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A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children. David A. Adler. New York. Holiday House. 2002. not paged. ISBN 0-8234-1548-1
Adler briefly tells the story of Henryk Goldszmit, known to the world as Janusz Korczak, director of the Warsaw ghetto orphanage who, with the children, was deported to Treblinka where they were gassed.
- suitable for ages 9 and up
- useful supplement to other Holocaust materials
- contains author's note and brief bibliography
- expressive muted illustrations
Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived the Holocaust. Marisabina Russo. New York. Athenaeum Books for Young Readers. 2005. not paged. ISBN 0-689-86920-7
Rachel's Oma (grandmother) has two photo albums; one old and brittle contains photos of her "first" life before she came to America. The other, new and clean, is of her second life in America. As Oma shares her albums with Rachel we learn of her life as a Jew in pre World War II Germany, under Nazi occupation, her eventual deportation to a concentration camp, and ultimately, her liberation and reunion with her three daughters, two who also survived the camps.
- suitable for grades 3 up
- based on the author's own family history
- excellent introduction to Holocaust
- simple factual narrative
- colorful watercolor illustrations of photos and documents
- end papers contain reproductions of author's family photos
Best Friends. Elisabeth Reuter. Germany. Yellow Brick Road Press. 1993. ISBN 0-943706-18-1
Lisa and Judith are best friends. When lessons of hatred against Jews are taught in school, Lisa becomes Judith's only friend. A quarrel leads the two girls to separate in anger. When Lisa visits Judith to apologize she finds her friend and family gone.
- simply told
- Kristallnacht simply explained
- shows how prejudice can be learned
Brundibar. Tony Kushner & Maurice Sendak (illustrator). Hyperion Books for Children. New York. 2003. 56 pages. ISBN 0-7868-0904-3
Based on the Czech opera of the same name. Completed in 1938, the opera was performed 55 times by the children of Terezin, the Nazi concentration camp. Upon discovering their mother is sick two children rush to town for milk to make her better. They are unable to do so by the bully Brundibar, who tyrannizes the town square. With the help of 3 intelligent, talking animals and 300 school kids, the children sing for money, buy the milk, and return home.
- suitable for younger students
- effective for use with older students in a study of children and the Holocaust
- bright, colorful illustrations add immensely to the story
The Butterfly. Patricia Polacco. New York. Philomel Books. 2000. ISBN 0-399-22671-0
Monique, a young Catholic girl, lives in occupied France. Monique discovers her mother is hiding a family of Jews in the cellar. When Monique and Sevrine, the daughter, are seen by a neighbor, the Jewish family must go into hiding.
- beautiful large illustrations; simply but full of expression and emotion
- based on the author's family history
- author's note tells what happens to family
The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin. Susan Goldman Rubin with Ela Weissberger. New York. Holiday House. 2006. 40 pages. ISBN 0-8234-1831-9
Ela Stein was eleven years old when she was sent to the Terezin concentration camp with other Czech Jews. Despite the deplorable conditions she forged friendships with other girls in her barracks and studied art and learned to sing. A children's opera, Brundibar, was performed and Ela was chosen to play the pivotal role of the cat.
- suitable for ages 9-12
- nonfiction
- excellent companion to Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandies and the Children of Terezin also by Rubin and I Never Saw Another Butterfly, Hana Volavkova, editor
- contains index, table of contents, epilogue, author's note, source notes, resources including interviews, and internet sites
- contains art work by Eva, her personal photographs and photos of Terezin
The Cats of Krasinski Square. Karen Hess. New York. Scholastic Press. 2004. unpaged. ISBN 0-439-4540-4
The cats in Krasinski Square once belonged to someone. So too, the Jewish young girl who befriends them. With her sister, her only surviving family member, she has escaped the Warsaw Ghetto and is passing as a young Pole. When her sister confides that she is helping smuggle food into the Warsaw Ghetto, the young girl, with her cats, prevent the capture of the valuable food and its carriers by the Gestapo.
