Wow. This book completely blew me away. "Alias Anna" is the true story of Zhanna, a young Jewish piano prodigy, and her sister Frina, who outsmarted the Nazis during the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight. Written in verse, the story captures the sisters’ courage and resilience, and the power of music to save lives.

I was hooked from the first page. I realize it won't be for everyone, but I thought the poetic format made the story feel intimate and emotional, almost like I was right there with Zhanna as she fled her home, adopted the alias “Anna,” and used her incredible talent to survive. The bond between the sisters is so touching, and their determination to live, despite the horrors around them, is inspiring.

This is perfect for middle-grade readers (and adults too!) who want to learn about this lesser-known piece of history.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Another very interesting story about someone who escaped the horrors of concentration camps in NAZI Germany. I liked the set up with the discovery of Anna’s secret.

Your collection mileage may vary with this book in verse, but the story is as compelling as they come, with the true story of a talented musician slipping from the grasp of the Nazis when she was only 12 years old.

First sentence: Dear Grandma (Z), Hi, how are you doing? I hope everything is going well for you right now. I am writing this letter for a school history project we are doing. The project is to find out as much as possible about our grandparents and what was going on when they were thirteen years old...

Premise/plot: Alias Anna is a historical novel for middle graders based on a true story. Inspired by her granddaughter's letter, a grandmother begins to share with granddaughter and son her life story. That is the framework of this one. This story is communicated with readers through verse. Readers learn of Zhanna (alias Anna) and her younger sister, Frina. The story begins in the days before the terror. Well, the majority of the terror. I'm not sure easy would be the best way to describe life in Communist Russia (Ukraine) for a Jewish family (or any family). But music fills their lives....and may just be the girls' salvation.

My thoughts: On the one hand, this is a solidly good story. The narrative is compelling. The book is packed with so much. It's dramatic without being melodramatic. The sisters' bond is touching. And the twist that it was ultimately her unwillingness to be separated from her sister that saved her life (and gave birth to future generations of family) is something. I can't regret for a minute meeting these characters and learning their stories. On the other hand, I'm not exactly sure why it has to be written in verse. The narrative isn't one that begs to be written in verse. Prose would have done just as well in my opinion. That being said, I would have been hooked either way.

Wow. A deep and moving biography told in verse that grips you until the very last page. It's the true story of two Jewish sisters who miraculously escaped the Nazi's murderous plans and then were shoved into the limelight right under Nazi noses during the war. I love that photos of the girls are included in the back (along with the story of how the pictures were acquired). Fantastic notes in the back about the making of the story (they're a little repetitive, but overall good).

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This is a non-fiction account of one of the authors' (Greg Dawson's) mother's experience surviving the holocaust. She and her sister were very gifted pianists and their talent helped them survive while they hid the fact that they were Jewish and frequently preformed for members of the Nazi party and German soldiers.

It was an engrossing read and the novel-in-verse format made it quite a page turner and easy to digest. My only complaint is that it felt very factual and not particularly emotional even though these young women lived through many terrifying experiences including being rounded up as Jews and taken on a march, the bombings of Berlin, and having to hide their identities and preform for the people who wanted them dead just because they were Jewish.

There's so much WW2 literature out there, that it's rare when one sticks out, but Alias Anna is one of those standouts. I enjoyed the story as well as the poetry format.

Alias Anna is a children's adaptation of Greg Dawson's account of his mother, Zhana Arshanskaya, and how she and her sister, two renowned pianist prodigies in Ukraine at the time, survived the Holocaust.

This story is beautifully told in verse and touches on the lesser-known events of the Holocaust in Ukraine. Zhana's life is saved by her father who bribes a Nazi soldier in order for Zhana to escape the death march. All throughout their journey, their father's words echo in Zhana's mind: "I don't care what you do, just live." Indeed, the two sisters establish aliases for themselves and successfully conceal their true identities from the Nazi troupe they travel and perform with. Zhana yearns to return to her homeland, but her sister refuses, knowing that they will be persecuted by their own government. Their committmen

Included in this book is an incredible back matter with a wealth of information about the events of the book. Readers will recognize the photos of Zhana's family and their belongings from the verses in the book. The authors also use this space to explain the importance of music during the Holocaust: how Hitler used it as a weapon for his propaganda, as well as a tool to help Americans sympathize with the Russian people.

