A biography of the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II makes Raoul Wallenberg’s life immediate, dramatic, and accessible in a scrapbook-style presentation accompanied by short sections of narrative text that look like verse and read like urgent sound bites. “We are surrounded by a tragedy of immeasurable proportions,” Wallenberg wrote his mother as he labored with others in Hungary to save as many Jews as he could. He not only set up a vast department for issuing schutzpasse that placed the bearers under the protection of the Swedish government, but also lobbied the Hungarian government, and later the Germans, sometimes putting himself physically between German soldiers and the Jews they were rounding up to deport. Author Louise Borden interviewed surviving Wallenberg family members and friends as part of her thorough research into this account that follows Wallenberg from childhood until his disappearance in the days after Hungary was liberated by the Soviets. She also chronicles attempts to determine what happened to him after the Soviets took him into custody, ultimately noting, “The fate of Raoul Wallenberg is still unknown.” With its inviting narrative style and visually captivating presentation, this compelling work will appeal to both avid and reluctant readers. (Age 11 and older)

An amazing and inspirational World War II story about how one man saved the lives of many.

Raoul Wallenberg's name may not be a universally familiar one, but the impact he had is immeasurable. Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He did this by issuing protective passports and housing Jews in buildings established as Swedish territory, saving tens of thousands of lives. Louise Borden researched Wallenberg's life for many years, visiting with his family and the site of his childhood home, and learned his story from beginning to end. Wallenberg himself has not been heard from since 1945. It is suspected he died while in Russian custody, though this has never been proven. Raoul Wallenberg . . . it's a name you may not have known, but you'll never forget his story.