Survivors Club

"This book is published as narrative nonfiction for young readers, but the equal measures of hope and hardship in its pages lend appeal to an audience of all ages . . . Remarkable." --Ruta Sepetys in the New York Times Book Review "A wrenching, shocking, and ultimately inspiring memoir, a tale of unrelenting optimism and resilience that is no less than miraculous . . . [Survivors Club] is hauntingly timely." --Esquire "Enhanced by meticulous archival research, Bornstein's story unfolds in novelistic form . . . This moving memoir [is] an important witness to the capacity for human evil and resilience." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "[An] exceptional book of memoir and history . . . worth reading more than once. It is compelling; there is something novelistic about it. It certainly reads with more verve and detail than most straight testimonies . . . Although listed for ages 10 - 14, it also makes excellent adult reading." --Jewish Book Council, starred review "A tenderly wrought tribute to family, to hope, and to the miracles both can bring. A powerful memoir." --Booklist "The most memorable part of this extraordinary nonfiction work is the hope amidst tragedy and the ways individuals and families banded together despite unimaginable odds, including the challenges to rebuild after breaking free from the concentration camps only to find a world still filled with hatred and fear." --VOYA "A powerful reconstruction of family history . . . An ideal follow-up selection for students who have read The Diary of Anne Frank." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Middle schoolers will be engrossed by Bornstein's account . . . The book is written in a soothing tone, which helps balance some of the grim details of Jewish life under the Nazi regime . . . The storytelling is fast-paced, and readers will be fascinated by this family's survival and endurance. Few Holocaust survivors are still alive; Bornstein's account is an excellent addition to middle school collections." --School Library Journal "In today's world, it remains more important than ever to remember these survivors." --Kirkus Reviews

Michael Bornstein survived for seven months inside Auschwitz, where the average lifespan of a child was just two weeks. Six years after his liberation, he immigrated to the United States. Michael graduated from Fordham University, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, and worked in pharmaceutical research and development for more than forty years. Now retired, Michael lives with his wife in New York City and speaks frequently to schools and other groups about his experiences in the Holocaust. Debbie Bornstein Holinstat is Michael's third of four children. A producer for NBC and MSNBC News, she lives in North Caldwell, New Jersey. She also visits schools with her father, and has been working with him for two years, helping him research and write his memoir, although she has grown up hearing many of these stories her entire life.