Classified as a novel with the true story of Dita Kraus as its heart and soul, this was a riveting read; equal parts hope and heart break. Outstanding research, character development, and attention to creating full-bodied individuals kept me reading even as I knew many people would not be alive when liberation from the camps finally arrived.

Challenging, rewarding and important read. ( )

This was an interesting book about the life of Dita Kraus, there were times when the book really drew me into the story and there were other times where I felt lost in the weeds. Overall, I enjoyed learning about Dita Kraus and I think Antonio Iturbe did a good job fictionalizing her story. ( )

Sobre el fango negro de Auschwitz que todo lo engulle, Fredy Hirsch ha levantado en secreto una escuela. En un lugar donde los libros están prohibidos, la joven Dita esconde bajo su vestido los frágiles volúmenes de la biblioteca pública más pequeña, recóndita y clandestina que haya existido nunca.
En medio del horror, Dita nos da una maravillosa lección de coraje: no se rinde y nunca pierde las ganas de vivir ni de leer porque, incluso en ese terrible campo de exterminio, «abrir un libro es como subirte a un tren que te lleva de vacaciones».

Fictionalised version of what happened at Auschwitz. Believable. How people retain some humanity in the face of such a horror.

A story from someone who lived through Auschwitz as a teenage librarian, now illustrated and adapted for teen audiences. A rare find in today's pantheon of series and mass-produced graphic novels. A Jewish teen girl goes through awful conditions knowing the power of books and their ability to remove the mind from harsh realities of concentration camps. Some mature content points this to be older teen-oriented [a minor character is gay, some nudity depicted - not that detailed]. ( )