Children's Book Honors Polish Woman Who Saved Hundreds Of Jewish Children During WWII

The incredible true story of Irena Sendler, the Polish social worker who, along with her co-workers, hid hundreds of Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II, is now a compelling new children's book.

Mommy, Who Was Irena Sendler? by Cathy Werling is the third volume in the Unsung Heroes children's book series, published by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC). The book, written for children ages 7 to 12, tells the story of Irena Sendler, a young social worker in Poland who was horrified by the way Hitler and the Nazis treated Poland's Jewish people. Determined to help save Jewish children from the concentration camps, Irena and her network smuggled them out of the Warsaw Ghetto and hid them with non-Jewish families. On slips of paper, she recorded their Jewish names and information about where they were taken. She put the slips of paper in glass jars, which she buried under an apple tree, with the hope of being able to reunite them with their families once the war ended. Irena Sendler's story was hidden for 60 years, until three high school students in Kansas discovered it during a history project and shared it with the world.

In Mommy, Who Was Irena Sendler? readers will learn how Irena's unknown story was uncovered by Megan Felt and two classmates in Uniontown, Kansas. As the students began to share the story they called "Life in a Jar," many lives were touched and forever changed. A story-within-a-story, the book takes the form of a conversation between Felt and her 8-year-old daughter, Blair. Now the program director for the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Felt shares two life-changing lessons about courage: the bravery of Irena Sendler's selfless acts, and her own determination to share Irena's story.

"The Life in a Jar: Irena Sendler Project has truly changed the course of my life in a powerful way," says Felt. "I want my daughter and other children to understand that they, too, have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a positive change in the world. Sharing Irena's powerful story has become a passion in my life, and I feel it is necessary to share the story of good with others."

"Irena Sendler's courageous acts during World War II are well known now, but they were hidden from the world until those students in Kansas discovered her," says Norm Conard, executive director of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, who taught social studies in Uniontown and guided Felt and her classmates through the process that led to the discovery of Irena Sendler's story. "There are unsung heroes of history all around us, and their stories provide powerful inspiration. Ordinary people have the power to change the world-that's the message of all of our Unsung Heroes children's books."

By championing the stories of Unsung Heroes who have changed the course of history, the Lowell Milken Center's Unsung Hero children's books offer important character examples and support the Center's mission to help students, educators and communities discover their own power to effect positive change in the world. The Unsung Hero children's book series also includes additional books by author Cathy Werling: Why Did Grandpa Cry?, which tells the story of civil rights Unsung Hero Ken Reinhardt, who stood up against injustice as a teenager during the integration of Little Rock Central High School; and Why Did Sergeant Stubby Go to War?, the story of a bedraggled rescue dog who went on to become a highly decorated war hero.

"Children of every age need positive role models in their lives," says Werling. "With all of the hard issues and unsettling times we face in our world today, those positive role models become even more important. The stories of unsung heroes help children understand the power one person has to make a positive difference in the lives of others. My hope for this children's book series is that students will learn that they, too, have that power every day to make a difference in the lives of those around them."

The Unsung Hero children's books are available on Amazon.com, on the Barnes & Noble website, at the Hall of Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, and on lowellmilkencenter.org.

Author Cathy Werling is an award-winning elementary educator from Fort Scott, Kansas. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. By sharing the stories of these humble heroes, Cathy hopes to inspire elementary-age children to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Illustrator Maggie Raguse has been a prolific illustrator and graphic designer for more than three decades. She is the owner of Raguse Creative Services in Portland, Oregon.

For more information, visit www.lowellmilkencenter.org or call (310) 570-4772.

To post a comment, you must register and login.