MS Review – Risk, Resilience, and Redemption – middle school non fiction
Baker, Frank W. Risk, Resilience, and Redemption: a miraculous Holocaust survival story. Stockton, NJ: Tree of Life Books, 2025.
Guide to Categories – MS Review – review of books for older elementary-aged and middle school-aged children
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Summary
From acclaimed media literacy educator and author Frank W. Baker comes a powerful new narrative: Risk, Resilience, and Redemption: A Miraculous Holocaust Survival Story. This moving retelling of the true story of Holocaust survivors Bluma and Felix Goldberg is written specifically for young readers in prose form. At just 40 pages, this accessible edition shares their courage, resilience, and message of hope with students in grades 5 through 12.
This version preserves the emotional depth of the original graphic novel, We Survived The Holocaust: The Bluma and Felix Goldberg Story, making it an excellent choice for classrooms, book clubs, and educational programs that want to introduce Holocaust history through narrative storytelling. In today’s world, helping students think critically and care deeply about others is more important than ever. This book offers a powerful starting point for those conversations.
“My hope is for people all over the world to learn, through my parents’ story, the truth about what happened during the Holocaust.” Esther Greenberg, second-generation survivor
Risk, Resilience, and Redemption also serves as a valuable resource by addressing essential themes and fostering skills that connect past and present. Its concise length makes it especially useful for educators seeking a focused, impactful story that fits into tight classroom schedules.
Purchase Risk, Resilience, and Redemption on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3M4EOJQ
My MS Review
It is important to share true historical stories with the younger generation. There are many in today’s world who want to change the narrative and pretend that the horrible parts of history never happened. This is especially true the further we get away from the actual events and there are fewer survivors still alive.
Frank W. Baker provides a true story of two people who lived through the Holocuast and found each other afterwards. Based on primary sources, the book gives a clear picture of life before and during the Holocaust. It is written in language appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students yet tells the horrible story. Readers better understand what Bluma and Felix (and many others) lived through as their experiences are shared. Their story had a happy ending, but there is also reference to the end many Jews experienced.
Risk, Resilience, and Redemption is appropriate for every K-12 school library. I’d go so far as to say it belongs in every school library.
I received a complimentary copy of Risk, Resilience, and Redemption. This is my honest review.
Watch the short promo video here: https://youtu.be/HWddTLl3LYY
About the Author – Frank W. Baker
Frank W. Baker is a nationally recognized media literacy educator and author. He has led hundreds of educator workshops across the United States and is the founder of the Media Literacy Clearinghouse (www.frankwbaker.com).
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