Her Books

Words Matter
Published Sept 3, 2025

The Story of Hans and Sophie Scholl and The White Rose Resistance

‍Words are powerful. Words spread truth. Words turn to action. Words matter in this lyrical account of the White Rose Resistance.Written in verse and strikingly illustrated for middle-grade readers, Words Matter brings to life an unforgettable true story of nonviolent resistance. Hans and Sophie’s story demonstrates the enduring power of words, especially in times of propaganda and fear.

The Topsy-Turvy Bus
Published 2022

Reuse, recycle, renew, and rethink!

Climb aboard the Topsy-Turvy Bus with Maddy and Jake as it travels around the country teaching communities the importance of taking care of the earth and creating a better, cleaner, healthier world. Based on a real Topsy-Turvy Bus created by Hazon, the largest Jewish environmental organization in North America.

About the Author

Anita earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) and is the Co-Regional Advisor for Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators- Michigan region (SCBWI-MI). She’s created picture-book workshops for kids of all ages, ranging from second graders to high school students. She’s presented lectures for SCBWI, The Vermont College of Fine Arts, and The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). She continues to volunteer her time to several non-profit organizations dedicated to making the world a better, cleaner, kinder place for us all.

Reviews

“Pazner’s closing account of how the Nazis rose to power on a tide of big lies and fearmongering makes it clear that her message is as cautionary as it is inspirational; as she writes in closing, it’s “vital for us all to remember what happens in a society when ordinary people do not speak up.” Amid images of burning books, prisoners behind barbed wire, and marching soldiers in Casson’s somber illustrations, the Scholls and their White Rose associates stand tall, even under the guillotine that ended their lives—if not their legacy.”

John Peters

Booklist advanced review

A thoughtful, poignant introduction to The White Rose Resistance.

Bulletin from the Center for Children’s books (BCCB)

“Most of the story focuses on how the young Scholls become disillusioned with Nazi ideology, and how serving on the front lines opens Hans’s eyes to the propaganda the German people have been fed. Bad luck leads to their capture and execution, but Pazner ends on an inspiring note, with British planes dropping the leaflets that the White Rose members wrote and circulated. Words do matter, and this book offers young readers much to think about, particularly in a new era of autocracy, hatred, and violence against the vulnerable.”

Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Historical Novel Society

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