Module 11: Luba, The Angel of Bergen-Belsen

Summary:
Luba, The Angel of Bergen-Belsen tells the story of Luba Tryszynska-Frederick and begins as she lies awake in her concentration camp bunk. Luna was taken from her home by Nazi soldiers, sent to Auschwitz first, where she lost her husband and son, and then to Bergen-Belsen. Luba hears the cries of children, calling out for their mothers. However, the rest of the ladies pass her off as another crazy, suffering from the loss of her own child. Upon further investigation Luba finds a group of 54 children huddling together in the cold night air, just outside of her bunk house. Although she is risking death, Luba decides to bring the children into her bunk, and begins to care for them as her own. Because the Nazi soldiers believe Luba is a nurse, she is able to have freedom in the camp that other prisoners are not allowed. Although dangerous, Luba uses this freedom to obtain the things the children need to survive. She gets break from the bakery, meat from the butcher, and soup from the cook- all without having her secret discovered. The children loved Luba, and waited for her to return each night. They even gathered enough to trade for a scarf to give Luba for her birthday, a gift Luba would treasure always. Luba cared for the children when they were sick, fed them when she good, and loved them always. One day, Luba heard the sound of freedom, tanks coming through the gates. They were free! They had been rescued, and the Nazis defeated! Thanks to the dedication of Luba, all but two children made it through the war alive, and were given a second chance at life.

My Thoughts:
I had never heard of this story, or of Luba, so I found the book quite compelling. I enjoyed the author's prologue and epilogue, giving background and follow up information. I particularly enjoyed getting to see the reunion photo of the survivors. I also liked that this was an appropriate story to share with even young children regarding the holocaust. It expressed the turmoil of daily life, without being too graphic for young children. However, I disliked the blurry style of the illustrations, and the fact that the author took liberties in changing bits of the story for the purpose of the book. I feel that better illustrations would have served the book well, doing it more justice than the current set. I also feel that the story was powerful enough on it's own, and did not need the author's creative license to alter it in any way. It made me wonder what those involved felt about the retelling.

Their Thoughts:
Excerpt from Hazel Rochman's Booklist Review-
"Just when it seems a nonfiction Holocaust book can't tell us anything new, along comes a story like this one, an inspiring, upbeat, true rescue account that is essential to the history. In the last few months of the war, Luba Trysznka, a young Polish Jewish woman, saved more than 50 Dutch Jewish children who had been abandoned in a snowy field behind her barracks in Bergen-Belsen. She sheltered the children, scavenged and stole for them, and cajoled food scraps, medicine, and wood to keep the children alive. McCann's third-person account is based on interviews with Luba, who now lives in the U.S., and Marshall's handsome accompanying art, in oil paint and collage, is radiant. There are also occasional photos, including one of the survivors 50 years later when their brave rescuer was honored."

Awards and Accolades-
Amelia Bloomer Project Award 2004
Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2004
Assoc. of Jewish Librarians Best of the Bunch 2003
Special Interest Group of the Int. Reading Assoc. Notable Books for a Global Society 2004

My Ideas:
This story would work well as a read aloud for students beginning to study World War II, particularly in the 4th to 5th grade age range. I would collaborate with teachers to find out when they were studying the topic, and would present this book to the classes within that time frame, providing a different perspective on the lives of children during this time period.