A short, snappy look at the Holocaust. Unfortunately, it's so quick that it's rather forgettable. ( )

This book is an autobiography about a young girl growing up in Hungary during the time of World War II. It is a first hand account of the struggles families faced when the Nazis took over large parts of Europe. Since it is a first hand account, the story is very poignant and gripping, allowing us to see the holocaust through the eyes of a child.
This would be a terrific book to have students read as an introduction to a unit on World War II, the Holocaust, or Jewish persecution. It is appropriate for most ages starting at about the fifth grade level. Since it is an account of the life of Isabella Leitner in her own words and through her own perspective as a child, some of the more traumatic descriptions are left out when Leitner may not have known exactly what was going on or why things were happening to her family.
The lessons to be taught out of this book would include how Jewish families were impacted during the Holocaust, what one might have to do to survive the tragedies present during war, or just simply, why was WWII such a devastating thing for so many people.
The story is intertwined with pictures illustrated by Judy Pederson who has illustrated many children’s books in the past. There is even an afterward that gives a shortened version of the events that made up World War II in a way that would be suitable for younger students to read and understand. It isn’t too heavy, but its full of appropriate information that could spark an interest with the war and holocaust down the road.

Excellent non-fiction of a child who ended up in Auschwitz during WW2. It is a simple book, easily accessible in reading difficulty for a second grader, although the historical context may influence a parent or teacher to give this book a year or two later.

An interesting book, the Big Lie: A True Story is the tale of Isabella Leitner, a Holocaust survivor as she recounts the journey of terror she and he family had to survive. Geared towards younger readers, The Big Lie is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust. There is still mention of death camps, crematories, and so on. Leitner does not sugarcoat the truth. Instead, she focuses on the story of hope as this family overcomes even the strongest obstacles to stay together. ( )

This book is very sad. I would recommened this to anyone who likes WW2. This book takes place during WW2. ( )