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The Holocaust This topic features reviews of a selection of children's books pertaining to the Holocaust: Verhoeven is a historian who works in the education department of the Anne Frank House. The book was written for two reasons--to answer the many questions about Anne Frank’s life and to publish many photos recently acquired by the House. Moreover, it offers an effective way of studying the Holocaust, by getting to know one person and thereby to better understand this period. ALA Notable Book, Christopher Award, School Library Journal Best Book, and a Horn Book Fanfare award. Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust Rochman and McCampbell have selected twenty-four haunting stories of this most terrible of times. Some of the stories have been published before, but the poetry that links them is new. As survivors grow older, and as the revisionists and deniers grow stronger, a collection like this is more important than ever.
The Cats in Krasinski Square
A Jewish girl escapes the Warsaw Ghetto and must pretend a Polish heritage to survive. She and her sister plan to sneak food into the Ghetto, but the Gestapo catches wind of the plan. The Gestapo plans to meet the train of smuggled food with their dogs trained to sniff out the food. Demonstrating both courage and creativity the girls gather stray cats into baskets, and they, along with other Jewish Resistance fighters, meet the train and release the cats. Chaos ensues as the dogs are distracted from the task and the food reaches the ghetto safely. Based on a true story, Hesse has captured a story of courage and hope in a bleak historical era. Her simple language is poetic and richly detailed. She does a beautiful job of balancing the dismal plight of the Jews and protecting young readers from the horror. Watson's muted colors and uses of shadows create a gloomy mood tinged with hope, matching perfectly with the text. This is highly recommended for use in a middle school or elementary school social studies program. 2004, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Mary Helen Sheriff (Children's Literature). Awards, Honors, Prizes: State and Provincial Reading Lists: ISBN: 0-439-43540-4 The Children We Remember April 7th is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day; a day that stands in tribute to the six million Jewish dead. This book is a powerful telling of how children suffered and died in the Holocaust. There are few words and the powerful photographs demand discussion. The Devil's Arithmetic Originally published in 1988, this award-winning novel about the Holocaust continues to have significance and appeal. Twelve-year-old Hannah is weary of observing Jewish holidays because she's "tired of remembering." During the Passover Seder, she finds herself mysteriously transported back to Nazi-occupied Poland in 1942. Her memories of 1990's America gradually fade, replaced by the horrors of her life in a concentration camp. Yolen depicts the harsh realities honestly, but compassionately, in this unforgettable story about survival, friendship, and remembering. Today's readers, increasingly dealing with issues of violence and prejudice, will especially value the learned skills Hannah utilizes to live with day to day hardship. This story does more than just remember the victims; it honors the survivors, and reminds that even in the midst of unspeakable sorrow, "the swallows still sing around the smokestacks."
The Doll With the Yellow Star A good introduction to the life of this philosopher whose books have changed so many people’s lives. On the way, it introduces the Holocaust and World War II to young people whose grasp of history may be a little shaky. It looks like a picture book, but even if the reader is a reluctant one, the book needs a mature reader. It is not for the squeamish--the horrors of the camps are described quite clearly. It is certainly worth reading--it answers the question on many kids’ minds when they see a fuss being made over this slight, elderly man with the strange accent-- "Who is that guy?" Now you know. For ages 10 up, especially if they’re studying this period in history. Pariser’s dedication is heartbreaking. Forever Outsiders: Jews and History from Ancient Times to August 1935 This first book in a series explores the troubled history of the Jewish people. Starting with a brief description of the unique features of the Jewish religion and people, the book then outlines the various efforts of different empires and countries to defeat and/or convert the Jews. The focus moves from the Roman empire to the Spanish Inquisition and finally to the problems in Germany that led to the rise of Hitler. A wide range of historians, educators, and experts have come together to produce this fabulous series about the Holocaust. The easy to read yet comprehensive narratives are accompanied by black-and-white photos and other primary source materials. The "Holocaust Series" will be an excellent resource for social studies teachers. Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story Lazan tells about her family’s experiences as German Jews before, during and after the Nazi occupation through the voice of narrator, Lila Perl. The family was driven from their ancestral home, harassed, and deported before they finally found themselves in the dreaded concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen. The fact that three of the four family members survived the ordeal and went on to live relatively "normal" lives is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of family love. But it also highlights the horror of the Holocaust--that ordinary people can become both perpetrators and the victims of extraordinary hatred, intolerance, and the obscene abuse of power. The Hitler Youth: Marching Toward Madness Edgar Gielsdorf was an ordinary seven-year-old. He followed his father everywhere. He even followed him to Hitler's speeches. Edgar was intrigued by how