Elisa Boxer

Written by Emmy Award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer and movingly illustrated by the acclaimed Amy June Bates, Hidden Hope is the remarkable true story of how a toy duck smuggled forged identity papers for Jewish refugees during World War II. During World War II, a social worker named Jacqueline bicycled through the streets of Paris, passing Nazi soldiers and carrying a toy duck to share with the children she visited. What the Nazis didn't know, however, was that Jacqueline wasn't a social worker at all, but a Jewish member of the French Resistance. Families across Europe went into hiding as the Nazis rounded up anyone Jewish. The Star of David, a symbol of faith and pride, became a tool of hate when the Nazis forced people to wear the star on their clothing and carry papers identifying them as Jewish, so that it was clear who to arrest. But many brave souls dared to help them. Jacqueline was one of them. She risked her life in secret workshops, where forgers created false identity papers. But how to get these life-saving papers to families in hiding? The toy duck held the answer. Hidden Hope, a true story, celebrates everyday heroism, resilience, the triumph of the human spirit, and finding hope in unexpected places.… (mer)

This book is heartbreaking. This is the true story of a young woman not much more than a kid herself, who rode her bike and carried a wooden duck around occupied France to help free Jewish people. This book does take literary license, but the author has made sure to include resources and full notes with pictures of actual items, and the reasons why the author chose to bring this story to light. The story shows children not just the horrors of the time, but that you were never too small to do something. There is always some way to help, even if that is just passing papers in a wooden duck. This book is fantastic, and I hope it stays in libraries for many decades to come.… (mer)