The Grey Striped Shirt
"My grandmother was guarded by dogs and soldiers with guns? I didn't like hearing these frightening things. I covered my eyes, trying to get the horrible picture out of my head -- my Grandma Trudie in a striped prison uniform, with her head completely shaved, pulling a wagon."
Nine-year-old Frannie accidentally finds a grey striped shirt with a yellow star in her grandparent's closet. This begins a gradual discovery of what happened to her grandparents during the Holocaust. Illustrated with several full page pen and ink drawings, this book asserts that surviving was an act of resistance: "We fought the Nazis by staying alive." A gentle introduction to a difficult subject.
Reviews
"This is a moving book, just perfect for those too old for David Adler's The Number on My Grandfather's Arm and not quite ready for Lois Lowry's Number the Stars."--School Library Journal
"The sadness and terror of the past are balanced by the hope and promise of the future." -- Hadassah Magazine
"Powerful information, measured chapter by chapter, is crafted into a moving, not a threatening book." -- AJL Newsletter.
"The Grey Striped Shirt offers the opportunity to open up discussion with the family or in the classroom." -- The Nashville Banner