intent the listeners were at these gatherings. He was so intrigued he eventually joined the Hitler Youth, an organization that had many exciting activities for kids--games, field trips, and the like. After they became regular attendees, they were given lessons that led them to believe that Hitler, his party and policies was the only way Germans would find the good life they deserved. They pledged allegiance to him and his causes. Hitler Youth was just a pre-staging organization for future German soldiers--men that Hitler knew he would need in a war. Edgar recounts his misguided beliefs and the events that led him to finally realize the cult-like effect that the youth movement had on him. This type of material is often omitted when discussion of World War II occurs. It really is necessary because it helps to answer the questions about what the Germans did and why. Wonderfully told and touchingly concluded, there is a lesson here for all misguided youths.This book is part of the "Teen Witnesses to the Holocaust" series. Written in the first person, young readers will experience the joys, terrors, hope and desperation of the author’s personal recollections of living in Hungary in 1943, her survival in the concentration camps, and her eventual immigration to the United States. The book includes a family chronology of events, significant dates and events relating to the Holocaust, and a glossary. In My Enemy’s House Maria’s blonde hair and blue eyes, along with purchased papers, help her to survive the Holocaust. Posing as a Polish girl, she is sent to Germany to work as a servant in the home of a high-ranking Nazi. Told in the first person, Marisa is witness to her life being ripped apart, her family and friends either executed or missing. Her faith and her ability to keep her secrets, constantly examining events around her, enable this young girl to "think" her way through perilous situations. This gripping tale of survival pulls a young woman from the depths of despair and depression to hope and survival. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer This is the story of a hero and an important addition to the literature of the Holocaust. Irene Gut Opdyke was a nurse trainee when World War II broke out in her native Poland. The lovely teenager joined a group of partisans, but was eventually captured and raped by Russian soldiers. After a tortuous escape from the Russians, Irene ends up as an enslaved housekeeper for a high-placed German officer. Witnessing firsthand the atrocities being committed against Jews in an adjoining ghetto, the young woman managed to hide and protect twelve Jewish people in the basement of the officer’s own home and smuggle out news of coming purges to the residents of the ghetto. She even sacrificed her own virtue to keep her charges alive. Irene’s story goes beyond inspiration, beyond courage, almost beyond belief. Graphic, painful, and incredibly compelling, Irene Opdyke’s book joins a growing body of rescuers’ testimonies that prove that the actions of one good person can, indeed, mitigate ultimate evil. The Lady with the Hat Yulek is a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust. Returning to his hometown after the war, he soon realizes that there’s no room in Poland for him, and he decides to go to Palestine. Meanwhile his aunt Malka, who moved to England years ago is now Melanie, Lady Faulkner. She has seen a picture of a group of Jewish Displaced Persons and has recognized Yulek. It is his resemblance to his father, her brother that catches her attention. The struggle to get to Palestine makes up the major part of the story. Yulek grapples with Poles, Italians, and the British Army. Melanie’s struggles with the British Army are made easier by her husband’s position. She knows who Yulek is, but will he accept her? Yulek’s need for love and family are almost overwhelming. A fascinating story for ages 12 up. This story of Miriam took place in Holland during the time of the Holocaust. But it could be the account of any Jewish children whose parents’ only way to save them from the concentration camps was to send them into hiding. Miriam is sent away to the countryside to live with a non-Jewish Dutch family. Sensitively told, it chronicles the wrenching good-byes that yield to life and hope in what becomes, for Miriam, a safe haven amidst the madness. When the German soldiers come, Miriam scurries to the safety of the lily cupboard behind the wall. The Dutch family portrayed here is typical of the countless families who risked their lives to hide Jewish children during the five years of German occupation. No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War For decades, Anita Lobel has drawn bright, richly detailed children's book illustrations. In her first novel, No Pretty Pictures, she writes about surviving the Holocaust . When the Nazis invaded Poland, changes began in Lobel's life. Her Hasidic father fled after "kissing her in the night." Her mother existed in Krakow with false identity papers and by selling belongings on the black market. Anita and her brother were sent into the country with their strange Catholic nurse. Lobel was suddenly turned into a practicing Catholic, her brother was disguised as a girl, she saw her mother only infrequently, and was plunged into a world of instability. She was moved from a city to a rural town and then to a Benedictine convent. There she finally made a friend. All too soon, however, this new friend was laid out in a coffin, dead from tuberculosis. Soon after came the insanity of the camps and finally, reunion with her parents in Sweden. While reading, I couldn't help thinking of the decades of fanciful Lobel illustrations that I have admired and how she's spent a good part of her life pleasing fans with her pretty pictures. The raw power of her writing will please admirers in a different way. Her story is a tribute to her courage in the past and in the present. One More Border: The True Story of One Family’s