Deborah Hopkinson’s nonfiction book We Must Not Forget joins other powerful stories of survival and resistance during the era when an act of defiance carried a risk and a price. Hopkinson tells the stories of lesser known Jewish children and teens whose courage and strength enabled them to survive the Holocaust.
To give the dead a voice and to call the world to action, Hopkinson provides key dates, people’s harrowing stories, and photographs to illustrate their lives. Most chapters also end with grey shadow boxes that share Look, Listen, Remember resources and information for further exploration. Furthermore, like most nonfiction books, We Must Not Forget includes backmatter with a glossary, a timeline, a list of museum websites and online resources, a bibliography, and an archive of oral histories, articles, and interviews.
The book is divided into three parts, designating a section to individuals from Germany and the Netherlands, France, and Poland. With intriguing as well as heart-stopping titles, Hopkinson reveals episodes of rescuing children, making choiceless choices, and enduring the crime of being different. She shares the dire effects of hate and the impact of too few people speaking up.
Hopkinson’s book provides reminders to not only stand up for someone else but to practice fairness, justice, inclusivity, and kindness.
- Posted by Donna