Shoes for Amelie Book

Every week strangers come to Lucien's farm in the French countryside only to leave in secrecy a few days later. From the whispering of people around him, Lucien learns there is a war on and that Jews are in trouble.

This heart-warming tale of friendship and loyalty during World War II was inspired by the true stories of the villagers and farmers in the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon region of France. It is a sensitive introduction to European history, as seen through the eyes of a young boy whose family shelters Jewish refugees."

         Nominated, Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children (2002)
         Shortlisted, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People (2002)
         Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice selection (2002)
         Selected, Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content by the Sydney Taylor Book Awards Committee and the Association of Jewish Libraries (2001)

Children's Literature

Lucien has a new friend. Her name is Amelie. Like the many people before her and her family, Amelie's coming to Lucien's family farm is a secret. In the days they are together, Lucien learns that Amelie has never been on a farm. Their friendship grows and as time goes by, Lucien notices that the beautiful shoes Amelie was wearing when she arrived are now worn out. Lucien decides to make this special friend a pair of shoes like his. While this friendship grows so do the many questions Lucien has about these mysterious visitors. Many excellent children's books have been written about the Holocaust. Such books describe the pain and anguish that the Jewish people of Germany, Poland, and many other countries suffered at the hands of their tormentors. Connie Colker Steiner's book is one of these works. While it is a short and easy book, it conveys not only the Jewish experience but also the experience of those who helped the Jews hide from persecution, and in a way that young readers can understand. 2002, Compass Point Books, Orsborn