The book was reviewed in the May/June 2015 issue of AJL Reviews:
Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. Anne Frank and the Remembering Tree. Illus. by Erika Steiskal. Indianapolis: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Boston: Skinner House Books, 2015. 32 pp. $16.00. (9781558967380). Gr. 5–8. This is the story of the tree that stood in the yard behind Anne Frank’s Secret Annex. Anne wrote about the tree in her diary. It was a source of solace and hope for her. The tree describes prewar Amsterdam and how the arrival of the Nazi army changed everything. The tree tells us about Anne and her family, how they lived in secret, how they distracted themselves from their situation, and ultimately how they were discovered and never returned. The tree describes how it stood, honored and appreciated, for so long and how it fell—due to age, disease and environment—becoming not one tree, but many. Saplings from the tree are planted all over the world serving as symbols of hope for us all. The tree still stands, still remembering. The descriptive and compelling illustrations are lovely paintings of life during Anne’s time and beyond. The most poignant is the last illustration of Anne and Margot running around the tree’s trunk. This is an attractive addition to the genre of illustrated Holocaust stories; however, teachers and parents will have to decide at what age readers are capable of absorbing and comprehending the depth of the tragedy depicted, even though the story is told through the “eyes” of the tree. n Kathy Bloomfield, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee and forwordsbooks.com, Washington, DC Rachel Kamin, Director The Joseph and Mae Gray Cultural & Learning Center North Suburban Synagogue Beth El 847/926-7902 or [email protected] <blocked::mailto:[email protected]> Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am-2pm and Wednesday 4-6 pm & Sunday 9am-12pm (when school is in session) From: Hasafran [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Amy Turim Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2015 2:19 PM To: Hasafran to post Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] thoughts on a book I would like to hear some reactions to Sandy Eisenberg Sasso’s ANNE FRANK AND THE REMEMBERING TREE. What are your gut responses, sense of appropriate children’s ages, and general appropriateness as a book about the Holocaust? Children at my synagogue – mostly girls, of course – want to read about Anne Frank, and I’m glad there are many good options. Is this one of them? Thanks in advance for your input. Amy Turim Temple Emanuel Kensington, MD
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