Forging Freedom

by Hudson Talbott

Book Overview

Jaap Penraat has always felt a little Jewish growing up in Amsterdam in the 1930s. His hometown is one of the great Jewish centers of Europe -- until the German forces arrive at the outbreak of World... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439320321
• ISBN13: 9780439320320
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Forging Freedom: A True Story of Heroism During The Holocaust

During World War 2, Jaap Penraat a non-Jew risked his life to save 406 Jewish people. He was a man of great courage and character and with his friend, author Hudson Talbott, they tell the story of the dangers he confronted in getting Jewish people out of Holland before the Nazis captured them. This book introduces the Holocaust to children and offers every reader regardless of age some valuable lessons in taking compassionate action on behalf of those in desperate need.

*To do 'mitzvahs ' for Freedom was his calling . . . *

"Forging Freedom" impresses me with its factual account of Jewish people in the Netherlands suffering the terrifying power of Adolph Hitler in 1940. Here the impact of Hudson Talbott's art is significant; using somber tones, sometimes in the style of educational graphics, he makes his points dramatically. Jaap Penraat grew to manhood having friends who were Jewish. His early neighborly task of lighting the Sabbath lights for Jewish families in his apartment block was considered to be a "mitzvah" - a kindness, a deed done from the heart. Not much later his heart responded to the terrible needs of hundreds of people in Amsterdam: for food, clothes, places to hide. There were few who understood the fate of those who were rounded up & taken away in boxcars. But Jaap rushed ahead to devise a plan, falsifying passports & permits, and then brashly playing the role of transport leader so that a group of young men could be guided to "jobs of national importance" in the German defense industry - - when in reality they were being passed along an underground network from Holland through Belgium & France, to freedom in Spain & England. At parting, Jaap and his childhood friend & refugee, Bram Dorland, gave each other the same message: "L'chaim" . . . "To Life". There is a surprising immediacy in the way Talbott's message is conveyed. He could not be old enough to have a personal consciousness of that time. "Forging Freedom" published in 2000, tells its story hoping there is alsways another generation to teach the next the moral necessity of standing up for what is right. The fact that the bold courage of Jaap Penraat was recognized as a heroic by both the Dutch government and a Holocaust Commission backs up the authenticity to mcHAIKU's satisfaction. The important fact is that we must never forget.

A Great Book About History

Forging Freedom is a wonderful book. I have always hated reading about the Holocaust, but I loved reading Forging Freedom. This book is exciting, descriptive, and it really informs you about what it was like to be a Jew in Amsterdam during the 1940s. I think it is a great book for kids of all ages. I recommend this book to kids who want to read a nonfiction book that is easy to read, interesting, and concise.Forging Freedom is about a man named Jaap in Amsterdam during the 1940s. Even though he was not a Jew he risked his life to save his Jewish friends and neighbors. By the end of the War, he had saved over 400 lives.

Forging Freedom: a very well done book

I read forging freedom during the war unit in my eighth grade english class. i thought it was a great book, and a great amount of infomation of how the jews were treated during halocost. after reading it i was amazed of how brave Jaab was and how clever he was. when my teacher told me that Jaab and Hudson were coming to my school, I was amazed. they were great guys, and having jaab talk to us about it in person was amazing. i also found out that jaab lived in the same town as me, all those times i had a brave man in my backyard and had no idea. this book was great and should be read by all ages so they can learn that brave people do exist and that the halocost was a very dangerous time and also a cruel time.

Great Story of the Holocaust

I liked Forging Freedom even though it was sad at times. It was an easy to understand telling of the events of the the Holocaust. Our class was fortunate enough to meet the author and the man who the main character was based on. I was astonished to learn of the poor and terrible way that the Jews were treated. The main character was brave enough to aid his Jewish friends in gaining freedom. My favorite part of the story was when Jaap successfully snuck passed the guards. It was very suspenseful and I felt like cheering and was happy for him. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Holocaust stories. I have also read Number the Stars and Snow Treasure which were on the same topic. I enjoyed both of them as well. They helped me to understand the details of the Holocaust.