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The Hidden Package

Almost forty years after the end of the war, Claire Baum opens a package from a stranger in Rotterdam, unleashing a flood of repressed memories from her childhood. As Claire delves into her past, she uncovers the personal sacrifice and bravery of her parents, the Dutch resistance and the families that selflessly gave shelter to her and her sister, Ollie. The Hidden Package portrays Claire’s years spent in hiding and pays tribute to all those who played a part in saving her life and ensuring a future for the next generations of her family.

Introduction by Carolyne Van Der Meer

At a Glance
The Netherlands
Hidden child
Wartime letters and drawings
Arrived in Canada in 1951
Audiobook available
Educational materials available: Hidden Children
Activities in partnership with IWitness Canada
Claire Baum

132 pages, including index

2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Bronze Medal

Recommended Ages
11+
Language
English

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Photo of Claire Baum

About the author

Claire Baum was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1936. She and her sister were liberated by the Canadian Army on May 5, 1945. She arrived in Canada with her family in 1951 and married Seymour Baum in 1956. Together they raised three children and built a very successful business. Claire has been a Holocaust educator since 1984, speaking predominantly to younger students about her experience during the war and her appreciation for living in Canada, the land of her liberators. Claire lives in Toronto.

Explore this story in Re:Collection

When I opened the parcel, I was confronted with the past, memories long forgotten. The letters and drawings described happy as well as sad moments while Ollie and I were in hiding and separated from Mam and Pap. This package was our diary from 1942 to 1945.