For nearly one hour, the student body of Beach Street Middle School in West Islip sat silently as author Marion Blumenthal Lazan talked about her personal experiences in Germany during World War II, tying her firsthand accounts to a strong anti-bias message of respect for others in the 21st century.

Sponsored by the Beach Street PTA and coordinated by Asst. Principal Dawn Morrison, Lazan created a Publishers Weekly "...(a) book (that) warrants attention both for the uncommon experiences it records and for the fullness of the record." She can be contacted at www.fourperfectpebbles.com

The students gave Mrs. Lazan, and her husband, Nathan, a standing ovation at the end of the presentation.

Her many messages of faith, hope and perseverance did not fall on deaf ears. The vision in students' eyes that transported them back to the days of Nazi concentration and extermination camps in 1942 and the voyage to freedom in American in 1948. The only other sounds heard in the vast gym, other that the speaker's voice, was the applause the youngsters and staff provided several times during the presentation.

Her lasting message was soft-spoken, yet determined. "We must respect each other regardless of our differences. Let us build bridges."

The award-winning memoir titled Four Perfect Pebbles, and the documentary video, Marion's Triumph with actress Debra Messing as narrator, is suitable for sixth graders and up. Her memoir is an ALA Notable Book, has received the Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award, the Peoria Reads 2004 Award for Middle Schools, and has been declared by students seemed spell-bound.

Shown are the author, her husband, and Assistant Principal Dawn Morrison with some students during the presentation.