Rebekkah's Journey: A World War II Refugee Story (Tales of Young Americans)
Grade 3–5—In 1944, President Roosevelt invited 1000 European displaced persons to stay at an American army base in Oswego, NY. Rebekkah and her mother are two of the Jewish refugees who make the journey, living in the safe but confining conditions of the base. This quiet story is largely based on interviews with former shelter residents, and is told from seven-year-old Rebekkah's point of view. Perhaps because of its basis in long-ago memories, the narrative seems rather dreamy and loosely connected, with little historical context provided. Mystifyingly, it leaves the biggest question unanswered: Why were the refugees kept fenced in once they reached America? The text is not emotionally involving and does not provide enough detail for reports. The illustrations are muddy and dull, and sometimes have the photographic quality of having caught the characters in unattractive moments. Several times, the art directly contradicts descriptions in the text, as when a rabbi with a "long black beard" is pictured with a short white beard. Despite its shortcomings, the book might find a place in collections that focus on Holocaust studies or modern American history. However, it is unlikely to appeal to general readers.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FLCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.