- suitable for grade 3 and up
- based on real-life incident of Jewish resistance
- beautifully written and illustrations enhance story
- contains author's note and historical note
Child of the Warsaw Ghetto. David A. Adler. New York. Holiday House. 1995. ISBN 0-8234-1160-5
The story of the Warsaw Ghetto is told through the eyes of Froim Baum. After his father's death Froim's mother is no longer able to support the family. He is place in Janusz Korczak's orphanage in the ghetto. Although by luck Froim escapes deportation to Treblinka with the other ghetto children of the orphanage, the family luck runs out in November 1942. Froim and his family are taken to Auschwitz where his mother and sister are killed and his three brothers selected for work. Froim is selected to die, but joins his brother when no one is looking.
- describes life in the Warsaw Ghetto
- states the horrors without horrifying
- illustrations muted colors
- author's note explains circumstances of ghetto liquidation and tells what happens to Froim after the war
The Children We Remember. Chana Byers Abells. New York. Greenwillow Books. 1986. ISBN 0-688-06371-3
Photographs from the Yad Vashem Archives and limited text tell the story of children who lived and died during the Holocaust. Photographs show life before the Nazis' arrival and life under Nazi occupation. Caution: Some photographs are very graphic.
- information about laws against Jews (star of David, closing stores, burning synagogues) , life in ghettos and how some children died and some lived
Don't Forget. Patricia Larkin. New York. Tambouring Books. 1994. ISBN 02-688-12075-X
When Sarah is shopping for the items needed to bake her mother a birthday cake she has to go the the Singer's store. They are nice, but their secret isn't. After starring at the number on Mr. Singer's arm Sarah apologizes. After Mrs. Singer explains that the numbers must never be a secret, she helps Sarah bake the cake in Mrs. Singer's special pan.
- set in postwar Jewish neighborhood
- beautiful watercolor illustrations
- contains the recipe for Sarah's first cake
Elie Wiesel: Messenger from the Holocaust. Carol Greene. Chicago. Children's Press. 1987. ISBN 0-516-03490-1
This biography tells about Wiesel's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, his life prior to and after the Holocaust, the books he has written and other accomplishments.
- contains the text of his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize and a brief timeline of his life
- black and white photographs, some graphic
Elisabeth. Claire A. Nivola. New York. Frances Foster Books. 1997. ISBN 0-374-32085-3
Claire Nivola tells the story of her mother, Ruth. Elisabeth, although a doll, is her best friend. They do everything together. When the family is forced to flee the Nazis Elisabeth is left behind. Ruth comes to America, grows up and has a family. When her daughter asks for a doll, Ruth starts searching. One day she sees a doll in an antique shop. She discovers it is Elisabeth, her best friend.
- limited text with colorful detailed illustrations
- told in first person by mother, Ruth
- if not indicated that this is a true story would seem too far fetched to be true
*Erika's Story. Ruth Van der Zee. Mankato, MN. Creative Editions. 2003. unpaged. ISBN 1-56846-176-3
On a visit to Germany the author meets Erika and learns her story of survival. Erika, a small infant, is saved when her mother threw her from the train deporting the family to death. Rescued, Erika survives, eventually marries, and raises a family.
- suitable for third grade and up
- sparse text
- frequently tells story through questions
- illustrations by Roberto Innocenti (Rose Blanche); pre/post war illustrations full of color, wartime, black and gray
The Feather-Bed Journey. Paula Kurzband Feder. Morton Grove, Illinois. Albert Whitman and Company. 1995. ISBN 0-8075-2330-5
When Rachel and Lewis are playing with Grandma's old pillow it rips. They can't understand why she tries to save every feather. Grandma tells them the feather-bed story; a story of a young girl in Poland hidden by Christians.
- author's note provides historical context
- rich illustrations which tell the story without being scary
The Flag with Fifty-Six Stars: A Gift from the Survivors of Mauthausen. Susan Goldman Rubin. New York. Holiday House. 2005. 40 pages. ISBN 0-8234-2019-1
Upon their liberation by the Americans the prisoners of Mauthausen concentration camp present the liberating officer with a flag made from scavenged materials. The prisoners had guessed how many stars and instead of 48 there were 56. The book also provides a brief overview of history of Mauthausen and the brutal conditions found there.
