I used to read when Hitler stole pink rabbit or The upstairs room to my
middle schoolers. Good intros
Ilene
On 9/21/20 10:46 AM, Sonia Kozlovsky via Hasafran wrote:
Hi, Shanah Tovah to everyone!
This list is extensive. I would just caution that if it's the grades
first exposure to the Shoah, care should be taken about which book to
read. As mentioned there are so many choices, some better than others
as read-alouds.
/Daniel's Story, /by Carol Matas/,(/Daniel, whose family suffers as
the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a
concentration camp and his eventual liberation) is quite stirring.
There is an exhibit in the United States Holocuast Memorial Museum in
Washington from this book.
I would like to add books by Kathy Kacer to this list. She is a
Canadian author who has written a number of quality historic fiction
and nonfiction books about different experiences during the Shoah,
such as:
/Gabi's Dresser/ ( Gabi's world is turned upside down when the Nazis
invade her country of Czechoslovakia. Inspired by the experiences of
the author's mother),
/The Underground Reporters (/The true story of the response of a group
of Jewish children and young adults in a small town in Czechoslovakia
during World War II -- their refusal to be silenced and deprived of a
chance for self-expression)
/Saving Edith /(he true story of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish girl
who was forced into hiding during World War II.)
Be well,
Sonia
Sonia Kozlovsky
Librarian
Krieger Schechter Day School
Chizuk Amuno Congregation
8100 Stevenson Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21208
410-486-8640
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
On Thu, Sep 17, 2020 at 3:54 PM Jeff Corbett via Hasafran
<[email protected] <mailto:[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]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
To: ha-Safran <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
Subject: [ha-Safran] Seeking Holocaust book for grades 6-7 as a class
read
Message-ID:
<cakdpfshfhmpalxtrq656ieo9sfwsv_e0akmsawnneft0yc8...@mail.gmail.com
<mailto: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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