The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

About this book

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel recounting the heart-rending true story of a young girl's struggle for survival during the Holocaust, suitable for children age 10+. Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel - then known as Enia Feld - was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others. Estelle would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun - all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, she would walk barefoot across European borders before finally crossing t

Similar grade-level books

• 
  To Kill a Mockingbird
  Harper Lee · 870L
• 
  The Great Gatsby
  F. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
• 
  Of Mice and Men
  John Steinbeck · 630L
• 
  Lord of the Flies
  William Golding · 770L

See all books like The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Juvenile Nonfiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Published in the canon; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

• Great Lakes Great Books Award

  • recommended·9th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 9-12 division
  • recommended·10th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 9-12 division
  • recommended·11th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 9-12 division
  • recommended·12th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 9-12 division

Common questions

What grade level is The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival?

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

How long does it take to read The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival?

It takes about 5 hours to read The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival (272 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 300 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival?

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival banned in schools?

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.