Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
by Neal Shusterman; illus. by Andrés Vera Martínez
Middle School, High School    Graphix/Scholastic    256 pp.
10/23    9780545313476    $24.99
Paper ed.  9780545313483    $14.99

In this innovative book, five stories, all in graphic format, address aspects of the Holocaust and incorporate fantasy elements, including some, aptly, from Jewish and Eastern European folklore. A golem resists the guards in Auschwitz. Baba Yaga and the fools of Chelm build a bridge for children hiding from the “nasties.” Generations later, a teen gets a chance to see what the world would have looked like if the Holocaust hadn’t occurred. Informational spreads following most stories provide historical and, when relevant, folkloric context. Amid the brutality depicted, the creatively applied magical elements give power back to characters persecuted by the Holocaust. The muted palette of the panel illustrations changes slightly with each tale, and the varied layouts keep the momentum going. Back matter includes notes from Shusterman (Challenger Deep, rev. 3/15, and many other novels) and Martínez (Little White Duck, rev. 9/12), a bibliography, and spiritual interpretations of the Hebrew letters that open each story.

From the September/October 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.