Monday, April 10, 2017

Elisabeth by Claire A. Nivola

I am always on the lookout for picture books about difficult topics. As an educator, I find that picture books work well for teen students.  Elisabeth by Claire A. Nivola was published in 1997 and tells the story of a Jewish girl during WWII.

This story is based on the life of the author's mother, which makes it all the more poignant. In this story, Elisabeth is a beloved doll that gets left behind when Ruth's family leaves Germany and can take nothing. Ruth promises Elisabeth that she will come back for her, but of course, she can't come back. The family is safe, but Ruth misses her doll.

This sweet story reminds me of the The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane  by Kate DiCamillo. I won't spoil the ending for you on either book but both are worth reading.

Elisabeth currently out of print, but you can find it on Amazon for a decent price.






Books like this give us a way to introduce hard topics like the Holocaust to young readers. I enjoy using books like this in my classroom with teen readers.

Michelle dropped off another armload of books for the NICU. Thank you, Michelle. Our book project loves when she decides to go shopping or cull her own personal library.


Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies. If you have a NICU graduate and would like to donate a book and have a special gift plate inside the front cover, just purchase a $5 gift card to our book registry, email me a current picture of your child if you'd like that included. Let me know at what week gestation your baby was born, what weight, and how old your child is now and a little about them. I think this could give hope to those currently in the trenches with their tiny babies when the roller coaster ride gets too intense.  I started this project to honor my own twins who were lost too soon and those of two grandchildren who were lost. What started as a one time donation after I'd gathered books for a year has become an ongoing project. Thank you to all who have joined in our efforts to bring the joy of reading to the littlest of babies.

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