Escape from War-Torn Europe The Holocaust is a complex topic that cannot be understood in a vacuum. Knowledge of how difficult it was to leave Europe in the late 1930’s clarifies the Nazi entrapment of the Jews. This compelling picture book shows one middle class family who bartered every penny in exchange for the right to travel across Russia to Japan, and finally to Canada. The long journey begins in Lithuania when Father boldly flags down the car of a kind Japanese consul and obtains visas for him and the two children. But Mother is almost left behind because she is Russian-born and needs separate papers. Later, Mother is forced to give up the family’s last sum of money along with her wedding ring to enter Japan. An especially disquieting moment comes when immigration officials force another Jewish family on the Trans-Siberian Express off the train. American-born students often have no frame of reference for the desperation of war refugees who must buy their way to freedom. This book will help them understand. Stephen Taylor’s poignant illustrations are interspersed with archival photographs, maps, and historical sidebars. Teachers who cover the Holocaust should definitely include this book in their curriculum. One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story What a beautifully written story about the rekindling of light in the life of a Holocaust survivor! Morris Kaplan leads a quiet existence, surrounded by the beautiful blossoms in his shop and looking forward only to the frequent visits of Ilana and Jonathan, who buy flowers for Shabbat and special occasions. He shows his appreciation by loading them up with far more bouquets than their few dollars could actually purchase; they reciprocate by inviting him to celebrate Hanukkah with their family. The warmth and joy of their holiday observance melts the ice which has long encased his sad memories, and Morris himself blooms again, as did the flower of the title in the dark days of Auschwitz. The pictures are stunning, from deepest darks to glorious lights, and the tilted faces lend a legendary quality to this touching tale. An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. My strongest book memory from young adulthood is reading The Diary of Anne Frank. She was my introduction to the Holocaust and since then, I have read many powerful young adult novels about Holocaust heroes and heroines. For a nonfiction look at the Holocaust, this book is a blend of fact and feelings about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and remembrance.
Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories Rescuers Defying the Nazis: Non-Jewish Teens Who Rescued Jews Preben Munch-Nielsen was only 14 in 1940, when German troops occupied Denmark, his home. But like so many other Danes, Preben risked his life by rescuing Jews from the Nazi occupiers. He helped ferry escaping refugees across the sea to neutral Sweden and safety. Still alive today, Preben is a successful Danish businessman who was honored for his wartime heroics by President Clinton in 1997. This well-researched, poignantly written book tells the story of Preben and others who helped Jews escape from the Holocaust. In addition to telling their stories, the author provides important historical perspective about the pre-war years in Germany, the Nazis rise to power and anti-Semitism. The book also contains a useful time line, with key dates beginning with Hitler's appointment as German Chancellor in 1933 and ending with Germany's surrender to the Allies nearly 16 ½ years later in 1945. There is also a helpful glossary, with definitions for ghetto, Gestapo, Resistance and other relevant terms. Ideal for classroom research projects, this title will be a worthy addition to school libraries. The Secret Room Annie is in seventh grade, and is finding it hard to be a Dutch minister's daughter with "an angel for a sister." Siri is in high school, beautiful and talented. She helps around the house, helps Mama with charity work, does needlework--in other words, is everything that Annie isn't. Mama is loving, but physically and emotionally weak, and can't seem to avoid comparing her daughters (to Annie's detriment, of course) which is like comparing cats and dogs. Then Holland is invaded by its neighbor, Germany, and there is a lot more to worry about than the misbehavior of a couple of little girls. Annie's best friend, Leah, is Jewish. And Leah knows that "there's no place safe in the world for us!" Gradually Annie learns what it is to be conquered. Papa is part of the Resistance, and when he shelters a Jewish family in the church, Annie has one more thing to worry about. But she never gives up the hope that these terrible times will end. And she knows that wherever they are, she and Leah will always be friends. This is written in the first person, and of course Anne Frank comparisons are inevitable. But it's a mid-grade novel, not a diary. And Annie and her family are not Jews. It might make a good introduction to the horrors of the Holocaust. The Shadow Children In The Shadow Children, ghosts appear to be haunting a village to remind the residents of something they’d much rather forget. Just after World War II, Etienne visits his grandfather in the French countryside. Etienne remembers that children and young people had lived in the nearby town. He sees a group of children whom he recognizes as refugees, and although Grand-Pere’s old horse seems to recognize them, Grand-Pere himself doesn’t even see them. Etienne finds things in the woods that must belong to these children, but Grand-Pere denies that there were ever children hiding in the woods. Finally Grand-Pere is forced to face his memories, and to realize that he can’t keep Etienne from the realities of the world. "The dead would not be forgotten...." A moving tribute for kids who already know the basics about the Holocaust and who won’t be disturbed by the ghostly time-warp aspect. It does not serve as an introduction to the subject.
Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of a Children's Holocaust Memorial ISBN: 1580131697 ISBN: 158013176X Book 2 in the "Holocaust Series" describes the beginning of the Nazi effort to solve the Jewish problem in Germany. Organized in chapters for three month increment between September 1935 and December 1938, the chapters describe the anti-Jewish actions of the Nazis, the refusal of the western allies, including the United States, to accept Jewish refugees, and the varied reactions of the Jews who were determined to stay in Germany. A wide variety of historians, educators, and experts have come together to produce this fabulous series about the Holocaust. Within each text, easy to read yet comprehensive narratives are accompanied by black and white photos and other primary sources. The series will be an excellent resource for social studies teachers. Star of Fear, Star of Hope Helen, now an old woman, was nine-years-old when she lost her best friend, Lydia, during the Nazi occupation of France in 1942. Misunderstanding Lydia’s sudden return home when the girls were to have spent the night together celebrating Helen’s birthday, she burst out, "You’re not my friend anymore!" But the appearance of Madam Eleven O’Clock and Midnight Ghost, both wearing yellow stars like Lydia’s, had signaled the beginning of terrible times for Jews. Lydia was gone, and Helen’s guilt haunted her the rest of her life. By writing her story, she hopes that Lydia, if she survived the Holocaust, will contact her again. The illustrations are done in primitive style, and the book won a graphics prize at the 1994 Bologna Book Fair, 1994. 1993 as La Grande peur sous les etoiles by Editions Syros. Tell Them We Remember: The Story of the Holocaust Tell Them We Remember is a wonderful book that introduces the Holocaust on the same personal level that the "names project" gives it at the Holocaust Museum. History becomes more real to both children and adults, and the photographs come alive as we read that "when he was nearly fourteen, Sandor Braun was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau." Then, several pages later, we learn that he survived the war and emigrated to the U.S. where he became a violinist. There is a lot of fiction for young people about the Holocaust, but even the best fiction cannot compare to this. More than one million children and teenagers were murdered by the Nazis, including these, whose photographs and stories are interwoven throughout this historical overview off the Holocaust. Ms. Bachrach’s stark reporting of the rise of Nazism, the persecution of non-Arayans and the handicapped, the operation of the "killing centers," and the Nuremberg trials provides a look at recent history all children should be taught, grim though it is. Photographs from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum illustrate the volume. The Terrible Things If you are planning to introduce the Holocaust to children, picture books make a good beginning. The most comforting books are those that hold some kind of hope. This book is an allegory of the holocaust, where a small questioning rabbit witnesses one animal after another being taken from his peaceful forest. Schoschana Rabinovici, born Susie Weksler, survived three concentration camps and unimaginable horrors, all before she was twelve years old. In this fascinating book, she tells us more than most of us want to know about the Holocaust, shows how her mother managed to smuggle her in a backpack through the lines of prisoners, disguise her as an adult, and keep her as safe as humanly possible. By the end of the war, only three of her entire family remained. Rabinovici makes clear that her survival was due to her mother’s strength and love. The Tie Man’s Miracle: A Chanukah Tale Seth, eager to light candles on the last night of Chanukah, is disappointed by the interruption of the somber tie man, who remembers his own family that died in the war. The tie man is persuaded to stay for candles, dinner, and a conversation of painful remembering. Rather than leave in sadness, he relates an old tale of miracle; when all nine candles extinguish at the same time, a wish is carried right to the ear of God. Seth, lingering over the dying candles, beholds this Chanukah miracle and wishes the tie man could have his family back. For a brief moment, he hears scurrying feet and laughter before there is a silent dark. The author relates the story gently, respectfully leaving room for family discussion about the Holocaust and miracles. Johnson’s watercolors are understated, but there is a wealth of emotion within the faces he paints. A Chanukah visit from Mr. Hoffman brings both tears and hope to Seth and his sister. It also offers the readers a poignant introduction to some of the most devastating and the most enduring aspects of the Jewish story and experience. Comforted by the warmth and welcome of Seth’s family, Mr. Hoffman shares the painful loss of his family during the Holocaust, and also gives the children a gift--his wish for a miracle that he would share with them forever. The impact of this encounter is powerful--the creators have skillfully communicated a complex message with a gentle grace. Tracking the Holocaust In an attempt to put a human face on inhuman suffering, Ms Hans has retold her own experiences with Nazi torture, along with those of seven other regular people-Jews and non- Jews alike. She deftly mixes pathos with reporting as she alternately recounts intense personal histories and impersonal accounts of global events. This book is difficult to read; difficult to put down: and intends to make this period in history difficult to let die with its aged