Review Detail

"If I had known what the next six years of my life would have been like, I would have eaten more." Yanek's, the narrator of Prisoner B-3087, words reverberate throughout the novel.

Prisoner B-3087 is a realistic description of life and death for the Jewish people during the Holocaust. It is based, to a certain degree, on the true story of Jack Gruener, though it is a novelization. It is historical fiction set in Poland 1939-1945.

While being realistic enough to impress the horrors of the young Yanek's ordeal, it isn't too graphic that it would be unsuitable for upper middle school and high school students.

Yanek is only 10 years old when Hitler's armies begin to invade Europe. He is kind -hearted and optimistic. His matter of fact narration allows the reader to experience his emotions without getting too caught up in tons of description. The simple account of the deplorable treatment of the Jewish people allows readers to get to the heart of the story.

Yeanke's survival through so many different camps is amazing and makes this book different from other Holocaust survivers' stories. The descriptions of each camp allows readers to see the vast network the Nazi Party created and how each camp and prisoner sometime had different experiences. Yanek's never ending fight to survive each camp urges the reader to keep turning the page. Readers will not want to put this book down.

Prisoner B 3087 does not go into the graphic depth describing the horrors of the camp, nor does it address many other key points about the time period. To some this may leave a feeling that the story is lacking. However this overall look at one man's fight for survival allows readers to question humanity and history. This will hopefully lead readers to fin other books and do research on their own. Overall a great read for middle school, high school and history buffs. A truly compelling read.