Showing Don't Fence Me in: An American Teenager in Holocaust by Barry Spanjaard

The memoir Don’t Fence Me In, is the story of Barry Spanjaard, the only known American-born civilian to survive Hitler’s concentration camps. While still a teenager, Barry Spanjaard survived for two years in three concentration camps, the last of which was Bergen-Belsen (the camp where Anne Frank died).

Barry started his journals shortly after he arrived in the United States and completed his memoir as an adult. As such, the story appeals to 12 year olds through adults. The book has been used in many schools and is perfect for school curriculums. After writing his memoir, Barry Spanjaard gave over 1700 talks about his experiences to young people and school groups throughout the United States, as well as in East and West Germany, Holland, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Israel, Canada and the Caribbean. Don’t Fence Me In has had 17 printings, including several in Japanese. Don’t Fence Me In was recommended by the National Education Association and was a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Selection.