Anya's Echoes: A Novel Book

When one of her friends ostracizes another, thirteen-year-old Lea is able to apply the lessons in tolerance and courage she is learning from her great-aunt Anya, a Holocaust ...

Maureen Griffin - KLIATT

Eighth-grader Lea is upset that she must share her room with her seven-year-old sister because a great-aunt is coming from England to visit. The girls' late and beloved grandfather and his sister Anya grew up together in Poland and were caught in the Holocaust there. Lea comes upon the tape Anya has decided to make of those events, which began in 1939. Little by little and with growing concern, Lea manages to hear several episodes until Anya discovers her listening. Of course, Lea wants to hear the rest of Anya's story, and many afternoons are spent together over tea as Anya tells of the suffering she and others experienced as persecuted Jews. Meanwhile, the girls in Lea's group at school shun a former friend. Inspired by her great-aunt's courage, Lea overcomes the temptation to join the girls who are choosing popularity over principle. Before leaving the family, Anya entrusts her tape to Lea, who promises "I'll always remember." Anya is a fictional character, but her poignant memories are those of the author's aunt, who survived the Holocaust. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, Fithian, 94p., Ages 12 to 15.