Greenhorn by Anna Olswanger is a powerful book. I think children will be very interested in the story, and it is a good way to open up a discussion with 9- to 12-year-olds about the Holocaust and even racism today.
Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them! - Margo Dill
A story to read and discuss with young readers—certain to get the conversation started on this difficult subject.
author of The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery (Boston Globe-Horn Book Awar - Steve Sheinkin
Perfect for boys although girls will absolutely want to read it also.
The 3 R's - Reading, 'Riting & Research - Joyce Moyer Hostetter
In Greenhorn , Anna Olswanger not only captures the voices of the young yeshiva students living in Brooklyn in 1946 but also reveals what is in their hearts. In a few spare words, she tenderly develops the relationship between Aaron, a student who is teased because of his stuttering, and Daniel, a Holocaust survivor who desperately clings to a tin box carrying a precious secret. Never didactic, the story conveys a message about the healing power of friendship. Miriam Nerlove’s illustrations gently evoke the time and place.
author of Stealing Home, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book - Ellen Schwartz
Anna Olswanger (Shlemiel Crooks , 2005) has crafted a marvelous Holocaust book for youth in Greenhorn . She carefully introduces the Shoah in a poignant and dramatic manner. Ms. Olswanger is to be commended for careful attention to detail required by any work of historical fiction. This book is enhanced further by the addition of many excellent illustrations, each one reflecting the sensory experiences of this unique environment. Greenhorn proffers a perfect launching point for a discussion of the Holocaust aimed at youthful learners.
author of Jacob's Courage - Charles Weinblatt
Greenhorn is a powerful story of the horrors of the Holocaust and the healing power of friendship.
The story would make a good addition to a unit on the Holocaust, and could easily be read aloud in a classroom or read by individual students and used for classroom or home discussion.
The Fourth Musketeer - Margo Tanenbaum
Anna Olswanger, author of the award-winning Shlemiel Crooks , handles the material deftly, allowing the loyal friendship of the two boys to set a redemptive tone, while Miriam Nerlove’s delicate watercolor illustrations evoke the vulnerability and sweetness of childhood, even as the text exposes the cruelty of which human beings are capable. Profoundly moving and filled with accurate historical detail, Greenhorn is an extraordinary book.
Bank Street Books - Rebecca Migdal
Greenhorn is a tender, touching celebration of friendship, family, and faith. I must admit I cried at the horror and humanity of this simple story. Read it with your arms around someone you love.
author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), Catherine, Called Birdy (a Newbery Honor bo - Karen Cushman
Greenhorn is a heart-warming story of two outsiders who become life-long friends. I highly recommend it.
Greenhorn ought to be read by every reader, from middle grades on up to the most elder. Author Anna Olswanger has written a story that is both heartwrenching and heartwarming, based on actual events and real-life personages, as she explains in the afterword. This is not a story I’m ever going to forget.
Mallory Heart Reviews - Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes
Daniel arrives at a yeshiva in Brooklyn in 1946, an orphan from the Holocaust. He carries a box with him everywhere, inviting the taunts and curiosity of his fellow students. When it’s revealed that the box contains soap made by the Nazis, who used human fat in their recipe, the young boys experience a life lesson in cruelty and faith that transcends their differences.
ForeWord Reviews - Julie Eakin
Anna Olswanger handles the horrors of WWII and more to the point, the Holocaust very well.
Top of the Heap Reviews - Joe Hempel
Anna Olswanger takes a daring approach introducing young readers to the horrors of the Holocaust. The telling illustrations ease the painful subject.
author of Purim Goodies and The Klezmer Bunch - Amalia Hoffman
Greenhorn , a short middle-grade novel by author and literary agent Anna Olswanger, is one amazing book. [It] is a worthy addition to literature dealing with the Holocaust.
Olswanger’s sensitive story, based on real-life events, brings home the atrocities of Nazi-Germany as seen through the eyes of young religious Jews living in America during WWII. This short picture book offers a message of survival, renewal, and hope.
author of Freefall (a Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner) and Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig (a Sidney Taylor Notable Award wi - Anna Levine
A tiny novel with an enormous heart, Anna Olswanger’s Greenhorn poignantly illustrates the old adage that good and powerful things often come in the smallest packages.
Chapter 16 - Susannah Felts
Greenhorn goes straight to your heart. Another poignant treasure from children's book author, Anna Olswanger, which clearly deserves to be another award-winner.
author of Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvohs - Bracha Goetz
How can such a slight book, a mere 48 pages, including the full-page illustrations and an afterword, convey such pathos, history, and emotion, while also providing an entrée into the study of the Holocaust and the meaning of Hillel’s dictum: “Do Unto Others . . .” but it does.
