New Releases by Kathy Kacer

1947: Now that Margit and her family have settled into their new life in Toronto''s Kensington Market, they have--at Margit''s urging--agreed to take in a Polish orphan. Lilly speaks no English and jealously guards her only possession: a photo of her mother and father. Unable to communicate with Lilly, or to comfort her when she wakes in the night with bad dreams, Margit and her family are feeling the strain. Even Margit''s cherished friendship with Alice is at the breaking point. Will Margit ever be able to break through to this troubled young girl? Will Alice ever speak to her again?

In Budejovice, a quiet village in the Czech Republic, during the Second World War, a plot of land by the river was allocated to the Jewish youth of the village. There, some brave young people decided to create a newspaper. This book chronicles the lives of the young people who were the newspaper''s creators and contributors.

It is 1947, and Canada has opened its borders to one thousand Jewish war orphans. When Margit''s own Toronto Jewish community is asked to open its homes and hearts to these children, she is determined to welcome a child to her family. But between school, housework, and helping care for her brother, Margit barely has a moment to herself. How can she convince her parents that they have the space, money, and time to open their doors to another child?

Based on real events and real characters! It is the middle of World War II, and Gabi and her mother have been lucky so far, eluding the grasp of Nazi soldiers who are sending Jewish people away to unknown fates. But she, her mother and her young cousin, Max, realize that they will never be safe in their town. With the help of a trusted friend, a kind-hearted priest and a poor yet brave farming family, they go into hiding in a tiny mountain village. It takes great willpower and patience to endure months of fear in their cramped hiding space at the back of a barn. But one night, Gabi and Max can''t stand the confinement any longer, and they sneak out for the first of many secret nighttime walks. Deep in the forest, the children make a discovery that turns out to be very useful to the anti-Nazi partisan soldiers camped out nearby. Through their new roles as scouts for the partisans, Gabi and Max find strength and courage, and a renewed sense of hope in dark times.

Jack the B.

It''s a dangerous time for thirteen-year-old Clara and her family. They have just been imprisoned in Terezin (Terezinstadt), a ghetto in a medieval town near Prague -- which was built to show the world how "well" the Nazis were treating Jews during the Second World War. Here Clara encounters hunger, disease and filthy living conditions. Even worse is the constant threat of being deported to concentration camps where the possibility of death awaits her. But in the midst of the horror of these conditions Clara makes strong friendships with Hanna, a girl from home, and Jacob, an older boy who helps her learn about life in the ghetto. She also participates in classes where education, music and poetry flourish. Life in the ghetto takes an unusual turn for the young people when a children''s opera, Brundibar, written by an inmate, allows them moments of joy and laughter. With a real escape being planned by Jacob, a family tragedy to confront, and an inspection tour from the Red Cross at hand, Clara has some life-challenging decisions to make. Inspired by real events, particularly by performances of Brundibar, this compelling work for readers ten and up includes historical photographs of the ghetto and of the children on the opening night of the opera. A review of the performance written by a young boy in an underground ghetto newspaper adds further depth to the book.

Gabi is a young Jewish girl living in Czechoslovakia during the time of the Holocaust. Gradually life is getting harder and harder. Jews are bullied at school, they can''t visit each other at a certain time, they have to walk everywhere, they are not allowed to go to non-Jewish stores, and finally Gabi''s best friend deserts her because she is Jewish. One day, the Nazis start visiting all the houses looking for Jewish children. In a tremendous act of courage, Gabi''s mother protects Gabi from the soldiers by hiding her in their dining-room dresser. This is the story of author Kathy Kacer''s own mother, who was the real-life Gabi. The only thing retrieved from their family''s home after the war was the dresser that saved Gabi''s life. It now sits in author Kathy Kacer''s home in Toronto.