Elly: My True Story of the Holocaust

by
Elly Berkovits Gross

Elly Gross survived the Holocaust, but lost her entire family to the Nazis.  In this book, in very plain language, she tells her story: how her family was removed from its home in Romania, to a Jewish ghetto, her father was taken to a labor camp (where he was burned to death in a train car), and she and her mother and brother were taken to Auschwitz, where, she learned later, her mother and brother were killed upon arrival.  Just fifteen years old, Elly survived terrible starvation and living conditions in a serious of camps, before finally being liberated by Allied forces.  She then struggled to return to her homeland, only to find that her family had been killed, her possessions stolen, and that no one would take her in.  Eventually, she started her own family, and then immigrated to the United States, where her struggle continued, but she was proud to build a good life for her children.  This book is rough, clearly written by an immigrant with a story to tell, rather than a professional author. But, it tells a personal story of the Holocaust in a clear, matter-of-fact way that is both shocking but informative.  Anyway reading this book would leave it with a clear picture of both the atrocities of the Nazis and the strength of human spirit.  This vocabulary and writing style of this book is very accessble, probably good for a strong 3rd or 4th grade reader, but the content is intense for readers of any age. 

Reading Level
Heads up - topics in this book that might require further discussion
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