Prisoner B-3087

Title: Prisoner B-3087

Author: Rodman Philbrick

Type of Book: Historical fiction, Auto Biography

This book is a real story of a Jewish boy named Yanek Greuner, or his real name Jack Greuner who lived a pretty everyday life until the nazis imprisoned him and his family. Yanek had to endure ten different horrific concentration camps like Auschwitz and many death walks. Yaneck also met the infamous Dr. Joseph Mengele, who picked who was killed in the gas chambers and who was famous for performing horrific experiments on twins and Amon Goeth in the Plaszow concentration camp who shot at prisoners who looked at him or were walking too slow or if they served him soup that was too hot. Yaneck struggled a lot to survive the Holocaust he had to do horrible things like stealing bread from dead muselmenn. Yaneck and the other prisoners had to go to work day and night with only small portions. He also had to endure that his uncle Moshe and his entire family died. (Yanek later died in 2017)

        favorite character in the book is Yanek Gruener. Despite facing unimaginable amounts of work, starvation, and witnessing unspeakable acts of cruelty, Yanek remained determined to stay alive and survive the Holocaust. Yanek's story showed me that resilience is very important, even in the darkest times of your life. 

My favorite part of the book was when Yanek asked the American soldier how many people he had to share the bed with, and the soldier told him that it was only for him. This is because Yaneck had to share one bed with no mattress or pillow with six people. "An American soldier led me upstairs to a big room filled with bunk beds and told me which one was mine. "How many other people do I have to share it with?" I asked him. He looked surprised. "Nobody," he said. "It's yours." A bed all to myself! Then— wonder upon wonders— the soldier gave me a blanket, a pillow, and sheets for the bed. Sheets! My fellow prisoners and I looked around at one another like we were on some alien planet. I hadn't slept on a sheet, nor had a pillow or a blanket, for five years. Perhaps six. With shaking hands, I began to make the bed. I didn't even know how didn't remember the feeling of linens and soft things. The soldier helped me, and I climbed carefully into my new bed. A real mattress, with springs! My body sank into it, and my head fell into the pillow. What luxury! "

 You should read this book because it is a powerful and very emotional book about one of the darkest chapters in human history. Through Alan Gratz's great storytelling, readers can truly understand what the prisoners had to go through to survive the Holocaust. This book serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion, courage, and standing up against injustice, making it a must-read for anyone who wants to find out what happened during the Holocaust. I recommend this book for kids 12 to 14. If you read this book and enjoyed it, you should read:

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I have lived a thousand years: Growing up in the Holocaust by Livia Bitton

The Butterfly by Patrica Pollaco

I Survived The nazi Invasion by Lauren Tarshis

Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz 

And finally, Out of Hiding by Ruth Greuener (Jack Greuners wife. He married her after the Holocaust. They were both survivors of the Holocaust.)