The Night Crossing (First Bullseye Book)

Living in Austria in the late 1930s was very difficult for Jewish families. In 1938 Clara’s father had begun to make plans for the family to escape he Nazis. Clara and her sister Marta were chased by fellow students, yelling at them for being Jews and many of their neighbours had disappeared, taken by soldiers in the night.

Plans to escape over the mountains into Switzerland by foot were made and the family quietly prepared to leave. Carrying only the absolute necessary things. Clara’s mother put her foot down over the antique candlesticks that had passed to her. Thy were carried in the pocket of older sister Marta, but they did clink together every now and then. The trip was long and hazardous. The family had to avoid he Nazi show more patrols but when they had almost reached their goal, the clinking of the candlesticks had to be quieted.

The Night Crossing is a short, children’s story that is meant to introduce children to the Holocaust. The simple story is realistic and gives a clear picture of the difficult position the Jewish people were placed in. An epilogue at the end of the story, allows us to follow the family on their route to freedom. show less

I really liked The Night Crossing. I feel that this book presented the feelings of being a person of Jewish faith in Amsterdam during the Second World War without including details that would be too dark and frightening for children. The book focuses mostly on the youngest daughter, Clara. To me, this makes the book seem much more relatable to an elementary age audience because they are able to relate to the fears Clara might have about leaving her home behind. This 57 page chapter book is able to take readers on a journey of fear and suspense that ends happily for the family while still including factual information about the harsh realities many people were living during WWII. There are mentions of the sisters being chased home from show more school as their classmates shouted “Juden,” or Jew. The sisters also saw the town’s baker being taken away by Nazi’s for continuing to bake and sell kosher bread. During the story, Father is often seen consulting a map that has safe houses pointed out; these are places that escaping Jews could hide in exchange for money or other goods. At the end of the story, the family is living peacefully in England, but the narrator explains that Mother and Father have not heard from the extended family that was left in Amsterdam as the family crossed to Switzerland. The narrator also discusses the newspaper articles that revealed the torture of people at Nazi concentration camps. Overall, this book is an excellent representation of what historical fiction should look like when describing a dark time in history. show less

This was a very quick read that can give a glimpse into what a family had to go through in order to get out of German occupied Austria. This can be used for a younger audience because the main character is a young girl who tells what is happening from her perspective, but the book also doen't get to detailed to give the younger audiences bad dreams.

It's hard to leave your home and friends, but the Nazis have invaded Clara's native Austria, and her Jewish family is no longer safe. Clara and her family take only what they can carry and travel by night to the Swiss border, where they hope to escape to freedom. Soldiers are everywhere, and it is Clara's heroism that carries the family across the border, their lives and few precious possessions intact.

This is one book younger audiences will enjoy seeing as how there's a part in this short book where the youngest girl uses her quick wit to pull her whole family out of a jam. This shows that no matter how small one is, they are still very important.

Clara's family is Jewish. Soon after the Nazis annex Austria in 1938, the persecution begins with midnight arrests, vandalism, and burglaries. Months earlier there had been laughter and jokes in Clara’s house. Now, nights are filled with fearful whispers. Then, Clara overhears her father saying, “We must leave Austria now, before it is too late.” Papa sells their belongings for cash to bribe the guards at the Swiss border. Mother will carry their one satchel. Anything the girls want to take must be worn or carried in their coats. Clara takes her grandmother’s dolls, Gittel and Lotte and volunteers to hide the family’s precious silver candlesticks in the dolls’ straw stuffing. The family cuts off their yellow stars and sets show more out under the cover of darkness. At the Swiss border, Clara must lie to protect herself and her family.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com show less

-No Award
-3rd-4th
-This little girl named Clara escapes with her family to Switzerland during the Holocaust
-I would teach the kids the history of the Holocaust
-I would asked them what they would do if they were in the Holocaust and have them write their own diaries