Twenty and Ten

This book (also titled The Secret of the Hidden Cave) was a real page turner for me and my siblings as children. Now I want to share our with the children in my life!

No violence, no bad language. 76 paged slim paperback. WW II, a rural convent school with 20 French 5th grade children agree to hide 10 Jewish children.

I read this book to my six year old son this year. Somehow, from the time he first heard about WWII a year ago, he has been fascinated by whatever he can learn about it, and there really isn't much for children his age on that subject matter. That adds to the value of this book. This story tastefully deals with the subject of the Nazi's dealings with the Jews in a way that children can relate to and understand. It is full of suspense -- Will the Nazi soldiers find the Jewish children? Or will the other children inadvertantly give away their hiding place? But it is also innocent. It is written from the perspective of a child who is involved in hiding her Jewish peers. While my son greatly enjoyed this book, I did, too! I looked forward to reading it to him and became every bit as caught up in the story as he was. It is a book that I would enjoy even if I hadn't been reading it for a child's benefit. I highly recommend this book, and I think it's a shame that a number of early reviews appear to be book report assignments by children who didn't appreciate literature of this quality. Some of us who have been around longer and read many, many more books see the great value that is there. But even my son, who hasn't read as many books as I have, loved this book. The daily response to, "We'll stop there," was, "Aw, mom, can't we keep going?"

I read this book when I was a child (more than 30 years ago) and still have fond memories of it. I stumbled upon the book last week and decided to introduce it to my 11-year-old. She quickly became involved with the story and it prompted many questions about WWII, Nazis, etc. Yes, the language is a bit old and a few phrases are no longer used, but the verbal images are still vibrant. My daughter was very interested to hear about the children protecting each other, sharing a coveted morsel of chocolate, hiding in a cave, outsmarting the Nazis. And she especially appreciated how each chapter stood on its own, with no cliffhangers. You don't need to study a bible or have a strong religious background to understand this book. Just be ready to explain why the Nazis wanted to find the Jewish children. I recommend this book to all people who want to discover a snippet of World War II history. The book contains nothing scarier than the threat of being discovered.

I loved this book as a child, came across it again as an adult in my parent's attic, and still love it. In retrospect the overall themes are somewhat heavy: Nazi's, hiding fugitives at the risk of your own life and children keeping life or death secrets, but as a child I didn't grasp the greater issues, and it didn't matter to the storyline. Based on a true story, twenty children at a convent are asked by the nuns to help them conceal ten Jewish children from the Nazi's. When I read this as a child I basically had NO religious education, and knew little about WWII except for what my father told me, and that Nazi's were bad. That's all you need. It's a short, but gripping story, and for the children of today who have so much, it's glimpse into the lives of others in the past who didn't. I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads.

For copious readers, it is always hard to answer the inevitable question- "What is your favorite book?" The first title that ever answered that question for me was "Twenty and Ten." Almost ten years after reading the book, it is still on my top ten list. First of all, it was the book that piqued my interest in WWII and it gives a needed religious perspective to that horrific time period. Secondly, it is very well written with engaging characters and bright dialogue. Third, it is based on a true story- can't beat that! And finally, it has a perfect blend of humor, suspense, religion and friendship. I was surprised to see that no one else had reviewed this book. It deserves more stars than is currently available but if I could, I would give it Twenty and Ten stars! An addendum- this book was made into a movie called "The Miracle at Moreaux" which was excellent and actually worthy of the story.

I read Twenty and Ten when I was a 3rd grader (about 30 years ago), and is my lifetime favorite book. The story, based on an actual situation, describes how 20 Christian children used their wits and compassion to hide 10 Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. The children's experiences are truly an adventure, yet do not trivialize the Holocaust. Although I do not recommend teaching young children about the Holocaust's grim details, this book opens the discussion about people's responsibility to one another regardless of differences. I have yet to find a child or adult who can put the book down once they start reading it