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English Titles

		THE THOUGHT OF HIGH WINDOWS LYNNE KOSITSKY TORONTO: KIDS CAN PRESS, 2004. 175 P. ISBN 1553376218 (BOUND) ISBN 1553376226 (PAPERBACK) AGES 12 AND UP
The Thought of High Windows Source

Jews are being persecuted in Germany; Esther, a 16-year-old Jewish German girl, registers with the Red Cross and goes to Belgium with a group of young Jews to escape the Nazis. Since Esther is from a more traditional family, the other youths pick on her. She perceives herself as ugly and unattractive. Her relationship with her only friend, Walter, is complicated, and although she is in love with him, he treats her like a sister and befriends the more popular girls.

When Belgium is attacked, the group goes to France; when France surrenders, Esther is arrested. She escapes by jumping from a window -- windows often seem to be her only hope of escaping difficult situations. Now alone and on her own, she gets involved with the Jewish Underground.

The Thought of High Windows is based on the true story of children who escaped Austria and Germany and lived for a time in a French castle. Lynne Kositsky has written a powerful and unforgettable story about the reality of living the horrors of the Holocaust. It is a story of hope and survival. Readers will empathize with Esther, who survived one of the darkest times in history. They will be touched by the story and continue to think about its powerful message long after they close the book.

-AC