Alexander Altmann A10567
Age 12+
General Fiction
The story of a young Jewish boy who must learn to trust others to survive. Based on a true story.
Fourteen-year-old Alexander Altmann doesn’t need to look at the number tattooed on his arm. A10567: he knows it by heart. He also knows that to survive Auschwitz, he has to toughen up. When he is given the job of breaking in the commander’s new horse, their survival becomes intertwined. Alexander knows the animal is scared and damaged, but he must win its trust. If he fails, they will both be killed.
Resources
Creators
Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in Family Law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written her father’s story, The Tattooed Flower, his life as a child survivor of the Holocaust. Her first novel for young adults, The Wrong Boy, was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the WAYRBA, USBBY and YABBA awards. Her second novel with Black Dog Books, Alexander Altmann A10567, was a Notable Book at the CBCA Awards. She lives in Melbourne and has three children.
Reviews
A confronting but gripping novel … a powerful story of hope, adversity and redemption.
Junior Books+Publishing
Alexander Altmann A10567 is a moving story about survival and integrity in the most brutal of circumstances. Recommended for upper-primary readers.
Aussie reviews
This deeply moving novel is based on the real life story of a Holocaust survivor. Suzy Zail has built powerful, heartbreaking images of the brutal life in concentration camps
Buzz Words
Zail’s writing was flawless, she quickly drew me in and held me captive until the very last page. It was a powerful story of hope and survival. Alexander has sunk into my heart and will stay with me for a long time.
Inside My Worlds
Alexander Altmann A10567 is not to be missed … The power of one simple act of kindness truly can change the world.
Kids Book Review
Suzy Zail has crafted a gripping tale of survival in the wost of circumstances, and reveals that kindness can be found in the most unlikely of places.
NZ Booklovers
Alexander Altmann A10567 is another confronting but intensely gripping noel.
Magpies Magazine
