Excellent list I read several of them to my middle school classes
Ilene
On 9/17/20 3:35 PM, Jeff Corbett via Hasafran 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��
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
__
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
==================================
Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to:
[email protected]
To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here:
https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected]
Ha-Safran Archives:
Current:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
Earlier Listserver:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
--
Hasafran mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
==================================
Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to:
[email protected]
To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here:
https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected]
Ha-Safran Archives:
Current:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
Earlier Listserver:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
--
Hasafran mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
