In Anna Olswanger's middle-grade novel Greenhorn, a young Holocaust survivor arrives in 1946 at a New York yeshiva where he will study and live. His only possession is a small box that he never lets out of his sight. Daniel, the young survivor, rarely talks, but the narrator, a stutterer who bears the taunts of the other boys, comes to consider Daniel his friend.
The mystery of what's in the box propels this short work, but it's in the complex relationships among the schoolboys that the human story is revealed. In the end, Aaron, the stutterer, finds his voice and a friend in Daniel, and their bond offers hope for a future life of dreams realized, one in which Daniel is able to let go of his box.
Greenhorn is a powerful story, perfect for families to read together, that gives human dimension to the Holocaust. It poignantly underscores our flawed humanity and speaks to the healing value of friendship.
About the Authors
Anna Olswanger is the author of Shlemiel Crooks (Junebug Books, 2005), a Yiddish-inflected Passover story, named a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book. In 2011 the Kaufman Center premiered a family musical based on Shlemiel Crooks at Merkin Hall in New York. Anna is a literary agent and lives in the metro New York City area with her husband. Miriam Nerlove received her master’s degree in printmaking from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and worked for a time in the photograph and slide library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She lives with her family just outside Chicago, where in addition to illustrating, she enjoys writing, painting, listening to music, and working part-time at a library.
Industry Reviews
Greenhorn is a story of friendship, love, and loyalty. The illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are tender and warm, a perfect pairing for the heartfelt story of a young boy and his friends. Books like Greenhorn will keep alive the memories of so many who were lost.--Barbara Bietz "Jewish Books for Kids"
Greenhorn ought to be read by every reader, from middle grades on up to the most elder. Author Anna Olswanger has written a story that is both heartwrenching and heartwarming, based on actual events and real-life personages, as she explains in the afterword. This is not a story I'm ever going to forget.--Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes "Mallory Heart Reviews"
Greenhorn brings to colloquial life a chilling aspect of Jewish and world history that the world should not be allowed to forget.--Paul Zelinsky "author of Rapunzel, winner of the Caldecott Medal, and Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and Swamp Angel, Caldecott Honor Books"
Greenhorn by Anna Olswanger is a powerful book. I think children will be very interested in the story, and it is a good way to open up a discussion with 9- to 12-year-olds about the Holocaust and even racism today.--Margo Dill "Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them!"
Greenhorn goes straight to your heart. Another poignant treasure from children's book author, Anna Olswanger, which clearly deserves to be another award-winner.--Bracha Goetz "author of Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvohs"
Greenhorn is a book that will fool you by its slight appearance, but the weight of its story will astonish you.--Kathy Cowle "Blah, Blah, Blah Book Blog"
Greenhorn is a powerful book that should be in libraries everywhere.--Robert Kent "Middle Grade Ninja"
Greenhorn is a tender, touching celebration of friendship, family, and faith. I must admit I cried at the horror and humanity of this simple story. Read it with your arms around someone you love.--Karen Cushman "author of The Midwife's Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), Catherine, Called Birdy (a Newbery Honor book), and The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (winner of the John and Patricia Beatty Award)"
Greenhorn is both a heartwarming and heartrending story of friendship and tragedy in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I highly recommend it.--David Adler "author of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book for Nonfiction"
Greenhorn poignantly captures the harsh reality of the disconnect between American Jews and their brothers and sisters victimized and murdered in the Holocaust. In this layered children's book, Olswanger reveals the deeper failure of America's Jews to come to the emotional rescue of the profoundly devastated Survivors after the Holocaust. Those that did, like Aaron, the speech challenged but not heart challenged youngster depicted in the book, restored for the Survivors their desperately needed faith in humanity. Thanks to the gracious ones, the survivors were able to rebuild their lives and the communities fortunate to be graced by them.--Rabbi Meyer H. May, executive director, Simon Wiesenthal Center
A tiny novel with an enormous heart, Anna Olswanger's Greenhorn poignantly illustrates the old adage that good and powerful things often come in the smallest packages.--Susannah Felts "Chapter 16"
Anna Olswanger (Shlemiel Crooks, 2005) has crafted a marvelous Holocaust book for youth in Greenhorn. She carefully introduces the Shoah in a poignant and dramatic manner. Ms. Olswanger is to be commended for careful attention to detail required by any work of historical fiction. This book is enhanced further by the addition of many excellent illustrations, each one reflecting the sensory experiences of this unique environment. Greenhorn proffers a perfect launching point for a discussion of the Holocaust aimed at youthful learners.--Charles Weinblatt "author of Jacob's Courage"
Anna Olswanger, author of the award-winning Shlemiel Crooks, handles the material deftly, allowing the loyal friendship of the two boys to set a redemptive tone, while Miriam Nerlove's delicate watercolor illustrations evoke the vulnerability and sweetness of childhood, even as the text exposes the cruelty of which human beings are capable. Profoundly moving and filled with accurate historical detail, Greenhorn is an extraordinary book.--Rebecca Migdal "Bank Street Books"
In Greenhorn, Anna Olswanger not only captures the voices of the young yeshiva students living in Brooklyn in 1946 but also reveals what is in their hearts. In a few spare words, she tenderly develops the relationship between Aaron, a student who is teased because of his stuttering, and Daniel, a Holocaust survivor who desperately clings to a tin box carrying a precious secret. Never didactic, the story conveys a message about the healing power of friendship. Miriam Nerlove's illustrations gently evoke the time and place.--Ellen Schwartz "author of Stealing Home, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book"
It's just a tin box with a piece of soap inside. Yet for Daniel it contains a whole world. And Greenhorn is a short, simple story that deserves a place with among the most distinguished works of Holocaust literature. I loved everything about this book, Miriam Nerlove's artwork was perfect.--Eric A. Kimmel "author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, a Newbery Honor Book, and The Golem's Latkes, winner of the National Jewish Book Award"
While the tale of Greenhorn will capture the imagination of your child and the illustrations by Miriam Nerlove are well-done and colorful, it teaches on the historical, cultural, moral, and personal level.--Karen Kelly Boyce
Greenhorn is a heart-warming story of two outsiders who become life-long friends. I highly recommend it.-- "The Children's War"
Greenhorn is a powerful story of the horrors of the Holocaust and the healing power of friendship.-- "Games Fiends"
Greenhorn, a short middle-grade novel by author and literary agent Anna Olswanger, is one amazing book. [It] is a worthy addition to literature dealing with the Holocaust.-- "Project Mayhem"
Using common aspects of middle school life--friendship, fitting in, and bullying--Anna Olswanger creates a familiar setting to introduce young readers to the horrors of the Holocaust. Miriam Nerlove's warm illustrations portray life in the yeshiva with just the right touches of mood and presence. The back end glossary plus the classroom and discussion guides found at Olswanger's website enhance the book's educational value. Above all, Greenhorn is a profoundly moving portrait of a painful part of human history.-- "Advice from a Caterpillar"
