For children navigating the pain of farewells, this true story from WWII Germany offers a poignant look at friendship, family, and resilience amidst goodbyes.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is facing a difficult move, the end of a school year, or is ready for a gentle, humanizing introduction to the Holocaust. Based on the author's mother's real autograph book, "The Year of Goodbyes" is a memoir in verse about a 12-year-old Jewish girl in 1938 Germany. As her family prepares to flee the Nazis, she collects messages from friends and family, creating a poignant record of love and loss. It beautifully captures the sadness of farewells while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. The unique format makes a heavy topic accessible and deeply personal for middle-grade readers, focusing on emotional survival and the power of memory.
The family's fear of the Nazis and the tension of their escape are palpable but not graphic.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with the Holocaust, specifically the rising persecution of Jewish people in Germany before the war. The focus is not on violence or concentration camps, but on the emotional toll of ostracism, fear, and forced farewells. The resolution is hopeful for the main character and her immediate family, who escape, but it is deeply shaded by the realistic and tragic fate of many they left behind. The approach is secular and historical, framed through a child's personal experience.
Ideal Reader
This is for an emotionally mature 9 to 12-year-old who is either facing a major life transition (like moving) or is ready for a personal, non-graphic entry point into World War II history. It's perfect for the introspective child who connects with stories about deep friendships.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared to discuss the historical context. The author's note and timeline at the back are excellent resources. No specific scenes are graphic, but the cumulative weight of the goodbyes and the underlying threat can be emotionally heavy. Reading it together is recommended. A parent's child comes home expressing deep sadness about a friend moving away, or asks their first serious questions about the Holocaust after a lesson at school, wondering what it felt like for the kids involved.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will primarily connect with the universal themes of friendship and the pain of saying goodbye. An older reader (11-13) will have a greater capacity to understand the historical stakes, the pervasive fear, and the immense courage shown by the family. They will see it less as a moving story and more as a survival story.
What Makes It Special
Its format is entirely unique. By grounding the verse novel in a primary source document (the poësiealbum) and including images of its pages, the story becomes incredibly tangible and immediate. It's not just historical fiction; it's a curated, poetic presentation of a real artifact of a life, which sets it apart from other Holocaust narratives for this age group.
Read plot summary
This nonfiction verse novel chronicles the author's mother's last year in Nazi Germany in 1938. Twelve-year-old Jutta Salzberg navigates increasing antisemitic persecution while her family quietly plans their escape to America. She uses her poësiealbum, or autograph book, to collect farewell messages from friends, teachers, and relatives, creating a tangible record of the life and people she is forced to leave behind. The book includes reproductions from the actual album, culminating in the family's tense but successful emigration.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Jutta used her autograph book to remember her friends. If you had to create a book to remember your favorite people, what would you ask them to write or draw in it?
2
Throughout the year, the rules for Jutta and her family keep changing, like when she can't go to the library anymore. How do these small changes build up to a very big change in her life?
3
Jutta's father says, 'We are not leaving our home. We are taking our home with us.' What do you think he means by that, since they are leaving their house and their country?
4
The book includes real pictures from Jutta's album. How did seeing the real handwriting and photos of her friends make you feel while reading the story?
