Customer Reviews

Hidden Child

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During World War II over a million Jewish children were murdered by Nazis: survivors were often those who were in hiding. Author Isaac Millman was one of these children, and his story recounts the kindness of strangers, his move from city to countryside, and how he was forced to shed his Jewish identity to survive. After the year he kept his story to himself: fifty years later it's told, in Hidden Child's series of black and white photos and first-person memoir for grades 5-8.

Isaac Millman tells the true story of his youth spent in hiding from the Nazis in a compelling memoir that features his outstanding artwork. We follow young Isaac as he and his parents enter the Free Zone of France, only to find that this is only a respite until the Nazis again intrude. Isaac's father is taken to a "camp", which he and his mother are allowed to visit once; then disaster falls as he and his mother are rounded up for deportation. How Isaac escapes and is placed in foster homes for the duration of the war is told through Millman's sparse writing and his vivid drawings. As with most Holocaust tales, there is no happy ending, but Millman survives and is able to share his journey with us, and that is all we can ask. This is a splendid book that shows how even the youngest victims of the Holocaust found inner strength. We are privileged to know their stories. Recommended.

A very powerful and exquisite book. I recommend this book to all middle school educators. It would do well on a summer reading list. The book is moving and empowering. The hidden children are often an overlooked part of high school Holocaust studies. This book speaks volumes about human nature, from the couple who took him in, a Hidden Jewish child, to exploit a slave like labor, to the people who really helped him survive. Isaac Millman's description of the changes in his life from the perspective of the child that he was during the is moving and informative. This is a courageous book. I recommend it to All.

Also, the artwork is stellar. Very moving on so many levels.

Hidden Child is a stirring and amazingly-illustrated Holocaust memoir by Isaac Millman. Isaac was born Isaac Sztrymfman, the only child of his parents, and when he was seven, his life altered irrevocably. The Nazis invaded France and the Jews began to feel the effects of Nazi persecution - their freedoms were taken away, and not long after Isaac's father is taken away and soon deported to Auschwitz (though at the time Isaac and his mom had no idea of this). Isaac's mom realizes that they too will soon be deported so she makes arrangements for Isaac to be taken to a hospital where sick children are treated, despite the fact that Isaac is perfectly healthy. This is the last time Isaac sees his mother.

Thus begins Isaac's life as a hidden child - he gets shunted from one place to another, but luckily for Isaac there are kind people such as Hena and Madame Devore who look out for and after him. Isaac's story is not only told in the form of a narrative but also in beautiful watercolor pictures depicting the main scenes from each chapter, portraying pivotal moments of Isaac's life during the war years. This is an excellent educational resource for the classroom and a recommended title for library collections.