David was a young boy in Poland when the Nazis invaded. When they rounded up his family, he noticed the old and young were sent one way and the able bodied were sent another.

He bravely told a lie when asked his age. His fib saved his life as the old and young went straight to the gas chamber.
Read Wolnerman’s biography >

Young Author Sydney Pearl interviewed David Wolnerman and wrote the book A Lucky Lie about his life as a Holocaust survivor. She explains, “I met with Mr. Wolnerman and his family and became even more motivated to help preserve his words than what I ever expected. What I discovered was inspiring, and I will forever look up to Mr. Wolnerman and his ability to overcome the worst, move forward yet not forget, and stand hopeful to find happiness within himself and the world.”

 

The book is available on Amazon.

Learn more in the interactive poster for David Wolnerman’s book.

USA TODAY: Holocaust survivor recalls ‘Lucky Lie’ that saved his life

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A BOOK by ME, a book series developed by Deb Bowen, empowers students to preserve history by telling the story of unsung heroes in our communities. For the young participants, it’s a guided cross-curricular project that gathers stories of people who do amazing things but have received little or no recognition. Students learn how to publish a picture book that is a primary source document with photographs and a biography.

Since 2003, Deb Bowen has been arranging meetings between students and individuals from the WWII generation. This intergenerational storytelling results in unique storybooks written and illustrated by kids for kids in the A BOOK by ME series. More about Deb Bowen >