A fascinating, engaging tale, a Holocaust biography, about a pair of sisters that escaped the systematic murders of Jews in Ukraine. Using their wits and incredible musical gifts, and some luck, they survive in part by being 'hidden in the spotlight' as pianists for Nazi soldiers' entertainment. This is an adaptation for children and teens. Highly recommend.

I don’t know how I missed that this was a true story but I did and realized my huge mistake about halfway through. This work is so important right now. As it is pointed out in the book, how do we tell such a horrific past to children? I think this book does it phenomenally and in a different way. I don’t know many non fictions told through poetry but it was definitely unique. Amongst book bannings for stories concerning the Holocaust (including true stories) and the war now unfortunately beginning again in the Ukraine, this book and story needs to be out there.

Amazing story in verse about Zhanna and her sister Frina, piano virtuosos, who survive the German invasion of Ukraine against all odds. It is a wonderfully dramatic account of two young girls who survived the atrocities by playing music to entertain German soldiers. Thanks to the author, Susan Hood, for providing me an ARC, and also to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

As Zhanna's family marches to what is certain death, her father tells her to run away and says, "“I don’t care what you do. Just live.”

This was an incredibly well written book and what a powerful story, just wow. Definitely one to add to the classroom library.

Such a moving true tale of two Ukrainian Jewish piano whizzes, Zhanna (aka Anna) and her sister Frina, who managed to escape certain death in WWII by running from the Nazis to freedom and using their musical gifts to survive. Gripping and inspiring!

Thanks to the authors, HarperCollins Children's Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine. Out March 22.

#aliasanna

Such a good book for a classroom setting, especially for 4/5th grade level. Will definitely be adding to my class library!

A poignant story of a musical young girl growing up in Ukraine told in poetry and prose, Surviving communist slaughters and the invasion of the Nazis, The horrors of the time period are recounted from the perspective of the girl as she matures and learns more of the world around her and the diabolical extermination of the infirm, Roma, and Jews of Ukraine. Heart-wrenching and inspiring, Zhanna and her sister's story is researched and recounted in vivid detail. Notes at the end provide further insights and details on the atrocities committed against the Jews Photos with captions show snapshots of time periods highlighted in the poetry and prose. A moving read for young and old.

This was lovely. I found it too advanced for what I thought was the target demographic, but I didn’t read the description too closely. It was really good.

Beautifully written! It’s a story I’d never heard of before, and I can’t wait to share it with those that love history, music, novels-in-verse, or learning incredible stories.

This was an incredible book. My students are fascinated by World War II and especially the brave children who manage to survive the brutality. The story of Zhanna and her sister Frina escaping death and using their talents to stay alive while avoiding discovery as Jewish is incredible. The lyrical storytelling and the variety of poetic forms create an amazing reading experience for this novel-in-verse. The back matter adds to the story as readers learn how long Zhanna kept her secret.

How did I miss that this was a Susan Hood book? It is also coauthored by Zhanna’s son, which added so much depth to this book.

This is the true story of how one young girl used her musical talent to survive the Holocaust with her younger sister. This is written in free verse which not only adds an emotional aspect, but enhances the musical portion as well. Photos and the letter which inspired the book as well as historic sources are included in this book. I highly recommend reading this and sharing it with a young person.

I highly recommend this book! It is touching, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I appreciated that the book allows readers to learn about how the Holocaust and WWII impacted Eastern Europe as the perspective of Eastern and Central Europe are not as often depicted in similar books. I think this would be a good book for juvenile to middle grade readers, and I'll be recommending it to both my library and teachers that I know.