survivors. Understanding Anne Frank’s The diary of a Young Girl: A student casebook to issues, sources, and historical documents Here is the book that every history teacher dreams of. It thoroughly describes the background issues of the Holocaust, using excerpts from diaries, interviews with survivors and newspaper articles. Each chapter ends with thought-provoking questions and bibliography for further study. A chilling account of a modern Nazi’s rise to international notoriety (basically via the Internet--no surprise) is fascinating as well as horrifying. Young people already familiar with Anne Frank will find the book serves many purposes, not least of which is a reasoned response to the Holocaust-denial that seems prevalent in so many places. "Literature in Context Series." Nine-year-old Anna and her family were among the lucky ones, Jews who fled their Berlin home just before Hitler came to power in 1933. Anna doesn’t completely understand why they needed to leave Germany, but we, the readers, do. And that’s what makes this autobiographical novel so interesting. We follow Anna, her brother, and her father as they travel through Europe, living as refugees, staying a few steps ahead of the Nazis. Although When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit avoids most of the details of the actual Holocaust, it provides young readers with a gentle, yet important, introduction to a horrible chapter in world history. When the Soldiers Were Gone Henk has lived most of his young life with his farming family in Holland. Or so he thinks. He is really Benjamin, and the family he knows so well has only been hiding him because he is Jewish. In the first chapter his real parents come to take him home again. From then on, the book records Henk's tangled path of discoveries and memories. His understanding comes in stages. At first he struggles with his new name and realizing what it meant when he was hidden from soldiers who visited the farm. As time passes, Henk still misses his rural family and has a hard time facing school and learning to live with his real family and adopted brother. Finally painful memories glimmer from his past and he begins to remember, understand and adjust. Based on a true story, this novella has intensity not usually seen in middle grade novels. It also introduces the Holocaust in a gentler way so that children as young as eight years old could handle the information. Its power and shortness also mean success with older, more reluctant readers. Witnesses To War: Eight true-life stories of Nazi persecution The author relates eight engrossing accounts of children persecuted during the holocaust, including the famous story of Anne Frank. Examples of some of the riveting stories include a girl shipped out of Germany by desperate parents on the Kindertransporte--the children’s transport; a boy--one of thousands--kidnapped from his Polish home and sent away to be "Germanized;" and the Czech village of Lidice, which was leveled, all the men massacred, and only 17 of the village’s 105 children have ever been traced. Besides the millions of Jews who lost their lives during World War II, a half million Gypsies were murdered in Europe. The courage of children in the face of a world gone mad is inspiring. Time and again the young reader will remind himself that he is not reading fiction. Well-drawn maps and photographs, including "then and now" pictures of surviving children, help make this a moving and unforgettable book. In most cases, the author has interviewed the survivor. Leapman’s introduction offers a succinct explanation of conditions in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power, one that every child should read, and most adults as well. Witnesses We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust From varied backgrounds, different countries, diverse religious outlooks and assorted experiences, the voices of five youngsters clearly describe how they coped with the horrible sufferings which preceded their murder. David Rubinowicz, 13, Poland, chronicled his family’s hopeless slide from independent dairy keepers to dispossessed refugees crammed into a ghetto, slowly crushed by the Nazi machine, death-marched to Treblinka and gassed. Yitzhak Rudashevski, 13, Lithuania, extolled the glories of learning, hoped the Russians and socialism would save the Jews, detailed the incredible struggle to maintain schools and culture in the ghetto, turned partisan at 14 to avoid "being led like sheep to the slaughter," but was rounded up and killed anyway. Moshe Flinker, a devout Polish Jew who survived two years of German occupation before fleeing into Belgium and "passing," filled his diary with poems, prayers and hope for redemption in the Promised Land but perished at 19 in Auschwitz. Eva Heyman--beautiful, wealthy, pampered, assimilated, bursting with love for living--wrote from Hungary for only nine months in her 13th-birthday present diary before she was deported to Auschwitz, where Mengele himself selected her for the crematorium. This searing book ends with excerpts from the diary of Anne Frank and contrasts her relatively secure, though imprisoned, two years and her unshakable faith in the goodness of people with the main themes of her contemporaries. To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here.
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Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary
Elie Wiesel: Bearing Witness
I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust
The Lily Cupboard: A Story of the Holocaust
Remember Not to Forget
Smoke to Flame: September 1935 to December 1938
Thanks To My Mother
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
