This year I decide to focus my reading on genre that left me not only good reading skills

but good literature knowledge of special writers like Maya Angelou, Nelle Harper Lee, Viktor

Frankl, and Dr. Edith Eger. My genres were African American stories and literature, about the

holocaust, about human rights, and several of the books were by one of my favorite authors:

Mitch Albom. All of the books I've read were both suggested by my parents and Coach Blair and

I enjoyed each and every one of them.

There is a special book that I read during my eighth grade year and there is story behind

it. My brother is two years older than I am and during his retreat he had a special guest speaker.

Her name is Dr. Edith Eger, or Grandma Edie as we call her. She is Mr. Blair’s close friend and

he had been bringing her to St. Charles as a guest speaker every year. My brother talked about

her stories and then as I grew older I listened to her on videos and I was very interested in her

life. After parent-teacher conferences in 8th grade, my parents gave me a gift. It was a memoir

written by Dr. Eger. The book is called The CHOICE and this was the way I would get to learn

about her life. Dr Eger is 91 years-old and she is a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration

camp. She not only survived but her resilience is amazing. She is psychologist and has a loving

family; but the best thing I learned is her attitude toward life. I have visited the Sachsenhausen

concentration camp and I after reading many books about the Holocaust and visiting the

Museum of tolerance I can imagine what life was like. I can only imagine how it was like for her

during the time she was in Auschwitz.

Dr. Egers book is a must read for everyone! It gives you a view of her life’s story but it

makes you live better and enjoy what you have. The greatest surprise for me after reading this

book was that Mr. Blair contacted Dr. Eger and she visited our school once more after some

time of not being able to do so. I was sitting in the front row and was amazed of how she was

there talking to us. She is amazing! She has a kind soul and such positive energy. She was

leaving on a trip to Europe the next couple of days to promote her book and she was going to
be on the Oprah show. Grandma Edie is a true role model in my life and it was a dream come

true when I met her the day she visited St. Charles on April 10, 2019. I made her a painting that

depicted some parts of her life. Her love for her sisters and the love for dancing.