D. Kelley Steele

With the clear purpose of "teaching empathy," as stated in the author' foreword, this stirring, true Holocaust story raises crucial issues about the bystander's role. Margot speaks in the first person about her childhood in Nazi Germany. Her father was Jewish; he took her to the synagogue. Her mother was Christian; she took her to church. Realistic artwork, created in what appears to be pastel on heavily textured paper, shows Margot first as a smiling child learning the Hitler salute at school and proudly wearing the uniform of the Hitler Youth. Steele's words address readers directly: "Would you have saluted?" "Would you feel proud?" But then comes new understanding and heartbreaking persecution. Kids call Margot "filthy Jew," and it's revealed that her father eventually kills himself (done quietly offstage), making the ultimate sacrifice to save his family. There's plenty for adults to talk about with their children here, and a biographical note, including photos of Margot in Germany as a child and in the U.S now, fills in the story.… (altro)