Two Pieces of Chocolate
Hidden on the High Wire
Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers
Hidden on the High Wire
Under the Iron Bridge
The Brushmaker’s Daughter
Hiding Edith
