When Life Gives You O.J.

What a fun story on the surface for young readers. But there is also so much to discuss and think about in this book. Author Erica Perl has done a wonderful job presenting important topics for families to discuss and given readers an interesting and easy way to bring those conversations to the family dinner table.

On the surface this is a story that every child can relate to, Zelly, (Zelda) Fried and her family have moved from the ethnic world of Brooklyn, NY to the very homogeneous country, of Burlington, Vermont.  Here Zelly stands out for many reasons and the book deals with her differences, making new friends and fitting in.  While her best friend is away at summer camp, Zelly is home with her parents, her brother, Sam and her grandfather, Ace (Abraham) a retired judge.

Zelly is petitioning for a pet dog.  Her grandfather gives her some advice on how to show her parents that she is grown-up and mature enough to have a pet.  Zelly finds out what it takes to be responsible and also to stand up for your friends and not be swayed by peer pressure.  This is a summer of growing up and new adventures.

Today I listened to the author talk about the book and this made it even more interesting.  She describes the idea that for Zelly living in a small town where she is one of the only Jewish children in her school and having a pet pretend dog, gives the author a way to examine the idea of standing out and being different.  The bully in school focuses on Zelly and her only friend because they are different but is it their Jewishness or is it just because he is mean and sees her walking her oj container?  the oj container becomes a way to explore the topic of difference without focusing on religious or racial difference.  This is a fun story with so much depth.

Roses in a Forbidden Garden

Roses in a Forbidden Garden is written by Elise Garibaldi.  This is written as a memoir about Garibaldi's grandmother, Inge Katz.  it is written in a simple style that clearly explains the hardships endured by Jewish families during the Holocaust in Germany.  This is an account that is detailed, but not horrific.  It can be easily read by Middle School and High School students as well as adults.

Inge Katz is a young girl living in very gracious home, an upper middle class lifestyle.  Her father had fought for Germany in the first world war and had a government job.  He thought the family would be safe even though there was building Anti-Semitic sentiment building in the town and through out the country.

Garibaldi lays out the story of how Katz's life is turned upside down when the SS come and tell the family to report to the train station.  They are deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
They are lucky that they are at that camp, the camp known as the show camp.  They treatment is slightly better than some of the other camps.  They are also at an advantage because they get to stay together as a family and Inge's father is a respected worker at the camp.  Inge also works in an office in the camp.  While being interned at Theresienstadt, Inge meets Schmuel Berger, a fellow prisoner. They fall in love and after a few months, of evening walks around the camp, Schmuel learns that he is being transferred.  He is sent to Auschwitz.  There he works hard to stay alive for the rest of the war.

There is a happy ending to this family's story.  Inge and Schmuel and most of their families live through the war and also get the chance to grow old together and have children and grandchildren, defying the Nazi goal of Jewish extermination.