Two Pieces of Chocolate
While trying to escape Paris during World War II, Francine and her mother are arrested and end up in Bergen-Belsen, a German concentration camp. Starving and unsure of whom to trust, Francine’s mother reveals to her that she has two pieces of chocolate she is saving for when Francine really needs them. Francine meets Hélène, who is hiding her pregnancy from the guards for fear of execution. The women in the camp rally around Hélène to help her and her baby survive. This dramatic story is based on accounts from Holocaust survivors. Twelve-year-old Francine’s voice is well written, giving children a sense of what it was like to be captive in a concentration camp without going into too much of the horrors. Author Kathy Kacer focuses on the tiny miracles and gifts of kindness that can prevail even under the most unimaginable of situations. Ages 9-12.
