Meet Moms Who Merit Special Mention

Mother’s Day has passed, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to remember Mom. After all, moms don’t limit the special love and sacrifice they show for us to just one day a year, do they?

No, mothers deserve to be remembered and honored every day--especially when they’re as special as Schoschana Rabinovici’s, whose heroism and ingenuity in the face of one of humanity’s greatest atrocities is recalled in “Thanks to My Mother” (Dial Books).

Born Susanne Weksler, the author was 8 when the Nazis invaded the Lithuanian city of Vilnius, where she lived. First the Wekslers and their neighbors were subjected to hunger and fear in the city’s Jewish ghetto and then, when the ghetto was liquidated, thousands were slaughtered. Young Susanne probably would have been among them had her mother, Raja Indurski-Weksler, not hidden her in a backpack, smuggled her into a labor camp and disguised her as an adult.

Together they survived three concentration camps and a winter death march. Rabinovici recounts those horrible times here in a moving memoir that was first published in 1994 in Germany, where it has become required reading in many junior and senior high schools. The Dial edition was translated from German by James Skofield.

While this is an important book, its subject matter also makes it one that would probably best be read with at least some parental supervision. Though the book is aimed at young adults, it’s such a gripping tale that grown-ups will be captivated by it.

Another mother with a courageous and inspiring story for all ages was labor activist Mother Jones, who is remembered in Judith Pinkerton Josephson’s “Mother Jones: Fierce Fighter for Workers’ Rights” (Lerber Publications Co.). The book, named one of the best of 1997 by the School Library Journal, follows the life of Mary Harris Jones from her birth to a poor farm family in Cork, Ireland, through her life-changing experiences in the coal mines and textile mills of the U.S. to her death at age 100 in 1930.

The text, suitable for grades six and above, is accompanied by dozens of historic photos that help bring to life the suffering of those Mother Jones championed.

On a much lighter note is “I Love You Mom” (Troll Communications), by Iris Hiskey Arno and illustrated by Joan Holub, a bright, rhyming paean to devoted moms everywhere. The book’s most compelling feature is the wide, multicultural range of mothers pictured; almost any beginning reader will be able to find his or mom here.

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Roshni Mangal, author of “The Shine Around the Moon” (The Image Maker Publishing Co.), had a much different experience with her parents, who are Hindustani of Indian and Welsh descent. Shortly after moving to California from the Fiji Islands, Mangal learned that she would soon have to marry a mate who had been chosen for her when she was just 3; failure to do so would result in her being disowned by her entire extended family.

In response, the 16-year-old ran away from home, slipping out the front door at 4 a.m. one winter morning with just a blanket and $8 in her pocket. Despite sometimes having to work two jobs to make ends meet, Mangal managed to put herself through college and now works as a preschool teacher in Pacific Palisades.

A warm and enthusiastic woman, Mangal could easily have turned her triumphant personal story into an inspirational book. Instead, her first published work focuses on the memories she has of gazing at the moon as a child. Filled with awe and wonder, she would quiz her mother about the moon’s incredible shine and light. The sparse but uplifting text--which is aimed at preschoolers--is marvelously complemented by the rich watercolor artwork of Maxwell Purple.

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If you’re planning a summer vacation and want to get the kids involved, Scholastic’s “The Kids’ Book of the 50 Great States” and Harry N. Abrams’ detailed “Art of the State” series should prove helpful.

Scholastic’s scrapbook is particularly kid-friendly because it was written and illustrated by students ages 8 to 12. The authors researched their topics, wrote the text and provided much of the artwork that accompanies each state’s four-page section. Among the trivia the students share is the fact that Arkansas is home to North America’s only diamond mine, Indiana is the nation’s leading producer of popcorn, and Pennsylvania has 350 covered bridges.

The Abrams series of 50 slick, full-color books is much more formal and far more detailed. But the books are written in short bursts--broken into categories such as Commerce and Culture, By the Seasons and Pastimes--that make them accessible to curious children and adults alike.

* Kevin Baxter reviews books for children and young adults every four weeks. Next week: Book reviews by Times readers.