Elisa Box­er is an Emmy-win­ning jour­nal­ist and Syd­ney Tay­lor Hon­or-win­ning author who has writ­ten numer­ous non­fic­tion books for chil­dren. She has a pas­sion for telling sto­ries about unsung heroes who have found the courage to defy social norms and cre­ate change, espe­cial­ly dur­ing dark times in his­to­ry. Her books include The Voice that Won the Vote, Cov­ered in Col­or (called ​“com­pelling from cov­er to cov­er” in a Kirkus starred review) and Hid­den Hope, which earned three starred reviews and the Syd­ney Tay­lor sil­ver medal. Elisa lives in Maine and has many more books on the way.

She will be attending the event virtually. We are going to be planting a tree dedicated to our local Holocaust survivors as well. All Children present will receive paper seeds to take home! 

Purchase a Copy Here

The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World

This del­i­cate­ly told, beau­ti­ful­ly illus­trat­ed true sto­ry is rec­om­mend­ed by the pub­lish­er for ages five to nine — but, in real­i­ty, it’s suit­able and use­ful for chil­dren of all ages. It cen­ters on a spe­cial maple tree whose descen­dants are plant­ed in many loca­tions, includ­ing the Muse­um of Jew­ish Her­itage in New York City.

Dur­ing the Holo­caust, a group of inmates, some of them chil­dren, smug­gled a small sapling into their con­cen­tra­tion camp and cared for it. It was so impor­tant to them that they shared their mea­ger water rations with it. Watch­ing it grow and thrive remind­ed them that, despite their harsh sur­round­ings, a future was pos­si­ble. It gave them the strength to endure the camp.

Seeds from this inspi­ra­tional tree, a sym­bol of hope and resilience, bloom today all around the world.

Although the author will be joining us virtually we invite you to join us in the Lippman Lounge at the Benderson Building!