Broken Strings Paperback – September 8, 2020

It’s a really good book for Jewish people and other people who wanna learn about the holocaust

Walters and Kacer blend the experiences of New Yorkers 6 months after terrorists bomb their city with events surrounding the horrors of a family during the Holocaust and tie those into a middle school performance of Fiddler on the Roof. Readers’ lives will be changed as each character in this book begins to heal from brokenness both big and small and, hopefully, understanding and acceptance of racial, cultural, and religious differences will grow. “Broken Strings” is powerful and should be on the shelves of all libraries serving students in grades 5-9. The authors keep the book free of sex and profanity and while some may be disturbed by the atrocities inflicted on those imprisoned at Auschwitz, the knowledge gained is necessary. Keep many tissues handy for this one.

Broken Strings is a strong middle-grade release about the pain of the past and how it can affect future generations. This novel features characters with a deep love of music, a captivating account of surviving the Jewish Holocaust, and the beauty of unlikely friendships. If you enjoy books with any of the themes mentioned, then this book is right up your alley. I would definitely recommend it to fans of middle-grade historical fiction.

I am a Boomer with no children or grandchildren, so I am here to say that "Broken Strings" stands on its own as an excellent read for ALL ages. As the Arts & Entertainment Critic for Chicago's JUF News for almost 10 years, I have deep knowledge of many aspects of the Holocaust so I consider myself a good judge.

My heart! This was such a tearjerker for me. This middle grade novel set in the months following the fall of the Twin Towers wrecked me emotionally and I can't recommend it enough. 8th grade singer, Shirli Berman, wants to look forward to something positive in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack and the loss of her grandmother. She has her sights set on being Hodel in the spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof. When she is stuck playing Golde, the mother, she is at first disappointed but then realizes her "husband" will be the most popular boy in school. She may not get any solos but she can act and sing her heart out. As a Jewish teen, Shirli relates to the story of the musical, her grandfather was even from Poland not long after the play is set. She wants to really get into the part so she starts going over to her grandfather's house more and trying to get him to talk about his past, something he never does. Even her father (his son) doesn't know about all the terrible things he suffered through during the Holocaust. Shirli and her grandfather start bonding over the musical and start opening up to each other in very powerful ways. A wonderful, moving story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Kathy Kacer, and Eric Walters for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of Broken Strings. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.Shirli is starring in her middle school play. This year the production is Fiddler on the Roof. Shirli has a close relationship with her Zaide and visits him every week. She suspected that he might have some things in his attic that would be helpful for the play. Maybe some old dresses, shawls, or aprons. Her Zaide said she could use whatever she thought would be helpful. But when she was digging around up there she made an amazing discovery. She found a violin. She couldn’t believe that it was her grandfather’s. He never listened to music or attended any of her performances. Shirli knew that he had some bad memories from the war and he never liked to talk about it. She also discovered a poster with a picture of a family and if she wasn’t mistaken it was her grandfather when he was a child! Having discovered a long hidden family secret is not easy. But through love and understanding, family can help heal a tragic past.This story is for both children and young adults. I would be very comfortable with a child of 10 or 11 reading this. It does contain stories of the Holocaust, but nothing so graphic that it would be inappropriate. If you have a sensitive child, you might want to read this first just to be sure they wouldn’t be bothered by any of the stories. These are two heavyweight authors. Kathy Kacer has a lot of experience writing Holocaust stories for children and writes sensitive, thoughtful storylines. Eric Walters is a prolific children’s writer who writes incredible adventure stories and also has dealt with the Holocaust subject matter in his novels.I loved this story. There are so many elements that make it heartfelt and meaningful, without becoming cheesy or forceful in its message. The relationship between Shirli and her grandfather is beautiful. You can see why her Zaide opens up to her about the war. There is a sweet romantic storyline between Shirli and Ben, who is her co-lead in the play. They lightly touch upon 9-11 and the aftermath effects of a community trying to heal. This story has a rich text and as a teacher, I would have a lot of material to use. There are themes of racism, antisemitism, and war along with intergenerational relationships, family and school. My mind is racing with ideas of how to us it in a classroom setting.At the heart of this beautiful story is one that most children will enjoy reading. For children who don’t know about the Holocaust, it is a wonderful introduction. Shirli is a sweet, kind, likeable character, the grandfather is funny and all the supporting characters add something to the story. Every character goes through some kind of growth and yet, it all blends so nicely that the story never gets convoluted or off track. This was an outstanding read for me and timeless, something that I think can be read for years and years to different generations.

Unfortunately I need this book right away and don't have time to return it and get a new one so I'm stuck with a damaged copy. Still readable but frustrating that a brand new book arrived like this. A pair of earrings arrives in a huge box with bubble wrap but a book is just thrown in an envelope? Makes no sense.Still looking forward to reading this story from one of my favorite authors.

Pretty good book by a great author!Although i believe I got a book with printing errors... 2 chapters are printed upside down.i have never seen thst happen bwfore

As an adult reading this book, it left a little to be desired, but I'm sure if I was reading this as a young reader, I would have loved it. It's a good introduction to the Halocaust if your child hasn't learned much about it yet.

Niece really enjoyed it