The Librarian of Auschwitz (Special Edition)

First book of 2018!!! And why I decided to pick a book that would pull my heart out of my chest and stomp on it, I’ll never know! I got this book for Christmas and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. The cover is gorgeous, its based on a true story, and its all about books. As much as I’ve studied the Holocaust and Auschwitz, I don’t think I’ve ever read about the family camp or the children’s school. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve read an account of day to day life in Auschwitz, other than the constant stream into the gas chambers. This book does a great job of capturing the feelings of the prisoners. In other accounts, it seems that all you can feel is the fear and despair. But in The Librarian, there’s a sense of hope that never seems to be extinguished. Dr. Mengele could easily fit in as the villain in any horror story and be completely believable and terror-inducing. Yet Dita refuses to be cowed. Fredy, instead of looking out for his own interests and well-being like most leaders of that time did, successfully ran a school for hundreds of kids, in the middle of the most deadly extermination camp the Nazis ever set up! How our youth of today manage to “survive” in this world of mean, offensive people, I’ll never know! *cough*sarcasm*cough* There were so many feelings in this book! I was inspired, heartbroken, excited, scared, frustrated, angry . . . I thought I was going to burst. This is another fiction book that reads like non-fiction. Iturbe researched extensively and spent a lot of time with Dita before writing. The Postscript was actually my favorite part of the whole book because it was wonderful to hear about what kind of person Dita grew up to be. Pretty sure she is my new hero and will remain in that position forever! I would save this for slightly older teens, keep it in high school classrooms and libraries. But every single high school history teacher should have this book on their shelves. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, history, or just an inspiring story. I would also suggest that every single high schooler read this book. An easy 5 stars! “Books are extremely dangerous; they make people think.”

Where this book took a few chapters to really reel me in, I settled in and let the book get in my bones. The reason this book might feel a bit choppy or random at times, is because it's written as a firsthand account of a young teen. It's really a coming-of-age story of a girl figuring out the tough facts of life as she goes through the most senseless acts of violence and murder in history. This book not only follows her life, but the life of some of her family members, friends, and other children and Jewish leaders and Resistance members in the camp. It's written bluntly and to the point, just like a teen would react. I had never read a perspective like this and learned so much about the children, and family camp, which I hadn't known before. I appreciated how she delved into the character and bravery of so many different people. Some showed this bravery in incredibly daring ways, and others in quiet, peaceful ways. This book reads like a YA novel, but is compelling and heartbreaking throughout, yet it made my heart sore to celebrate this girl's undying spirit that brought hope to so many. Amazing book.

“Brave people are not the ones who aren’t afraid. Those are reckless people who ignore the risk; they put themselves and others in danger. That’s not the sort of person I want on my team. I need the ones who know the risk—whose legs shake, but who carry on.” Some consider running a secret school and library inside of Auschwitz an act of useless bravery. I am more inclined to agree with the author of this book who found the real-life story of Holocaust survivor Dita Kraus to be one that can inspire and challenge us to think differently. Though a work of fiction, this novel is based on facts and will both educate and deeply move you.

I love books like this, telling a story but filled with actual facts and history. It keeps your attention and actually teaches you things. I fell in love with the young Dita, how she cherished books and was their guardian in a place that would've killed her for owning them. I also enjoyed that the last 40ish pages were explaining how the author met the real life woman and compiled his information. It added some realism to the story, made everything more concrete. It is great that Dita Kraus lived a long and full life after the horror she was subjected to.

One in a long line of Auschwitz books, this one a blend of fiction and nonfiction. I found myself constantly Googling the people and events in the book to see which each was and to learn more about them. Most were true. It’s a heartbreaking story with details about the concentration camps that will challenge any reader’s emotions. I almost didn’t finish it, not because I wasn’t engaged, but because it was so hard to take. This is classified as a YA book, but as a retired English teacher, I’m not sure I would use it in class, at least not in its totality. I’ve used Anne Frank’s story and Wiesel’s classic “Night,” but this might be too graphic for kids the age I taught. I recommend “The Librarian of Auschwitz” to anyone who has an interest in the holocaust with the caveat that it’s a tough book to get through.

A beautiful story of Jewish prisoners during WWII efforting to normalize a life for their children in Auschwitz death camp. Excellent, deeply felt writing featuring historical characters brought to life with imaginative authenticity. On threat of immediate death, Dita, the 15 year old keeper of a handful of ratty books lends, maintains and hides forbidden volumes from Nazi eyes for the benefit of children and their teachers. Many will die and a few will survive. In the meantime, a small group of individuals determine to use the few tools they have to enrich the daily lives of their charges. The Librarian of Auschwitz is well worth the time it takes to read it.

I was glued to this book! What a great storyteller. I was in tears at times reading about their struggles and strengths. I really got into this book, rooting for Dita and her family and friends. An amazing story, very well told.

I liked this book. I just didn’t love it. I have read numerous WWII books and this one just seems a little slow for me. It got very interesting towards the end but I just felt like majority of the book was just okay.

My 17 year old granddaughter bought this for herself, I thought I'd better read it first to make sure it wasn't too distressing for her. It's an excellent book, well written, descriptive but not too traumatic for the young reader. A rich story of family, how you perceive people, growing up in times of war, how to detach oneself, and of course the importance of stories and the story teller. You'll receive a great deal from this book, highly recommended for all ages.

I stayed all night reading this simple but unforgettable book. The author did a stellar job of humanizing the characters and giving insight into how people reacted to their horrifying hellish reality. I especially appreciated that the author gave bonus material at the conclusion...sharing what happened to the Nazi, Jewish and other main characters after the end of the war as well as how he met some of them and researched this book. Thank you for writing so clearly and compassionately.

I loved the book.

J’ai juste commencé mais je sente que je vais lire très vite!!

This book has totally horrified me in the best way. It is so factual and real it hurts. To read what they went through in such detail was awful. This is the first book I’ve read that gives some real insight into the horrors of Belsen. My grandad was there with the liberating soldiers from the tank regiment and tried to help to get the poor people to hospitals. It broke me to read exactly what he would have seen. You see photos which are absolutely horrifying but to hear real life accounts bring things to life even more so