School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2011)

Gr 5-8 The grim and desperate reality of Terez&7;n is brought to life by the images and words of those who experienced it. As the war progressed, the Nazis held German, Dutch, and Danish Jews in the ghetto, as well as using it as a transport stop for some on their way to concentration camps such as Auschwitz. A large number of Jewish artists, writers, and performers were imprisoned at Terez&7;n, many forced to use their talents for Nazi propaganda or official Nazi documents. Secretly, these artists also created images of what they observed, from the overcrowding to the deplorable, unsanitary living conditions to the plight of the elderly and infirm. In this book, excerpts from hidden diaries and letters, as well as drawings and paintings, make for a poignant overview of life inside the ghetto. The voices of adults and children are a moving reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and a powerful way to make history real to students. The modern photographs of Terez&7;n are juxtaposed against images and photographs created in the 1940s, making for an interesting contrast. This is a strong addition to the many books about the Holocaust, and to any history collection.— Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

ALA Booklist (Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2011)

Even libraries with substantial Holocaust collections will want this generously sized, illustrated account that blends the searing history of the Terezín concentration camp with personal testimonies of those who were there, artwork of both established painters and children, and quotes from survivors' oral histories and secret diary entries, including a Czech schoolboy's memories of how life changed for the Jews when Hitler came. The statistics sum it up: 15,000 children passed through Terezín; fewer than 100 survived. Also part of the story are the astounding lies and cover-ups (including the transportations of orphans and the dying to Auschwitz to cut down on overcrowding) that tricked official observers into issuing a positive report. Contrast those facts with the artists' secret images that show the reality of the hunched, hollow-eyed survivors. The open book design, with highly readable type on thick paper, will draw readers into each double-page spread. The excellent, accessible back matter includes a time line, glossary, sources, and museum websites for further research.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Terezmn was used by Nazi propagandists to show the world how well Jews were treated in concentration camps. Thomson examines the place through memoirs and diary excerpts, documentary photos, and artwork (some made for the Germans and some created secretly). Examples of the ways in which culture flourished along with the horrors of death from starvation and disease are represented in equal measure. Timeline, Bib., glos., ind.