I am Lubo

Written by Lou Pechi

This story is not simply another holocaust survival tale, but rather a journey of one child’s struggle to discover his true identity. The story begins in June, 1938 in Zagreb with a young boy named Lubo who sketches a happy, carefree life including imitating a traffic policeman and going to the barber shop with his father, Kolega. His mother Mutika adores him; the only thorn in his side is his mean governess, “Fraulein.” Lubo’s carefree life of playing with tin soldiers, trains and cars is shattered on April 6, 1941, when he is trapped in the air raid on Belgrade while visiting his grandmother. His mother takes him on a desperate journey by rail, boat and foot in an attempt to return home, only to find Nazi soldiers in their living room upon their arrival. With a child’s simplicity, Lubo is delighted to see real soldiers carrying real guns visiting his home. Soon Lubo’s parents are required to wear badges indicating that they are Jews, and Kolega joins the army. Conditions rapidly deteriorate; Lubo’s parents decide to convert to Catholicism and flee to Italy.

Lubo embarks on a lifelong quest to find his identity. His journey will include living with aunts, uncles and cousins,staying with his mother in Italy, narrowly avoiding being sent to a concentration camp in Germany, and getting back to Yugoslavia with his father for a short time. Lubo just wants to be back living a normal child’s life with his parents, but their lives keep taking separate turns. Lubo will even find himself on a kibbutz in Israel living with other children of foreigners who also see themselves as outcasts. When Lubo is finally nearing his eighteenth birthday, he decides to join the Israeli Air Force so he can use the technical knowledge he enjoys. Again he is frustrated because he does not have a high school diploma; so he pleads with his mother, who is now living in America to send for him. Lubo finds another roadblock when he arrives in America. He will encounter new forms of discrimination and frustration in America as well. Despite all obstacles, Lubo eventually succeeds in discovering his path to success and happiness.

I am truly impressed with the honestly and sincerity of this memoir which took the author much of his life to write. He writes from the perspective of a frightened child who through no fault of his own has been placed in the path of overwhelming roadblocks to his success. The events of the holocaust are cast in historical perspective seen through the eyes of a young child who had to constantly rearrange his life to suit them. Adding to the uniqueness of the story are the personal photographs of people, places, and events that the author has managed to acquire. It is a powerful read that I think tweens and teens as well as adults will find compelling. Pechi includes an epilogue revealing what happened to each of the major characters. Another bonus feature is a list of questions that the reader should be able to answer after reading the book that will guide classroom or seminar discussion groups on the holocaust. A highly recommended read!

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A Rainbow of Thanks

Written by Kathleen J. Shields

Kate Silverton is an eleven year old about to celebrate her birthday. Her teacher Mrs. Guffey, who she likes to call Mrs. Tuffey, has given them a weekend homework assignment to write about another culture. After being disappointed by her relative’s birthday gifts, Kate heads out to the backyard with her backpack. Suddenly, it begins to rain and she takes refuge. When the rain stops, Kate is surprised to find a rainbow which she walks through. On the other side, she meets a Navajo boy named Little Elk who is sitting on a rock in Arizona during “the week of silence.” He asks her where she came from explaining that Navajos believe the God travels on a rainbow and that a rainbow is a bridge between the human world and the other side. Rainbows also carry heroes between earth and heaven. Kate is mystified; she informs the boy that she is simply an American from Ohio who walked through a rainbow to the other side. How did she get to Arizona? Realizing that she must walk back through the rainbow to the other side before it disappears, Kate pulls out the walkman  radio from her backpack and gives it as a gift to Little Elk to ease his time of silence.

Things get even stranger when Kate emerges from the rainbow in the jungle listening to the sound of elephants and seeing a little girl named Chicktow who is searching the ground for grubs to eat. Kate is now in Victoria Falls. She presents her new friend with some oatmeal cookies stamped with Kate’s name and address labels. Kate descends with her friend to the bottom of the Falls where they locate the remnants of the rainbow. Chicktow  tells her that the rainbow arch frames the Queen of Heaven. Kate quickly steps into the arch.

Kate is disappointed to find herself in Dublin, Ireland when she emerges. The Flanagan boys greet her. In Ireland the rainbow is considered the hem of God’s garments. They tell her that leprechauns believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but all Kate wants is to return to Ohio. She presents them with the old video player she received as a gift before she departs. Kate must still journey to Germany, Russia, Polynesia, Croatia and Scotland before she lands back in the United States. In California, she meets a medicine man of the Mojave who tells her that the rainbow is a charm the Creator uses to stop a rain storm. Finally, she walks through the rainbow one hour later to find herself at home in Ohio.

Wow! What a journey! Kate writes her report immediately before she forgets her adventure. Her mother is puzzled by her strange behavior. Mrs. Guffey gives her an A on her report, but asks why she did not choose one culture. The next week, Kate draws a stunning, accurate portrait so real that her teacher goes to her home for a talk with Mrs. Silverton because she fears that Kate is delusional.

How will Kate prove her story? A mysterious visitor will provide the answer.

This e book is available on Smashwords. A paperback version can now be found on amazon. Recommended for children ages eight and up, but adults will love it as well.

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