Daniel’s Story

Daniel’s Story is a fictional account of Daniel, a 14-year-old living in Germany as the Nazis gain power and he experiences the horrors of the Holocaust. Daniel is Jewish, and, despite the fact he lives in Germany, he finds it difficult to understand why the Nazis hate Jewish people so much as he considers himself to be German first. Daniel has a great life, but as the years pass, he discovers that things will never be the same again.

Told in first person, the story recounts Daniel’s life in Frankfurt and then his move to the Lodz ghetto and eventually the Auschwitz concentration camp. Readers follow Daniel’s life and experiences as he witnessed death, starvation, fear, and determination. His final move is to the camp called Buchenwald, and it is from here that he is freed by American troops at the end of the war.

Daniel is a typical teenager, one with dreams and aspirations. He loves photography, and the story actually exemplifies as snapshots of his life and world. Readers examine these verbal snapshots of Daniel’s world and discover his story along the way. Racism, hatred, and prejudice are found in each snapshot, and, as Daniel experiences each one, his hatred of the Nazis fuels his anger and ignites his determination to survive. Small cruelties grow into what becomes known as the Holocaust.

Based on survivor accounts, Matas has created a fictional account of one of the most terrible times in history, a story which she delivers through the eyes of a teen. Readers follow Daniel as he lives four years under the Nazi regime, experiencing first-hand the cruelty of the Nazis. Matas has taken an unfathomable historical event and provided readers with a heartwarming story of the power of love, courage and the will to survive. The vivid descriptions of events bring the reader to a time and place as if there were actually there.

Daniel’s Story is an award-winning novel that will transcend time, as proven in the new edition celebrating its 25th year anniversary of publication. The cover has changed from the 1993 copy to a brighter and more appealing cover that is illustrated with striped pajamas and a yellow Star of David. The new cover certainly is more representative of symbols associated with the Holocaust. The 2018 edition also includes a question and answer section at the end.
Note: Although the publisher has this novel listed for ages 8-14, Daniel’s Story is an excellent teaching tool for units on Holocaust studies for all grades from 6-12. Younger students and lower grades may find the story a little beyond their comprehension and emotional ability.