Hiding Edith by Canadian author Kathy Kacer has won the 2009 Yad Vashem Prize for Children's Holocaust Literature

Powerful story of young girl hiding from the Nazis in WWII France has won the world's most prestigious prize for Holocaust literature

(PRWEB) June 5, 2009 -- In 'Hiding Edith', Kathy Kacer tells the incredible true story of Edith Schwalb, a young girl who survived the Holocaust in the small French village of Moissac, where everyone, from the mayor to the knitting circle, was part of a plan to protect the presence of hundreds of Jewish children in a nearby "orphanage."

Winning the Yad Vashem prize is a huge honor for Kathy and a source of great pride for Second Story Press and the Israeli publisher of the book, Schocken. The award will be presented at a ceremony on June 8th in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 as the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust.

Kathy Kacer has won numerous awards for her books, including the Canadian Jewish Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award. Kathy wrote 'Hiding Edith' as part of the Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers series from Second Story Press, which includes the best-selling book 'Hana's Suitcase'. Kathy's other books in this series are 'The Diary of Laura's Twin', 'The Underground Reporters', 'The Night Spies', 'Clara's War', and 'The Secret of Gabi's Dresser'. Kathy spends a great deal of her time traveling and speaking to young people about the importance of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive.

What the Yad Vashem jury had to say about Hiding Edith: "The book is written sensitively, and suits the young readers. It reveals a chapter that is rarely discussed about the holocaust of the Jews in Western Europe. The positive sides of coping with the harsh reality are revealed in the book as well as optimism in days of crises."

"The story touches one's heart but is not too harsh, historically reliable and the young reader can identify with the protagonist."

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