• Age: 9 to 13
• Grade: 4 to 8
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Laura has just three weeks to go before her Jewish “coming of age” ceremony, called a Bat Mitzvah, when she is assigned a special project. She is to read the diary of Sara Gittler, a young girl her own age who was imprisoned by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Sara never had the chance to celebrate her coming of age, so Laura is to learn about Sara’s life and then share her Bat Mitzvah with her “twin” by speaking of her at the ceremony. Reluctant to undertake the project at first, Laura quickly becomes caught up by Sara’s struggle to survive. Sara’s diary unfolds with the details of her daily life in the Ghetto, a world full of fear, confusion, tragedy and above all, courage. From Sara’s brave story in the past, Laura learns how to find the courage to confront the possibility of a friend’s current involvement in the desecration of a Jewish cemetery.

 

Kathy Kacer est une auteure primée qui a écrit de nombreux livres sur l'holocauste pour les jeunes lecteurs, dont The Magician of Auschwitz, L'histoire d'Edith, Le journal de Sara et Les espions de la nuit. Elle s'estime honorée de contribuer à faire connaître l'histoire familiale de Jenny Kay Dupuis. Kathy vit avec sa famille à Toronto.

 

Kathy Kacer has won many awards for her writing, including the American Jewish Library Association Award. In 1999, she wrote the first book in Second Story's Holocaust Remembrance Series, The Secret of Gabi's Dresser. Since then, she's penned four other books in the series. Kacer now writes about the Holocaust for young readers and travels the country speaking about it. Kacer lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her family.

Kathy Kacer's profile page

• Winner, Canadian Jewish Book Award
• Short-listed, William Allen White Children's Book Award
• Winner, Olive Branch Award
• Winner, National Jewish Book Award

Sara's journal is so well-written that you forget it is historical fiction as you read. Kacer has effectively contrasted the lives of two Jewish girls, Sara in the Warsaw Ghetto and Laura in present day Montreal...Whether you read this novel for your own personal enjoyment or use it as a supplementary resource when teaching grade 6 social studies, this book is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

The author beautifully melds historical events with the contemporary issues Laura is facing...This story of history, faith, and hope belongs in every public and Judaic library and would be a welcomed addition to any Holocaust curriculum. Highly recommended.

Kacer gives young readers a gentle avenue into a traumatic, difficult past they need to know about.

The Diary of Laura’s Twin

Laura is just weeks away from celebrating her Bat Mitzvah. She has prayers to memorize, assignments to finish at school, an outfit to pick out and now Rabbi Gardiner wants her to take part in another project – a twinning project. Laura is to learn about a child who lived during the Holocaust and then honour her memory during her own Bat Mitzvah.

Reluctantly, Laura goes to meet with Mrs. Mandelcorn and is given a diary written by Sara Gittler, a thirteen-and-a- half-year-old girl who lived in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Deeply moved by Sara’s story, Laura learns she must persuade her friend to come forward with information concerning the desecration of a Jewish cemetery.

Kathy Kacer intricately weaves the telling of Sara’s and Laura’s stories together and skillfully brings both characters to life for her readers. Students will easily relate to 12-year-old Laura’s family life, school assignments and peer pressure and be moved by the fear, uncertainty and courage of Sara’s experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto. Interspersed among Sara’s diary sections are photographs depicting the conditions and atrocities that were committed at the time and, although some may be disturbing for younger students, they help to reflect the somber nature of her story. The book also includes real-life twinning stories and short biographies of the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Written for students in the junior/intermediate age group, this book would be a powerful piece to include in Remembrance Day or World War II discussions and a wonderful way to honour the memory of those children who suffered through, were orphaned or died during the Holocaust.

The Diary of Laura’s Twin (Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers)

Laura is assigned to read the diary of Sara Gittler, a girl imprisoned by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Sara lost the chance to celebrate her coming of age and Laura is to share her own Bat Mitzvah with her “twin” by speaking about Sara’s life at the event.