Twenty and Ten [Paperback]

Claire Huchet Bishop (Author), William Pene De Bois (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1990

Twenty school children hide ten Jewish children from the Nazis occupying France during World War II.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 76 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590341685
• ISBN-13: 978-0590341684
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,570,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good children's book is good reading for everyone!, April 17, 2005

By 

K. Olgren (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twenty and Ten (Puffin Story Books) (Paperback)

I read this book to my six year old son this year. Somehow, from the time he first heard about WWII a year ago, he has been fascinated by whatever he can learn about it, and there really isn't much for children his age on that subject matter. That adds to the value of this book.

This story tastefully deals with the subject of the Nazi's dealings with the Jews in a way that children can relate to and understand. It is full of suspense -- Will the Nazi soldiers find the Jewish children? Or will the other children inadvertantly give away their hiding place? But it is also innocent. It is written from the perspective of a child who is involved in hiding her Jewish peers.

While my son greatly enjoyed this book, I did, too! I looked forward to reading it to him and became every bit as caught up in the story as he was. It is a book that I would enjoy even if I hadn't been reading it for a child's benefit.

I highly recommend this book, and I think it's a shame that a number of early reviews appear to be book report assignments by children who didn't appreciate literature of this quality. Some of us who have been around longer and read many, many more books see the great value that is there.

But even my son, who hasn't read as many books as I have, loved this book. The daily response to, "We'll stop there," was, "Aw, mom, can't we keep going?"

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loved it!, March 27, 2003

By 

Music Mama Rob (Cos Cob, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twenty and Ten (Puffin Story Books) (Paperback)

I read this book when I was a child (more than 30 years ago) and still have fond memories of it. I stumbled upon the book last week and decided to introduce it to my 11-year-old. She quickly became involved with the story and it prompted many questions about WWII, Nazis, etc. Yes, the language is a bit old and a few phrases are no longer used, but the verbal images are still vibrant. My daughter was very interested to hear about the children protecting each other, sharing a coveted morsel of chocolate, hiding in a cave, outsmarting the Nazis. And she especially appreciated how each chapter stood on its own, with no cliffhangers. You don't need to study a bible or have a strong religious background to understand this book. Just be ready to explain why the Nazis wanted to find the Jewish children. I recommend this book to all people who want to discover a snippet of World War II history. The book contains nothing scarier than the threat of being discovered.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best early introduction to the Holocaust, May 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Twenty and Ten (Hardcover)

I read Twenty and Ten when I was a 3rd grader (about 30 years ago), and is my lifetime favorite book. The story, based on an actual situation, describes how 20 Christian children used their wits and compassion to hide 10 Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. The children's experiences are truly an adventure, yet do not trivialize the Holocaust. Although I do not recommend teaching young children about the Holocaust's grim details, this book opens the discussion about people's responsibility to one another regardless of differences. I have yet to find a child or adult who can put the book down once they start reading it