Elisa Boxer – författare

The remarkable true story of how a toy duck smuggled forged identity papers for Jewish refugees during WWIIDuring World War II, families all across Europe huddled together in basements, attics, and closets as Nazi soldiers rounded up anyone Jewish. The Star of David, a symbol of faith and pride, became a tool of hate when the Nazis forced Jewish people to carry papers stamped with that star, so that it was clear who to capture. But many brave souls dared to help them.Jewish teenager Jacqueline Gauthier, a member of the French Resistance who had to conceal her identity, was one who risked her life in secret workshops, forging papers with new names and without stars in order to help others escape. But how to get these life-saving papers to families in hiding? An ordinary wooden toy duck held the answer, a hidden compartment: hope in a hollow.Written by award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer and movingly illustrated by the acclaimed Amy June Bates, Hope in a Hollow celebrates the triumph of freedom and the human spirit, a story of everyday heroism, resilience, and finding hope in unexpected places.

From an award-winning picture book team, Words of Welcome is the story of poet and advocate Emma Lazarus, who wrote the famous poem engraved on the Statue of Liberty, and how that statue became a symbol of hope, freedom, and opportunity“Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . .”Before her words were engraved on the bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, Emma Lazarus was a talented yet underappreciated poet. She was a staunch advocate for the oppressed, especially immigrants and New York City’s newly arrived Jewish community. Discrimination was rampant. Lazarus used her writing to fight for those being persecuted and eventually wrote her most famous poem of belonging, “The New Colossus” (1883), which welcomes immigrants to their new home in the United States. Every visitor to Ellis Island can still read her words today.Written by Emmy Award–winning journalist and two-time Sydney Taylor Honor–winning author Elisa Boxer and illustrated by Selina Alko, a National Jewish Book Award winner, and Sydney Taylor Honor winner, this powerful picture book biography is the story of Emma Lazarus and how she gave Lady Liberty a voice, allowing her to be a beacon of hope for all people.

James Bond, step aside! Sydney Taylor Honor–winning author and Emmy-winning journalist Elisa Boxer presents the stories of brave women spies throughout history in this action-packed middle-grade collection, illustrated in full-colorCracking codes, donning disguises, smuggling secret messages, intercepting military transmissions, sabotaging enemy strongholds, parachuting behind enemy lines—the 40 women spies discussed in this profusely illustrated book harnessed their courage and risked their lives to help fight for causes they believed in.A judge’s wife uses laundry on her clothesline to send secret messages, helping General George Washington’s army win the Revolutionary War.An abolitionist builds an elaborate spy ring deep in enemy territory, enlisting former slaves to transmit military intelligence and help Union prisoners escape from Confederate jails.A New Zealand housewife joins the French Resistance and becomes the Gestapo’s #1 most-wanted spy.A Soviet spy implanted in the USA passes nuclear weaponry plans back to the Soviet nuclear base.This biography collection begins with a glossary of espionage terms and then features an international roster of spies—both the good gals and the bad gals. Each spy is given two spreads (four pages) in a dossier-style format, including her photo, name, code name (if applicable), birth year, country of origin, and a brief description of her life and clandestine activities.The book is divided into espionage during wartime, so background on each time period is provided before launching into section of bios. Among the spies included are Audrey Hepburn, Kate Warne, Harriet Tubman, Sarah Emma Edmonds, Judith Geller, and Josephine Baker.Also included are author interviews with three contemporary spies: Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguise; Valerie Plame, CIA undercover agent outed by the U.S. government; and Ilana Berry CIA counterterrorism operations officer.A photograph of each spy is included, and the entire project is profusely and beautifully illustrated by Beatriz Ortiz, a Cuban photo collage illustrator based in Brazil. The book includes an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, and index.Includes spies from the Revolutionary War (like Anna Smith Strong and Ann Bates), the Civil War (like Harriet Tubman and Belle Boyd), World War I (like Louise de Bettignies, the “Queen of Spies”), World War II (Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Audrey Hepburn), the Cold War, and the Iraq War.

An inspiring book for young adult readers that Kirkus Reviews says offers "many inspiring, resilient role models along with encouraging advice to take away."A fascinating group of women from all walks of life share their inspirations, advice, and what they wish they’d known when they were younger.If you could go back and share words of wisdom with your younger self, what would you want to say? Thirty-five barrier-breaking women answer that question in the empowering new young adult anthology Dear Younger Me: What 35 Trailblazing Women Wish They'd Known as Girls. Emmy Award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer delivers in-depth profiles of these inspirational women, detailing their struggles and achievements and featuring a personal message from each woman written just for this book. The women include activists, entrepreneurs, a Holocaust survivor, WWII code breaker, author, educator, musician, athlete, politicians, scientists, and more. Featuring well-known trailblazers such as Nancy Pelosi, Gabby Giffords, and Sheryl Sandberg alongside lesser-known yet equally important women from all walks of life, Dear Younger Me will inspire readers of all ages to tap into their courage, find their voice, embrace failure as an opportunity to grow, stand up for what they believe in, and be the best version of themselves.

An inspiring book for young adult readers that Kirkus Reviews says offers "many inspiring, resilient role models along with encouraging advice to take away." A fascinating group of women from all walks of life share their inspirations, advice, and what they wish they''d known when they were younger. If you could go back and share words of wisdom with your younger self, what would you want to say? Thirty-five barrier-breaking women answer that question in the empowering new young adult anthology Dear Younger Me: What 35 Trailblazing Women Wish They''d Known as Girls. Emmy Award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer delivers in-depth profiles of these inspirational women, detailing their struggles and achievements and featuring a personal message from each woman written just for this book. The women include activists, entrepreneurs, a Holocaust survivor, WWII code breaker, author, educator, musician, athlete, politicians, scientists, and more. Featuring well-known trailblazers such as Nancy Pelosi, Gabby Giffords, and Sheryl Sandberg alongside lesser-known yet equally important women from all walks of life, Dear Younger Me will inspire readers of all ages to tap into their courage, find their voice, embrace failure as an opportunity to grow, stand up for what they believe in, and be the best version of themselves.