Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II
It’s 1938 and in the past year, Lia’s gone to school in Turin, Milan, and Rome. Mussolini’s laws are making it impossible for Jews to lives safely in Italy. Where will she go next?
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What the Book Is About
Jewish Content & Values
Content Advisory
Lia Levi’s memoir of her childhood in Italy between 1938 and 1945 was originally published for adults and has been masterfully adapted for children. Young Lia and her family must move from place to place because her father keeps losing his job due to increasing restrictions on Jews. When Jews start being arrested, Lia and her sisters are hidden at a convent where they must change their names and pretend to be Catholic. The author interjects her story frequently to assuage readers’ potential anxiety during suspenseful moments. Amply illustrated, this brief narrative is perfectly aimed at young readers curious about the Holocaust but not ready for more sensitive details. A family photo album and compelling author’s note are included.
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Lia and her family are Italian Jews, and this Holocaust book is set in Italy. They light Shabbat candles, celebrate Passover and Hanukkah, and sometimes go to synagogue.
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When the government says Jews can’t attend school anymore, Lia and her sister go to a new school for Jewish students set up in the synagogue.
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While hiding in a convent, Lia and her sisters must attend church, where they secretly sing the shema.
There is one reference in the afterword to the death of six million Jews, but the book is otherwise suitably age appropriate.
What the Book Is About
Lia Levi’s memoir of her childhood in Italy between 1938 and 1945 was originally published for adults and has been masterfully adapted for children. Young Lia and her family must move from place to place because her father keeps losing his job due to increasing restrictions on Jews. When Jews start being arrested, Lia and her sisters are hidden at a convent where they must change their names and pretend to be Catholic. The author interjects her story frequently to assuage readers’ potential anxiety during suspenseful moments. Amply illustrated, this brief narrative is perfectly aimed at young readers curious about the Holocaust but not ready for more sensitive details. A family photo album and compelling author’s note are included.
Jewish Content & Values
-
Lia and her family are Italian Jews, and this Holocaust book is set in Italy. They light Shabbat candles, celebrate Passover and Hanukkah, and sometimes go to synagogue.
-
When the government says Jews can’t attend school anymore, Lia and her sister go to a new school for Jewish students set up in the synagogue.
-
While hiding in a convent, Lia and her sisters must attend church, where they secretly sing the shema.
Content Advisory
There is one reference in the afterword to the death of six million Jews, but the book is otherwise suitably age appropriate.
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