Prisoner B-3087 (260 Pages)

This book is written by Alan Gratz and is based on the true story by Ruth and Jack Gruener. Like many books, this book, while based on Jack Gruener's story, is fictionalized by the author. It tells of a Jewish family living in Poland during the beginning of World War II. The story follows the main character, Yanek Gruener, who lives in Poland with his family and is able to survive in the walled off city even when his life is turned upside down. Like many Jewish families, Jack's father underestimated the Nazi behavior, thinking it would not be so bad. His mother and father were taken off to a concentration camp, and he never saw them again. He hid for a while, but eventually the Nazi organization found him and he was sent to a concentration camp- only to be transferred to 9 more camps until being freed by the Americans after surviving five years of horrible existence. The book is not dissimilar to Elie Weizels's Night with many of the same themes. By the way, Ruth and Jack live in Brooklyn, New York and are willing to come to schools and speak to children about the Holocaust.