A child and an elderly Holocaust survivor form a life-changing friendship.Sarnowski, a Catholic girl who's cued white, met octogenarian Alter Weiner when, at age 9, she attended his presentation in Portland, Oregon, about his experiences during the Holocaust and its aftermath. Polish Jewish immigrant Weiner spent years as a teen in Nazi slave labor camps, enduring starvation and nearly being worked to death. After the war, he learned that more than 100 members of his family had been murdered in the concentration camps. Inspired by his presentation, Sarnowski contacted Weiner, hoping to find a way to help him make even more of an impact. With cooperation from Sarnowski's parents, the two made it their quest to pass a bill mandating the teaching of Holocaust and genocide studies in Oregon schools. The book meticulously describes the long, intense process of successfully getting the education bill through the Oregon state senate. Sarnowski and Weiner were devastated by hate speech and crimes in their own town and around the U.S. and the world, but this only strengthened their determination. Sarnowski comes across as a remarkable child: capable, intelligent, and wise beyond her years. Her intensely loving partnership with Weiner is at the core of the account, which is repetitive in places but contains moments of despair, heartbreak, laughter, and triumph. Readers will long remember Weiner and his hopeful instruction to be "better, not bitter."An inspiring and hopeful story. (author's note, resources and recommended reading) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Gr 6 Up —A hopeful memoir and true story exploring how the Holocaust and other genocides are discussed in schools across the country, and how one friendship led to change for the better. As a 14-year-old in Oregon, Sarnowski was already an activist. After she saw Alter Wiener's presentation of his life and his survival of the Holocaust, she was inspired. A friendship between Wiener and Sarnowski formed and together the two worked to make lessons about the Holocaust and genocides mandatory in Oregon's schools. The need for this legislation became more urgent with the rise of hate crimes and speech in Sarnowski's hometown and across the country. Sadly, Wiener died before seeing the bill pass, but his presence is there in the honors given to him by the state, his family, and this story. Sarnowski recreates the conversations and events they shared, which makes this book read smoothly and has broad appeal to all readers. While the text details the long process of getting the bill passed, the focal point is the friendship between Sarnowski and Wiener. Their story is melancholy, but holds hope for the future. The back matter contains an afterword, author's note, and lists of resources, readings, and places to visit. VERDICT Put this in the hands of young activists and any middle school students interested in bringing about change.—Kylie Woodmansee