The Final Journey Author:Gudrun Pausewang Alice is eleven years old, and it is wartime. She is on a train with no seats, no lights, no sanitary facilities. Her parents and her grandmother are missing, and Alice doesn't know where she is going. Maybe she will get to play outside again, maybe she will see her parents. But as the train rolls on, Alice begins to realize that just when you t... more »hink things can't possibly get any worse, they do. "No reader will be immune to the plight of these people, powerless in the face of overwhelming evil."-- Kirkus Reviews« less
This is one of the very few books, non-fiction or otherwise, on this subject that I'd recommend to younger people. Even though the majority of this book details the train ride Alice takes to Auschwitz there is still much tragedy involved as is to be expected. But it's written in a way that can be handled by young people I think. Maybe because instead of putting it out there very plainly it all goes "through" Alice. That may be why I feel this way.
I'm really surprised at this book to be honest. I read it ~ to be very honest ~ because it's missing it's dust jacket and I wanted it off my bookshelf. (My OCD thank you very much.) I was surprised at how well it flowed. As astonishing as Alice's experiences are it can be handled by someone younger.
This is also slim enough that someone younger may not be overwhelmed which is always a good thing.