We Are Their Voice: Young People Respond to the Holocaust. (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers). Kathy Kacer, Ed. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press, 2012. 232 pp., trade pbk., $16.95. ISBN 978-1-926920-77-1. Subject Headings: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)-Influence-Juvenile literature. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Kay Weisman. **½ /4

excerpt:

Tonya Beliak, 1942

My world has fallen apart in the past few weeks. There are rumors that we will either be killed in concentration camps, or forced to work there in brutal conditions. Many of us have been forced into hiding. People are doing anything to save their children. I have heard of people hiding under floor boards and not even speaking for fear of being caught.

My parents have been sent away. They knew of a German family that was willing to take me in and care for me as one of their own. The Mueller family are putting themselves at risk to protect me. Without them I would not be telling my story. I have to wear their son’s clothes so I fit in.

In We Are Their Voice, Kacer, the author of numerous Holocaust-related titles, including To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis, introduces 85 writing and drawing selections created by middle school students from Canada, the United States, Australia, and Italy. This project, developed in conjunction with several educators, was prompted by Kacer’s concern that so many Holocaust survivors are now deceased, and these creations are Kacer’s attempt to keep awareness of the Holocaust alive for new generations.

     Selections are arranged thematically (staying together, hiding, fear, looking for justice, etc.) and introduced by Kacer. The entries range in format from artwork to diary entries to personal interviews to book reviews to letters to short fiction. Some pieces are speculative (based on real events with fictional people) while others are based on specific individuals. The tone throughout is respectful and informative.

     While few would debate the value of Holocaust education, some will be uncomfortable with this presentation. It is one thing to learn about the Holocaust through the experiences and words of actual survivors—indeed many primary sources have been documented in the years since 1945. Likewise, most readers accept the use of good secondary sources—those compiled by diligent researchers. However, this book asks its student authors to imagine themselves as Holocaust victims and survivors, and despite the authors’ good intentions, a case can be made that this presentation denigrates the experiences of actual Holocaust survivors and victims. One would not ask white students to create fictional pieces putting themselves in the role of Aboriginal residential school attendees because it would be impossible for a white child to fully understand the feelings and experiences that native children endured, and, in some ways, the process of creating these pieces could be construed as disrespectful to the actual experiences. The same standard should hold true for personal experience pieces about other racial/ethnic groups. Certainly Holocaust education is important, but it is perhaps better accomplished through the use of the many excellent primary and secondary sources already available.

Recommended with reservations.

Kay Weisman, a long-time librarian and reviewer, recently completed her Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from UBC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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