Young Adult Fiction

Australian Writer

Suzy Zail

Alexander Altmann A10567

Black Dog Books 2014  $21.99pb 282pp

ISBN 978 1 9221 7999 9

Themes: Auschwitz/ Horses/ Survival/ World War 1939-1945

When fourteen-year-old Alexander’s father said to him ‘never let them see you are scared’ he was talking about horses on their farm out in the country. But now Alexander is imprisoned in Auschwitz, he has a number tattooed on his arm and being scared has taken on a much more sinister meaning.  Based on the true experiences of a man the writer met while visiting the Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, and not just about the horrors of the concentration camps – it is a story about horses and their training.

There are many things in the book that are upsetting to read but ultimately it is a story of hope.

Year 9 up/ Age 13 up

Also by Suzy Zail, also about Auschwitz but also about music (and falling in love)