Review: NIGHT by Elie Wiesel

Earlier this year, I read a book Great Souls by David Aiken in which the author presented biographical tributes to six people he thought had made significant contributions to humanity in the 20th century. Each story was so well done, and made such an impression on me, that I set out to read something more about each of the honorees. In the case of Elie Wiesel, I decided to read his first book, NIGHT, a short, dramatic, painful and powerful description of his life in German concentration camps during World War II. He was only 14 when taken prisoner. Able to stay all of his time with his father (and encourage the older man while receiving his father's support), he takes us with him on rides on the crowded cattle cars, through a life of living on one cup of coffee, a small piece of bread, and sometimes a bowl of very thin soup daily, while doing hard labor, or forced marches, trying to avoid being identified as one chosen to go to the crematorium. The story of how he goes from being a star Talmudic student in the pre-war Jewish ghetto, to an almost total rejection of a God who could allow all this horror to occur, is written in a stark, simple, and heartbreaking prose. It was not an enjoyable book to read, but an essential one. The audio book version I listened to ended with the acceptance speech he delivered when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. The speech was as inspiring as the book , and greatly affirming. This is a must read for any human who wants to understand what it means to be human. The closing sentences (after he had been emancipated from the camps) say it all:

"One day when I was able to get up, I was able to look at myself in a mirror on the opposite wall. I had not seen myself since the ghetto. From the depths of the mirror a corpse was contemplating me. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me has never left me."

Review: The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

Forget Baking Cookies--This is Neat Stuff for Kids! I wish I'd had a book like this when I was growing up. It would have been worth at least 5 Girl Scout merit badges, 2 or 3 science projects, and lots of feel good fun. I got an advanced copy as part of LT's Early Reviewer program, and for once feel like I've hit the jackpot. Young granddaughter (8 1/2 yr old) will be arriving for her annual summer vacation with Tutu and we are really going to have a great time with this one. Much more fun than baking, or even roasting marshmallows. This is a well organized, interesting, appealing book directed at youngsters from about age 9-15. Parents, grandparents, scout leaders, teachers, and even baby-sitters will also love it. Topics covered include recycling, water and air pollution, wildlife preservation, climate change, keeping the earth green, and energy conservation. But forget the topics, it's the layout that is so terrific. Each section begins with a quick multiple choice question called "Take a guess." It sets the tone for short presentations on the topic: Did you know? What You Can Do, Amaze Your Friends (what kid can resist that?) and See for Yourself. "What You can Do" includes projects for both home and school, things to do alone, or with a group. It's full of games, quizzes, experiments, and puzzlers. It is easy to read, doesn't talk down to kids, and still manages to be interesting enough for all of us grandmas. And to put frosting on the cake, it has an incredibly well researched list of web pages for more information. Grab one when you see it...we can all pitch in and help save the planet, and have fun doing it.