Twenty and Ten - Claire Bishop (1952)

Title: Twenty and Ten

Author: Claire Huchet Bishop

Genre: Historical fiction

Published: 1952

Number of pages: 78

Recommended for: Elementary school kids

Summary: (official) Looking for a story about courage to read to your child? One that instills character by virtue of its essence, and not by sermonizing? I always am, and this old favorite (read to me when I was nine) is luckily still in print.During the Nazi occupation of France, twenty ordinary French kids in a boarding school agree to hide ten Jewish children Then German soldiers arrive. Will the children be able to withstand the interrogation and harassment?

Twenty and Ten is based on a true story -- one of many similar incidents that took place all over Europe during World War II. It is a book that has much to say to children of any age.

Content Review

Sexual content: None.

Profanity: None.

Violence: Very minimal and done in a kid-friendly, appropriate manner

Drug content: None.

My opinion: Based on a true story, Twenty and Ten is about twenty fifth-grade French children who take in ten Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of France in 1944.

The story opens up and is told from the view of a young girl named Janet. She begins saying she wanted to write because she doesn't want to forget "it" when she becomes older.

She and a few other children are playing the Flight of Egypt, with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing King Herod. The game soon ends in a fight, and the children are called inside where a refugee sits. The refugee basically tells them they have to hide ten Jewish orphans, because, like Jesus, they are being persecuted and the Nazis are like Herod's soldiers.

The children, anxious for some adventure and "real life" instead of "make believe" willingly offer their help and promise not to say anything.

Through some rationed chocolate, the children stumble across a hidden cave, and that becomes their secret hiding place.

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The storyline is similar to Newbery winner Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Girl gets thrown into dangerous situation with the Nazis, and then girl has to do something extremely brave - and alone. The writing was nothing special, and I didn't really connect with the characters. I also would have liked to know more about the real characters. However, it is written in a way that grown-ups normally talk to kids, and has a slight Christian background. There was nothing in here I found kids would be REALLY scared of. Overall, this is an inspiring story of bravery in the midst of evil.