The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Jewish mythology and history combined with Russian culture!

Liba, Laya, and their parents live a happy life together on the outer edge of town, away from scrutinizing villagers. They enjoy their privacy and freedoms. When their father’s brother comes knocking at the door to request that he returns home, everything the girls have known changes completely. They discover that their parents were shunned by their own families because of their differences, despite that, they’ve made a good life on their own with Liba and Laya. When the girls are left on their own so their parents can travel to see family, danger arrives. It’s up to the sisters to protect each other and remember what their mother told them above all, it’s their choice what they do with their lives and to not let anyone take that choice away from them.

Likes/dislikes: I like how the story is told in alternating points of view and that Liba is strong and her words take up the whole page while Laya’s words are in a thin column, delicate like her. Jewish mythology and Russian culture abounds in this story. I appreciate the Author’s notes about the true history this book is based on.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 4 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for killings, rape and injured off page.
Ethnicity: pale skin, Russian and Jewish.

The Uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto by Irving Werstein

Posted on by lynndellwatson

True events retold in this nonfiction account of the Warsaw Ghetto leading up to and during World War II.

Detailed telling of the horrible events that took place before, during and after the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto! Resources listed at the end of the book for further reading. A must read for knowledge of the tragic, mind-numbing circumstances that led to World War II. True tales of prejudice, violence, and heroism are recalled in this book!