Hana's Suitcase

Based on a Canadian radio documentary, included with the book as a CD, this story begins with an intriguing empty suitcase in a Tokyo Holocaust museum labeled with the name Hana Brady, a date, and the German word for orphan. The Japanese children become curious about the background of the girl who had owned the suitcase, prompting the curator of the museum to find out as much as she can. The book goes back and forth between Hana's childhood in Czechoslovakia and an account of the museum curator's detective work to unearth Hana's story and present it to the public. Hana was killed at Auschwitz but her one surviving brother was found and journeyed to Japan to meet the curator and the children. A 2004 American Library Association Notable Children's Book, winner of the Association of Jewish Libraries 2002 Sidney Taylor Book Award, and the Canadian Library Association's 2003 Children's Book of the Year Award. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.