In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

                                                      

           In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

by Irene Gut Opdyke

Pages: 288

              

   In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer, by Irene Gut Opdyke, tells the story of Irene, a young Polish girl, and her chaotic life. After her native Poland was attacked, she was separated from her family, and had no choice but to work in a hotel, serving Nazis. Upon seeing a merciless attack on concentration camp escapees, she begins hiding food under the fence of said camp-- right next to the hotel. Soon, her efforts expanded far from hiding food, and by the war's end, despite the many problems she encountered, Irene saved more than ten Jews from camps. Once everything was over, Irene became widely recognized for her bravery and kindness, and was able to build a wonderful life for herself. A well-deserved one, at that.

The Vile Village

                                                       The Vile Village
                                                       by Lemony Snicket
                                                         Pages: 264
                                         

  "It takes a village to raise a child." This phrase refers to communities shaping the lives of children... But not quite like this. The Vile Village, by Lemony Snicket, tells the tale of the Baudelaire orphans' new home in the town, V.F.D. Everyone in the crow-filled village is to take care of the three children, while the children themselves are on alert for Count Olaf, or their friends, the Quagmire triplets, who were kidnapped. But when Count Olaf returns, posed as a detective, he blames them for a murder in town, and now the Baudelaires must prove their innocence-- and save their friends as well. At the start of the series, the orphans couldn't understand Olaf's plans until the last minute. Soon, however, the children's wisdom grew, making the evil man's plots easier to unravel.

The Ersatz Elevator

                                                  The Ersatz Elevator
                                                   by Lemony Snicket
                                                        Pages: 265

                                       



"If you have just picked up this book, then it is not too late to put it back down." The Ersatz Elevator, by Lemony Snicket, tells the story of another unfortunate event in the lives of the Baudelaire orphans. The three children move to 667 Dark Avenue, where their new guardians, Esmé and Jerome Squalor, only care about what's considered "in" and "out". Because of this, Esmé has brought in "Gunther," a supposedly well-known auctioneer, who is really Count Olaf in disguise, with another plot to steal the Baudelaire fortune. Count Olaf's craftiness, in the past, has brought him very close to capturing the fortune, but his inability to plan ahead constantly sets him back.

The Austere Academy

                                                          The Austere Academy
                                                            by Lemony Snicket
                                                                 Pages: 221