The book Under the Rubble: The Hidden Letters of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elisa Boxer and illustrator Oksana Drachkovska did not give me a warm and happy feeling. It gave me a cold and sad feeling. The theme is obvious by the title as we know what the Warsaw Ghetto was. Now, one would think that this is not a book for kids, and it is not for the very young or frankly overly sensitive. But when you know your child (or classroom) is ready, you should share it with them.
Now, I liked this book a lot (even though I got sad feelings), but there were a few bumps in the writing and flow of things. Plus I would have enjoyed a little more action and a bit of “behind the behind the scenes” to the story. However, things are well done, unique (while stories of survival or the ghettos are not new, the way it is presented and the results are) and informative.
We read about milk cans and tins that were filled with diary entries, letters, plays, stories, art and more. They were hidden in hopes of them becoming the witness to what was happening to the Jewish people in Poland and especially the ghetto. We follow the narrator as we learn how this was done openly in secret and secretly in secret. We see cruelty and even a spark of hope. This is done in strong and solid words but poetic as well. The illustrations are done in earth toned images that are dark hues and shadows but also have light and colors to them. The war itself is mentioned, the trains of deporting to the concentration camps are shown, soldiers are not hiding, but it is created in a way that is not glorifying it nor using it for shock. 
Several extras are included about the true events along with a few photographs. The book is due in mid-March 2026and I read it via an online readers copy