Greenhorn poignantly captures the harsh reality of the disconnect between American Jews and their brothers and sisters victimized and murdered in the Holocaust. In this layered children's book, Olswanger reveals the deeper failure of America's Jews to come to the emotional rescue of the profoundly devastated Survivors after the Holocaust. Those that did, like Aaron, the speech challenged but not heart challenged youngster depicted in the book, restored for the Survivors their desperately needed faith in humanity. Thanks to the gracious ones, the survivors were able to rebuild their lives and the communities fortunate to be graced by them.
Greenhorn is a powerful book that should be in libraries everywhere.
Middle Grade Ninja - Robert Kent
Greenhorn is a book that will fool you by its slight appearance, but the weight of its story will astonish you.
Blah, Blah, Blah Book Blog - Kathy Cowle
An easy read on a difficult subject and an excellent tool for teaching. Author Anna Olswanger handles the subject matter with grace.
author of Grandma’s Cookies - Marilyn Price
Greenhorn brings to colloquial life a chilling aspect of Jewish and world history that the world should not be allowed to forget.
author of Rapunzel, winner of the Caldecott Medal, and Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and Swamp Angel, Caldecott Ho - Paul Zelinsky
This is a remarkably rich and powerful book. It would be wonderful to use in a classroom as students could read it in its entirety in a couple of class periods. The world of a 1946 yeshiva is well drawn and very real.
An excellent resource for homeschooling parents wishing to teach their children about the Holocaust.
Sara Ella blog - Sara Ella
Quiet and deeply moving.
The Times of Israel - Yael Levy
While the tale of Greenhorn will capture the imagination of your child and the illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are well-done and colorful, it teaches on the historical, cultural, moral, and personal level.
Greenhorn is a story of friendship, love, and loyalty. The illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are tender and warm, a perfect pairing for the heartfelt story of a young boy and his friends. Books like Greenhorn will keep alive the memories of so many who were lost.
Jewish Books for Kids - Barbara Bietz
It's just a tin box with a piece of soap inside. Yet for Daniel it contains a whole world. And Greenhorn is a short, simple story that deserves a place with among the most distinguished works of Holocaust literature. I loved everything about this book, Miriam Nerlove's artwork was perfect.
author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, a Newbery Honor Book, and The Golem's Latkes, winner of the National Jewish - Eric A. Kimmel
Using common aspects of middle school life—friendship, fitting in, and bullying—Anna Olswanger creates a familiar setting to introduce young readers to the horrors of the Holocaust. Miriam Nerlove’s warm illustrations portray life in the yeshiva with just the right touches of mood and presence. The back end glossary plus the classroom and discussion guides found at Olswanger’s website enhance the book’s educational value. Above all, Greenhorn is a profoundly moving portrait of a painful part of human history.
Advice from a Caterpillar
Greenhorn is both a heartwarming and heartrending story of friendship and tragedy in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I highly recommend it.
author of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book for Nonfiction - David Adler
The story would make a good addition to a unit on the Holocaust, and could easily be read aloud in a classroom or read by individual students and used for classroom or home discussion.
Greenhorn ought to be read by every reader, from middle grades on up to the most elder. Author Anna Olswanger has written a story that is both heartwrenching and heartwarming, based on actual events and real-life personages, as she explains in the afterword. This is not a story I’m ever going to forget.
Olswanger’s sensitive story, based on real-life events, brings home the atrocities of Nazi-Germany as seen through the eyes of young religious Jews living in America during WWII. This short picture book offers a message of survival, renewal, and hope.
author of Freefall (a Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner) and Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig (a Sidney Tay
Greenhorn goes straight to your heart. Another poignant treasure from children's book author, Anna Olswanger, which clearly deserves to be another award-winner.
author of Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvohs
It's just a tin box with a piece of soap inside. Yet for Daniel it contains a whole world. And Greenhorn is a short, simple story that deserves a place with among the most distinguished works of Holocaust literature. I loved everything about this book, Miriam Nerlove's artwork was perfect.
author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
An excellent resource for homeschooling parents wishing to teach their children about the Holocaust.
Anna Olswanger, author of the award-winning Shlemiel Crooks , handles the material deftly, allowing the loyal friendship of the two boys to set a redemptive tone, while Miriam Nerlove’s delicate watercolor illustrations evoke the vulnerability and sweetness of childhood, even as the text exposes the cruelty of which human beings are capable. Profoundly moving and filled with accurate historical detail, Greenhorn is an extraordinary book.
A story to read and discuss with young readers—certain to get the conversation started on this difficult subject.
