Behind the Bedroom Wall

Excellent Holocaust novel. ( )

I'm not sure why, but I didn't really enjoy this book. Part of me thinks it's because it's written for 9-13 year olds and I'm pushing 30. But if a book is good, it should be good regardless of the age of the reader, no?

I found the main character's abrupt change of heart to be more than a bit unbelievable. And her naïveté to be implausible. Though it is perhaps my adult eyes seeing this, I found the plot "twists" to be incredibly see-through.

I have read and enjoyed several YA books about WWII. This was not one of them. ( )

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Summary: This book is about a 13 year old named Korinna during the times of the holocaust. She is a supporter of Hitler. When she finds out that her family is hiding another family behind her wall she is furious and upset. Her heart softens when she gets to know the family and her actions help save the family at the night of a raid.
Personal Reaction: This book is very encouraging. It will encourage you to have a soft heart and be generous to others. This book helps you understand more than just the history of the holocaust but, the outlooks of the people who were involved.
Classroom extension ideas:
1. Have the class write a story about something they would have done during the time of the holocaust.
2. Have a history lesson of the events of the holocaust.

This novel is about a girl named Korinna. She and her friends Eva and Rita are German girls growing up in Nazi Germany. Korinna is part of the Jungmadel, one of Hitler's youth groups. She feels betrayed when she finds out that her parents have been hiding a Jewish woman named Sophie and her daughter behind her bedroom wall. She debates giving them up and her best friend actually turns her in after reading a page from her diary. Both families barely escape the Nazis.

There are several themes in this book. There is the bond of friendship and how far that may or may not go. Eva warns her about the upcoming search on Korinna's house while Rita turns Korinna in to her brother. There is the thought of Korinna turning her own parents in. Loyalty to one's country and what that means is also a theme. The last page talks about freedom being just as important, if not more important, than love.

I think this is a great novel, but my husband and I both enjoyed it. It is a bit above the heads of the age level that it is written for. If I were to use it in a classroom, I would have the students read Anne Frank's diary and compare the two. I would also take them to a Holocaust museum.