- suitable for grades 4-6
- nonfiction
- contains index, references and afterword
- expressive muted watercolor illustrations
- contains photo of flag currently on display at Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles, California
Flowers on the Wall. Miriam Nerlove. New York. Margaret K. McElderry Books. 1996. ISBN 0-689-50614-7
Due to a cough Rachel is confined to her family's apartment . We learn of the family's hunger, fear of the attacks on Jews by the local police, and the closure of the family business. When Rachel's cough improves she still can not go outside since her shoes don't fit, and there is no money to buy new ones. Her father gives her paint and brushes, and she paints the walls with flowers. When the Nazis occupy Warsaw, conditions worsen and the family is deported to Treblinka.
- set in Warsaw, Poland in 1938
- tells story of hardships with efforts to not give up
- family's fate just stated
- ends realistically
- not graphic
- beautiful watercolor pictures
- includes a historical note
The Grey-Striped Shirt: How Grandma and Grandpa Survived the Holocaust. Jacqueline Jules. Los Angeles. Alif Design Group. 1993. 64 pages. ISBN 0-831283-06-2
While visiting her grandparents 9 year old Frannie discovers a grey-striped shirt in the closet. Finally her grandparents tell Frannie the story of the shirt and the reader learns about the Nazis, the hardship of the Jews, and life and death in the camps.
- use as an introduction to the Holocaust for younger children grades 2-4
- stark black and white illustrations
- author's note about resistance
The Harmonica. Tony Johnston. Ron Mazellan, illustrator. Watertown, MA. Charlesbridge. 2004. 32 pages. ISBN 1-57091-547-4
Based on a survivor's story. This is the story of a young boy who receives a harmonica from his coal-miner father and learns to play Schubert while his parents learn to dance. When arrested by the Nazis, he is separated from his parents and sent to a concentration camp. Distraught, he finds solace in playing Schubert. The commandant, who loves Schubert, hears of the boy's playing and orders the boy to play while throwing him bread.
- suitable for grades 3-6
- illustrations reflect the warmth of home and the darkness of the camp and life there
- excellent for discussions character of man, cruelty and kindness
Hear O Israel: A Story of the Warsaw Ghetto. Terry Walton Treseder. New York. Atheneum. 1990. 41 pages. ISBN 0-689-31456-6
Divided into sections with limited illustrations the reader learns of life as a Jew in Warsaw prior to the ghetto, life in the ghetto, and deportation to Treblinka.
- suitable for grades 3-6
- story of faith
Hiding from the Nazis. David Adler. New York. Holiday House. 1997. unpaged. ISBN 0-8234-1288-1
The true story of Lore Baer who as a four-year-old Jewish child is placed with a Christian family in Dutch farm country to avoid persecution by the Nazis. Adler describes Lore's life on the farm, her hiding in the barn with other fugitives whenever searchers come and her growing attachment for her hosts. When after the war her parents arrive, she must learn to trust.
- suitable for grades 2-4
- nonfiction
- subtle watercolors portray emotions
- briefly describes events leading up to the occupation of the Netherlands and the experiences of those who went into hiding
- contains an afterword
In My Pocket. Dorrith M. Sim. New York. Harcourt Brace and Company. 1996. ISBN 0-15-201357-1
This autobiographical account of the kindertransports tells of the journey from Hamburg to Holland and then to England. Seven year old Dorrith is placed with a Scottish family that speaks no German and she no English. She learns English by putting everything into a sentence, "I have a ___ in my pocket."
- simply told
- bright pictures
- author's note places story into perspective
Journey that Saved Curious George, The: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey. Louise Borden. Boston. Houghton Mifflin, Co. 2005. 73 pages. ISBN 0-618-33924-8
Filled with photos and primary-source documents such as Hans Rey's diary with illustrations done in the Rey style, this is a wonderful story of the creators of Curious George is told in two parts. Part one deals with the couple's childhood and early life together. Part two is devoted to their escape from Nazi occupied Paris and ultimately finding sanctuary in the United States.