Heroism & Treachery (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award author of The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure
Anna Olswanger (Shlemiel Crooks , 2005) has crafted a marvelous Holocaust book for youth in Greenhorn . She carefully introduces the Shoah in a poignant and dramatic manner. Ms. Olswanger is to be commended for careful attention to detail required by any work of historical fiction. This book is enhanced further by the addition of many excellent illustrations, each one reflecting the sensory experiences of this unique environment. Greenhorn proffers a perfect launching point for a discussion of the Holocaust aimed at youthful learners.
author of Jacob's Courage
Quiet and deeply moving.
Daniel arrives at a yeshiva in Brooklyn in 1946, an orphan from the Holocaust. He carries a box with him everywhere, inviting the taunts and curiosity of his fellow students. When it’s revealed that the box contains soap made by the Nazis, who used human fat in their recipe, the young boys experience a life lesson in cruelty and faith that transcends their differences.
Greenhorn by Anna Olswanger is a powerful book. I think children will be very interested in the story, and it is a good way to open up a discussion with 9- to 12-year-olds about the Holocaust and even racism today.
Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them!
Greenhorn is a powerful book that should be in libraries everywhere.
Anna Olswanger handles the horrors of WWII and more to the point, the Holocaust very well.
A tiny novel with an enormous heart, Anna Olswanger’s Greenhorn poignantly illustrates the old adage that good and powerful things often come in the smallest packages.
In Greenhorn , Anna Olswanger not only captures the voices of the young yeshiva students living in Brooklyn in 1946 but also reveals what is in their hearts. In a few spare words, she tenderly develops the relationship between Aaron, a student who is teased because of his stuttering, and Daniel, a Holocaust survivor who desperately clings to a tin box carrying a precious secret. Never didactic, the story conveys a message about the healing power of friendship. Miriam Nerlove’s illustrations gently evoke the time and place.
a Sydney Taylor Notable Book author of Stealing Home
Greenhorn is a book that will fool you by its slight appearance, but the weight of its story will astonish you.
An easy read on a difficult subject and an excellent tool for teaching. Author Anna Olswanger handles the subject matter with grace.
author of Grandma’s Cookies
Anna Olswanger takes a daring approach introducing young readers to the horrors of the Holocaust. The telling illustrations ease the painful subject.
author of Purim Goodies and The Klezmer Bunch
Greenhorn is both a heartwarming and heartrending story of friendship and tragedy in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I highly recommend it.
winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book fo author of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man
Greenhorn is a tender, touching celebration of friendship, family, and faith. I must admit I cried at the horror and humanity of this simple story. Read it with your arms around someone you love.
author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal)
Perfect for boys although girls will absolutely want to read it also.
'Riting & Research The 3 R's - Reading
Greenhorn brings to colloquial life a chilling aspect of Jewish and world history that the world should not be allowed to forget.
Greenhorn by Anna Olswanger is a powerful book. I think children will be very interested in the story, and it is a good way to open up a discussion with 9- to 12-year-olds about the Holocaust and even racism today. — Margo Dill , Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them! Anna Levine , author of Freefall (a Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner) and Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig (a Sidney Taylor Notable Award winner)Jewish Book World Greenhorn is a story of friendship, love, and loyalty. The illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are tender and warm, a perfect pairing for the heartfelt story of a young boy and his friends. Books like Greenhorn will keep alive the memories of so many who were lost. — Barbara Bietz , Jewish Books for Kids Shlemiel Crooks , 2005) has crafted a marvelous Holocaust book for youth in Greenhorn . She carefully introduces the Shoah in a poignant and dramatic manner. Ms. Olswanger is to be commended for careful attention to detail required by any work of historical fiction. This book is enhanced further by the addition of many excellent illustrations, each one reflecting the sensory experiences of this unique environment. Greenhorn proffers a perfect launching point for a discussion of the Holocaust aimed at youthful learners." — Charles Weinblatt , author of Jacob's Courage Publishers Weekly Sara Ella , Sara Ella blogShlemiel Crooks , handles the material deftly, allowing the loyal friendship of the two boys to set a redemptive tone, while Miriam Nerlove’s delicate watercolor illustrations evoke the vulnerability and sweetness of childhood, even as the text exposes the cruelty of which human beings are capable. Profoundly moving and filled with accurate historical detail, Greenhorn is an extraordinary book. — Rebecca Migdal , Bank Street BooksGreenhorn is a powerful story of the horrors of the Holocaust and the healing power of friendship. — Games Fiends Greenhorn is a powerful book that should be in libraries everywhere. — Robert Kent , Middle Grade Ninja Steve Sheinkin , author of The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery (Boston Globe -Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction)Marilyn Price , author of Grandma’s Cookies Greenhorn is both a heartwarming and heartrending story of friendship and tragedy in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I highly recommend it. — David Adler , author of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man , winner of the Boston Globe -Horn Book Honor Book for NonfictionYael Levy , The Times of Israel Greenhorn poignantly illustrates the old adage that good and powerful things often come in the smallest packages. — Susannah Felts , Chapter 16 Kirkus Reviews Greenhorn will capture the imagination of your child and the illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are well-done and colorful, it teaches on the historical, cultural, moral, and personal level. — Karen Kelly Boyce Greenhorn poignantly captures the harsh reality of the disconnect between American Jews and their brothers and sisters victimized and murdered in the Holocaust. In this layered children's book, Olswanger reveals the deeper failure of America's Jews to come to the emotional rescue of the profoundly devastated Survivors after the Holocaust. Those that did, like Aaron, the speech challenged but not heart challenged youngster depicted in the book, restored for the Survivors their desperately needed faith in humanity. Thanks to the gracious ones, the survivors were able to rebuild their lives and the communities fortunate to be graced by them. — Rabbi Meyer H. May , executive director, Simon Wiesenthal CenterGreenhorn ought to be read by every reader, from middle grades on up to the most elder. Author Anna Olswanger has written a story that is both heartwrenching and heartwarming, based on actual events and real-life personages, as she explains in the afterword. This is not a story I’m ever going to forget. — Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes , Mallory Heart Reviews Greenhorn , Anna Olswanger not only captures the voices of the young yeshiva students living in Brooklyn in 1946 but also reveals what is in their hearts. In a few spare words, she tenderly develops the relationship between Aaron, a student who is teased because of his stuttering, and Daniel, a Holocaust survivor who desperately clings to a tin box carrying a precious secret. Never didactic, the story conveys a message about the healing power of friendship. Miriam Nerlove’s illustrations gently evoke the time and place. — Ellen Schwartz , author of Stealing Home , a Sydney Taylor Notable BookJoyce Moyer Hostetter , The 3 R's - Reading, 'Riting & Research The Write Stuff Greenhorn , a short middle-grade novel by author and literary agent Anna Olswanger, is one amazing book. [It] is a worthy addition to literature dealing with the Holocaust. — Project Mayhem Greenhorn is a short, simple story that deserves a place with among the most distinguished works of Holocaust literature. I loved everything about this book, Miriam Nerlove's artwork was perfect. — Eric A. Kimmel , author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins , a Newbery Honor Book, and The Golem's Latkes , winner of the National Jewish Book AwardGreenhorn is a book that will fool you by its slight appearance, but the weight of its story will astonish you." — Kathy Cowle , Blah, Blah, Blah Book Blog Greenhorn is a profoundly moving portrait of a painful part of human history. — Advice from a Caterpillar Greenhorn brings to colloquial life a chilling aspect of Jewish and world history that the world should not be allowed to forget. — Paul Zelinsky , author of Rapunzel , winner of the Caldecott Medal, and Rumpelstiltskin , Hansel and Gretel , and Swamp Angel , Caldecott Honor BooksGreenhorn is a tender, touching celebration of friendship, family, and faith. I must admit I cried at the horror and humanity of this simple story. Read it with your arms around someone you love. — Karen Cushman , author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), Catherine, Called Birdy (a Newbery Honor book), and The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (winner of the John and Patricia Beatty Award)
While the tale of Greenhorn will capture the imagination of your child and the illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are well-done and colorful, it teaches on the historical, cultural, moral, and personal level. — Karen Kelly Boyce
In 1946, a young survivor of the concentration camps comes to America from Poland with nothing but a mysterious box that never leaves his possession. Daniel is one of a group of boys who have lost their parents in the Holocaust and have been brought to live and study in a yeshiva in New York City. Daniel is overwhelmed by past horrors and finds adjustment to his present circumstances difficult in the extreme. He is befriended by Aaron, who tries to ease his way into this new life. Many of the boys at school are not exactly kind and considerate; they mercilessly tease Aaron for stuttering, and they keep pushing at Daniel to reveal the contents of the box. They force the issue by taking the box from him and opening it. What they find stuns them, as do Daniel's heartbreaking reasons for keeping the object. Based on a true story, the narrative is told in Aaron's voice, with copious use of dialogue to further the plot. Nerlove's softly hued, full-page illustrations mostly depict quiet, calm moments, making the depiction of the attack on Daniel more startling. Olswanger's deceptively simple tale can jump-start a discussion of the Holocaust, as well as the repercussions for those who survived and, indeed, for all humanity. A book to be read by adult and child together. (afterword, glossary) (Historical fiction. 10-14)
