Thank you very much. On Thu, Sep 17, 2020, 3:35 PM Jeff Corbett <[email protected]> wrote:
> Shana Tova too! > > May I refer you to an excellent New Yorker magazine article on this topic? > https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/23/how-should-childrens-books-deal-with-the-holocaust > > It just depends on what kind of Holocaust book for youth you are looking > for. Here is the list that I am presently working my way through: > > 1947 - The Diary of Anne Frank. First published in the Dutch language in > 1947. Nonfiction. Appeared in English in 1952. Subject is hiding. Book does > not cover author's time in concentration camp and death. > 1970 - The Cigarette Sellers of Three Crosses Square - Ziemian > 1970 - Journey to America (and further two others in series) - Levitin > [Similar to Kerr's books]. Subject deals with escape. > 1971 - When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (and further two others in series) - > Kerr [Similar to Levitin's books]. Subject deals with escape. > 1971 - Friedrich - Richter. Originally published in German in 1961. > Narrator is a Gentile German boy. Jewish protagonist dies at the end. Deals > with living in Germany under increasing restrictions. > 1971 - Code: Polonaise - Wuorio > 1972 - I am Rosemarie - Moskin > 1972 - The Upstairs Room - Reiss > 1973 - To Fight In Silence - Wuorio > 1973 - A Pocket full of Seeds - Sachs > 1973 - Uncle Misha's Partisans - Suhl > 1974 - Bright Candles - Benchley > 1975 - On the Other Side of the Gate - Suhl > 1976 - Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust - Meltzer > 1988 - Devil's Arithmetic - Yolen - Deals with concentration camps and > extermination. > 1989 - Number the Stars - Lowry > 1992 - Briar Rose - Yolen > 1996 - Behind the Bedroom Wall - Williams > 1999 - Otto - Ungerer > 2006 - Boy in the Stripped Pajamas - Boyne > 2007 - The Book Thief - Zasuk > 2015 - Stone Angel - Yolen > 2016 - Girl in the Blue Coat - Hess > 2018 - Mapping the Bones - Yolen > > I just started working through this list, so I'll share with you my > impressions, limited as they may be. You probably already know "The Diary > of Anne Frank" (1947 - Frank). I had some difficulty finding a copy of > "Cigarette Sellers" (1970 - Ziemain), so I skipped that one for a while. A > copy just landed in my lap, so I'm making it my next read. The next two, > "Journey to America" (1970 - Levitin) and "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" > (1971 - Kerr) are similar in nature. They both deal with the topic of > escape/refugees, (a topic that is à propos these days,) and each has two > follow-up books. If you are looking to get books into students' hands, > either might be good since there are "Read Alikes" available, in that if > they liked the characters, there are two more in each series. If they liked > the setting and action, there is the other author's one to read. I recently > finished "Friedrich" (1971 - Richter). This one took me by surprise because > it's unlike the others that I have read so far, namely the story is being > told from a Gentile German's eyes, (and not in the eyes of the Jewish > victims,) and that the death of the Jewish protagonist happens "on screen." > It must have been very daring back when it was first published. I wonder if > this book would be better if the class is primarily non-Jewish. Perhaps > reading a Holocaust book from the Jewish perspective would give them a > certain "detachment" as if it's just another point in history to have to > study. However, by reading a book in the eyes of someone like them > (non-Jew,) it may prompt deeper questions such as "Would I have > participated if I were I living then?" I also read "Devil's Arithmetic" > (1988 - Yolen) and "Number the Stars" (1989 - Lowry) when they came out > because I was a YA then. Yolen's might appeal to the "science-fictiony" > reader in the way she "transports" the modern reader to the time of the > Holocaust, instead of simply placing the story wholly in that era. I am > looking forward to rereading them. I saw the movie Boy in the Striped > Pajamas (2006) when it came out, and will look forward to actually reading > the book. It should be noted that the book is criticized in some circles > for being factually incorrect - > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas. Also, the > author is not Jewish - > https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/03/john-boyne-novelist-catholic-church-abuse-priesthood-boy-in-striped-pyjamas. > This fact may/may not matter to you. However, there is the issue of > "cultural approbation" which has been a hot issue in our profession > (librarianship) of late (see discussion on the recent (non-Holocaust) > bestseller "American Dirt.") It might be, depending on your audience and > the lesson, a topic worthy of discussion that you actually * want *to > wade into anyway! > > May I also suggest signing up for this free virtual conference on this > topic? > https://www.lvhresourcecenter.com/virtual-conference-on-childrens-and-young-adults-holocaust-literature/ > > Good luck! > > Jeff Corbett > __________ > Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:26:50 -0400 > From: Wendie Sittenfield <[email protected]> > To: ha-Safran <[email protected]> > Subject: [ha-Safran] Seeking Holocaust book for grades 6-7 as a class > read > Message-ID: > < > cakdpfshfhmpalxtrq656ieo9sfwsv_e0akmsawnneft0yc8...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hello Safranim, > > Please send me your suggestions for a really engaging book for a middle > school class to read prior to starting a Holocaust elective. > > Many thanks in advance. > > Shana tova. > > Wendie Sittenfield > > > > >
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