The CAGE (Hardcover)

by Ruth Minsky Sender (Author) "Warm rays of sunshine fill the house, mixed with the sweet smell of lilac in full bloom..." (more)
Key Phrases: camp elder, camp doctor, Madam Commandant, Madam Overseer, Child Welfare Department (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Sender writes a searing, memorable story of her years in the Lodz ghetto and in Auschwitz. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up This reflective Holocaust memoir presents a series of brief scenes from 1939, when the author was 12 and Hitler invaded Poland, through the Russian liberation of the Mitelsteine labor camp in 1945. Like many other survivors of the Holocaust who have written accounts, Sender presents harrowing descriptions of life and death in the ghetto and concentration camps, and gives fervent testimonials to the love, strength, and dignity that helped make her survival possible. However, this telling stands out in other, equally important respects. Riva's widowed mother is arrested early on, and much of the first part of the book concerns the then 16-year-old's courageous efforts to preserve a family with her younger brothers. Later, after a brief ordeal in Auschwitz, Riva is transported to a slave labor camp, where she becomes seriously ill. Remarkably, a camp doctor is able to convince the S.S. commandante that Riva should be treated in a hospital outside the camp. This extraordinary situation allows Riva, and readers, rare glimpses of wartime German civilian life, and of the small sparks of compassion and humanity still present in her Nazi captors. Older students with previous knowledge of the subject will find Sender's narrative moving and thought provoking. But because of the book's sparse, impressionistic writing style, and its highly selective content, The Cage should be purchased only as a supplement to well developed and much used Holocaust collections. Ruth Horowitz, Notre Dame Academy Girls High School, Los Angeles
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (October 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027818306
• ISBN-13: 978-0027818307
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #992,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is an excellent story about life during the Holocaust., August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cage (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a wonderful book and I couldn't wait to finish it. This book would be enjoyed by any one over twelve, despite its sad theme. Being Jewish myself, it makes me feel very sad when I read about such terrible acts of hatred. Anti-semitism is a disease brought about by a lack of understanding and hatred. People should respect others even if they have differences in cultural and traditional backgrounds. Despite the terrible conditions, it was amazing to me to read the chapters in the book and get a feeling, despite all their suffering, that there was a sense of dignity and hope that they wanted to keep alive. The Jews were truly brave in their fight for life. I was so impressed by how brave Riva was and how hard it must have been for her to be thrown into adulthood with such added responsibilities. I can't imagine dealing with the loss of my mother and having a sick brother. Ruth Sender makes you feel as if you are going through all these experiences with her, She makes you feel her courage and strength. This book made me feel thankful for my family and for every day of my life! In my opinion, this book should be required reading for middle school. Soon, there will be no one alive who are survivors of Nazi brutality. Because of this, it becomes even more important to remember how cruelty, discrimination, and hatred lead to destruction and death. It is so important to confront the most shameful period in human history.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent book!, November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cage (Mass Market Paperback)

I read and reviewed the book The Cage by Ruth M. Sender. It is about a young girl who spent ger childhood hiding and living in Nazi slave labor camps. This book tells how she suffered and srtuggled to stay alive during the Holocaust. It tells you what it was like for adults and children during this horrible period of time. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very descriptive and realistic. I always felt like I was in the story instead of just reading it. I always had trouble just reading a few pages because it was so interesting. This book is the kind you never want to put down. Its a real page turner. I gave this book five stars and if you read it you will too. You will like this book if you like books about the Holocaust. A book similar to this is the book Cild of the holocaust by Jack Kuper. This boy also hid from the Nazis during the Holocaust. So read this book. I promise you will enjoy it!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English Student RSS, December 3, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Cage (Mass Market Paperback)

The book the "The Cage" by Ruth Minsky Sender is an amazing story about the Holocaust. The story starts out with the main character, Riva, waking up in a cold sweat because of a nightmare she had about the Holocaust. While talking to her curious daughter who wants to know why the Holocaust happened she finds herself back in Lodz, Poland in 1939. Riva is the oldest child with three younger brothers. Her father died of a disease but she has a strong, loving Mama. The Jews of Poland during this time are being round up by the Nazis and brought to the ghetto. The ghetto gates are shut tight and Riva and her family like many others are trapped in this cage. Thousands of Jewish families are herded into the ghetto where there is no work, hunger, and disease. In the ghetto, Riva's younger brother, Laibele, contracts tuberculosis. In September, 1942 the Nazis are inside the ghetto taking away the sick, the old, as well as the children. Riva's mother decides to hide Laibele and suprisingly enough he is not found, however the Nazis take away Mama to a concentration camp. "I hear Mama's voice, filled with hope. A world full of people will not be silent. We will not perish in vain. She was so sure. But she perished, and the world was silent." Riva now has to be strong for her brothers' sake, for Mama, and for herself. She is determined to survive and won't let the Nazis destroy her hope. People around Riva look to her for support and hope. She lost her family to the Nazis, but she won't let them take her either physically or spiritually. I think this book is extremely well written. It keeps the reader wanting to know what will happen next. The writing is a fast paced read. I believe the story shows the truth and essence of the Holocaust. I would recommend this book to middle school students because of the issues described and because of its excellent style.