Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis--- If you love history check this book out.

 Bibliography:

Hood, Susan and Dawson, Greg. 2023. ALIAS ANNA: A TRUE STORY OF OUTWITTING THE NAZIS. HarperCollins. ISBN: 0063083906

Plot Summary:

This true story is about a young Ukrainian girl, Zhanna who along with her sister must outsmart the Germans during the Holocaust. She must leave behind her friends, her freedom, and her promising musical future at the world’s top conservatory. With no time to say goodbye, Zhanna, and her family are forced out of their home and made to walk on a long, cold, death march. When a guard turns a blind eye, Zhanna flees with nothing more than her musical talent, her beloved sheet music, and her father’s final plea: “I don’t care what you do. Just live.” The girls run and continue to outsmart the Nazis in plain sight. The book is written by author Susan Hood along with Zhanna’s son, Greg Dawson.

Critical Analysis:

 This book was quite amazing, and I really am having a hard time sharing my analysis. I love history, especially learning about the holocaust and I found this book to be very enlightening. It begins with a letter from a woman's grandchild about what her grandmother's life was like as a child. It then morphs into the grandmother's story but is written as poetry. The words float around the pages at a time, and with the words and experiences shared, you can feel and understand her childhood. There are so many relatable emotions that can be felt with this writing. Follow Zhanna or Anna’s story from a comfortable loving family and home to the horrors she and her family had to face at a young age. Anna from the beginning is a curious and brilliant child as well as her sister and to see how they outwitted the Nazis to live is an amazing story. 

 This Novel in Verse also teaches you quite a bit about what happened to Jewish people in the Ukraine. I also liked the chapters comparing Stalin and Hitler. It made me think about the comparison of this book and the things we are experiencing in our world right now. This book made me wish I had a relative that I could write to and read about such a history. This is a great example of how poetry started as folktales. Dive into a great read and be prepared to notice that history is repeating itself.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

A Sydney Taylor Book Award 2023 Middle Grade Notable!

A Jewish Book Council Award Middle Grade Finalist!

A NERDY BOOK CLUB 2022 BEST NOVEL-IN-VERSE BOOK!

A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 2022 BEST BOOK FOR KIDS!

A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST INFORMATIONAL BOOKS FOR YOUNGER READERS OF 2022!

 

This lyrical book is one of the most truthful survivor stories I’ve ever read. I think this book will be a page-turner for adolescents.  — Jack Kliger, President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage

A profound and powerful story of the Holocaust told with heart, soul, and music. — Kathryn Lasky, Newbery Honoree, and winner of the National Jewish Book Award

A harrowing and remarkable story of strength and survival.  — Kirkus Reviews

Appended with generous back matter, this offers a revealing look at an underreported Holocaust chapter. — Booklist

Hood tells Zhanna’s story through both free verse and a rich array of forms. The use of poetry is effec­tive, echo­ing in its com­plex­i­ty the music of a sin­gu­lar life caught in the chaos of history. This high­ly rec­om­mend­ed book includes exten­sive back­ground mate­r­i­al, pho­tos, sources, lists of musi­cal com­po­si­tions, and poet­ic forms. — Jewish Book Council

Connections:

This is a perfect book to use when learning about the Holocaust. You could use this book to read along with other books such as:

-          Diary of Anne Frank

-          Number the Stars

-          Who was Anne Frank? By Ann Abramson

-          What Was the Holocaust? By Gail Herman

-          There are even numerous picture books you could read along with this book to compare the different experiences the Jewish people and those around during this time experienced.

You could also use this text to lead your students to write letters to their own families to learn about their family history.

Comparing this text paired with nonfiction text and relating it to what the world is experiencing today.