Writer Jana Zinser’s Blog

Within the pages of Jana’s blog you will find helpful articles and interesting insights about everything that’s related to Jana Zinser.

MaryAnn Schaefer Gives a 5 out of 5 Star Review for The Children’s Train

September 2, 2015

“This is definitely a book that I’d recommend for older elementary school kids, maybe 5th or 6th grade and up. Our daughters visited concentration camps while on a field trip with their school while in Germany and I wish everyone had a chance to do so. No one would doubt the Holocaust if they experienced…

Jewish Kindergarten Opens in Lodz, Poland!

September 2, 2015

A Jewish Kindergarten opens in Lodz, Poland. First one in 50 years! See Newsweek article.

Elyse Walter’s Review Gives 5 out of 5 Stars!

September 1, 2015

“The world has gone mad”! “They’re robbing our souls, and the world has turned out its light and gone to sleep.”“From bleakness emerges a story about a pivotal period in history. It’s a rich portrayal about Kindertransport children who were transported out of Germany to London when the massive attack on Jews changed ‘everything’. Six…

Photographer for Back Cover

August 26, 2015

A special thanks to Amy Stephens, a professional photographer, normally of newborns and families, and sometimes a stray author. Her photos are unbelievably beautiful. Click here to check out her website. Thanks Amy, for making my back cover photo look so great. I know it wasn’t easy.

Inspired by Renaissance Elementary 5th Graders!

August 25, 2015

I visited the 5th Graders at Renaissance Elementary School in Castle Rock, Colorado to talk about writing and The Children’s Train. Their questions and comments were thoughtful and smart. They helped me talk about the Kindertransport by acting out some of the characters in the book. They got it. There’s nothing like children to understand…

Fiona McCormick gives The Children’s Train 5 out of 5 stars!

August 25, 2015

Fiona McCormick, a NetGalley reviewer rated The Children’s Train 5 out of 5 stars! “I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It tells of the Kindertransport, evacuation to safety of Jewish children from Nazi Germany to Great Britain before the outset of the Second World War. The…

Karen Blackman, NetGalley Reviewer gives 4 out of 5 stars

August 24, 2015

Karen Blackman, a NetGalley reviewer, gives The Children’s Train a 4 out of 5 star rating. “Powerful retelling of the plight of the children of the Kindertransport. Would be good as a set text to get older children to understand the full horror of the Jewish Plight in WWII.”

Kristi King-Morgan Reviews The Children’s Train 5 Out of 5 Stars

August 24, 2015

Kristi King-Morgan, a reviewer for NetGalley, gives The Children’s Train a 5 out of 5 star rating. “This book is about the Kindertransport that took Jewish children out of Germany when Hitler was in power. Peter, a small butcher’s son with a musical gift and a love of the violin, is the main character. Peter…

Photo of Kindertransport Children

August 21, 2015

Jewish refugee children, part of a Children’s Transport (Kindertransport) from Germany, soon after arriving in Harwich. Great Britain, December 2, 1938. (from Holocaust Memorial Museum) — Wide World Photo

Educator’s Review gives it a 5 Out of 5 Stars!!

August 18, 2015

Yvie Field, an educator, gives The Children’s Train 5 out of 5 stars! “This is a great introductory-level novel to the Holocaust. As someone that has had a lifelong interest in WWII and Holocaust studies, I like that this novel gives a variety of viewpoints and experiences…Jewish, German, Nazi, Resistance, British…they’re all included in a…

5 Star Review of The Children’s Train

August 16, 2015

Leah Gasentzo, a NetGalley reviewer, gave The Children’s Train a 5 out of 5 star rating! “I’m positive that I held my breath for most of this book. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d held my breath for the entire time I’d been reading this. This book was so unlike any other I’ve ever read.…

The Children’s Train

August 14, 2015

The Children’s Train is the incredible story of how Jewish children escaped Nazi Germany on trains bound for England, and the children who were left behind and one brave boy who tried to save them.