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EVERETT -
The Holocaust--It's an event in world history more horror story than bedtime story. So imagine what the Honors English class at Cavelero Mid-High in Everett thought when their teacher told them not only would they write stories about the experiences of Holocaust survivors--their work would be made into books for kids.
"They were like 'oh, my gosh, how am I going to do this?'" explains Teacher, Linda Fredin.
But Fredin knew it could be done. Her inspiration--a children's book about Curious George that detailed a very grown up subject.
"It chronicled and detailed the story about the authors and how they fled paris," says Fredin.
Fredin's students lived up to the challenge.
"Once upon a time," reads Hailey Warren. "There was a little rabbit named Bunny."
Warren and classmate Mattie Quigley quickly found their inspiration.
Cyla Weiner, a survivor with an inspirational story, but a difficult story to tell.
Weiner got separated from her husband, taken with her precious 2-year-old son Leo to a concentration camp, her baby boy pulled from her arms and put to death in a gas chamber.
"She looked for him," says Quigley, "She never could come to grips with her son was gone."
The girls knew this part of the assignment would be their greatest challenge.
they knew they'd need creativity to see them through.
"Cyla was Bunny the rabbit in the story and her prized possession was her golden carrot," explains Warren. "We thought losing a carrot would be not nearly as severe as losing your son."
In the book, Bunny bears her loss and carries on with life.
"Happy once again, Bunny and her husband moved to a beautiful new forest," reads the final pages of the book created by Warren and Quigley.
And in the tradition of children's stories, Bunny lives happily ever after.
But for the real Cyla Weiner there would be no happy ending.
"It make me more thankful, to put things in perspective for our life compared to what they went through, it really makes you appreciate what we have," says Quigley.
The girls plan to send Weiner's family a copy of their finished work, but it's what they'll keep from this project that is most rewarding--an amazing life lesson borne out of a simple school assignment.
The girls had hoped to give the book to Weiner personally, but she passed away. They are now sending the finished product to one of Weiner's relatives along with a letter written by each of the girls expressing how much Weiner's story touched their lives.
"They were like 'oh, my gosh, how am I going to do this?'" explains Teacher, Linda Fredin.
But Fredin knew it could be done. Her inspiration--a children's book about Curious George that detailed a very grown up subject.
"It chronicled and detailed the story about the authors and how they fled paris," says Fredin.
Fredin's students lived up to the challenge.
"Once upon a time," reads Hailey Warren. "There was a little rabbit named Bunny."
Warren and classmate Mattie Quigley quickly found their inspiration.
Cyla Weiner, a survivor with an inspirational story, but a difficult story to tell.
Weiner got separated from her husband, taken with her precious 2-year-old son Leo to a concentration camp, her baby boy pulled from her arms and put to death in a gas chamber.
"She looked for him," says Quigley, "She never could come to grips with her son was gone."
The girls knew this part of the assignment would be their greatest challenge.
they knew they'd need creativity to see them through.
"Cyla was Bunny the rabbit in the story and her prized possession was her golden carrot," explains Warren. "We thought losing a carrot would be not nearly as severe as losing your son."
In the book, Bunny bears her loss and carries on with life.
"Happy once again, Bunny and her husband moved to a beautiful new forest," reads the final pages of the book created by Warren and Quigley.
And in the tradition of children's stories, Bunny lives happily ever after.
But for the real Cyla Weiner there would be no happy ending.
"It make me more thankful, to put things in perspective for our life compared to what they went through, it really makes you appreciate what we have," says Quigley.
The girls plan to send Weiner's family a copy of their finished work, but it's what they'll keep from this project that is most rewarding--an amazing life lesson borne out of a simple school assignment.
The girls had hoped to give the book to Weiner personally, but she passed away. They are now sending the finished product to one of Weiner's relatives along with a letter written by each of the girls expressing how much Weiner's story touched their lives.