- suitable for grades 3-8
- wonderful addition to any collection with a captivating story of escape
- contains listing of books by Reys
Let the Celebrations Begin! Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas. New York. Orchard Books. 1991. ISBN 0-531-05937-5
Based on the fact that a small collection of stuffed toys made by the Polish women in Belsen for the first children party held after liberation, this is a fictional telling of the making of the toys.
- does not convey horrors of camp
- good starting point for a discussion of hope
- illustrations bizarre and detract from story
The Lily Cupboard: A Story of the Holocaust. Shulamith Levey Oppenheim. New York. Charlotte Zolotow. 1992. ISBN 0-06-443393-5
During the Nazi occupation of Holland Miriam, a young Jewish girl, is sent to the country to live with strangers.
- story of courage and caring
- beautiful watercolor illustrations
- tells story of life in hiding and risks taken by those who chose to hide Jews
- suitable for ages 6-8
Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen. Michelle R. McCann. Berkeley, CA. Tricycle Press. 2003. 40 pages. ISBN 1-58246-098-1
Luba Tryszynska, a young Polish woman, saved 54 Dutch children abandoned to die in a snowy field behind her barracks at Bergen-Belsen. She manages to find food and clothing for the children and keep 52 of the children alive until liberation by the British. The children are known as the "Diamond Children" because their fathers were Dutch diamond cutters from Amsterdam who were sent to Bergen-Belsen to work for the Nazis.
- suitable for grades 3-6
- account as told by Luba Tryszynska-Frederick to McCann
- contains epilogue, brief background WW II and bibliography
- contains a list of the children with a photo of Luba and some of the surviving Diamond Children at at 50 year reunion
- illustrations unrealistically depict clean, well-fed and well-dressed children
Memories of Survival. Esther Nisenthal Krinitz and Bernice Steinhardt. New York. Hyperion Books for Children. 2005. 64 pages. ISBN 078685126-0
At fifteen Esther and her thirteen year-old sister separate from their family and go into hiding. In order to survive they disguise themselves as Catholic farm hands. At war's end when Esther learns the rest of her family is dead, she joins the Polish Army, marching into Berlin with the Russians. She marries and immigrates to the United States. As she sought to retell her childhood memories. Krinitz created 36 embroidered panels. Each is recreated with captions by Esther and commentary by Steinhardt, Esther's daughter.
- suitable for grade 5 and up
- contains introduction by Steinhardt and a note on the art describing it's creation
- colorful, detailed panels depict daily life before and after occupation, life in hiding, the end of the war and her journey to America
Miracle in the Glass. Ruthann Crosby. Anchorage, Alaska. Publication Consultants. 1998. ISBN 1-88125-26-8
Two year old Sasha is allowed to stay with her mother, Freda, when they are deported to a camp. Freda tries to teach Sasha; telling her of family traditions and practicing their religion.
- introduction by author explaining where the idea for the story came from
- index of Hebrew/Yiddish words used
- gray pencil sketch illustrations
My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto. Mendel Grossman, photos. Frank Dabba Smith, text. New York. Gulliver Books. 2000. ISBN 0-15-202306-2
My Secret Camera contains full page black and white photos secretly taken by Grossman in the Lodz Ghetto. The text tells how Grossman came about taking the pictures and how he was able to develop them, the incentive to risk his life, and the story of life in the ghetto.
- excellent pictures for discussion
- note about Grossman, his life and death, and how the photos survived
The Number on My Grandfather's Arm. David A. Adler. New York. UANC Press, 1987. 28 pages. ISBN 0-8074-0328-8
Set in the United States in the present day (1987) a 7 year old girl talks about her relationship with her grandfather. When she sees the number on his arm he tells the story of Hitler and the camps.
- black and white photos
- simply told
- ends positive note
- good intro
**One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II. Lita Judge. New York. Hyperion Books for Children. 2007. ISBN13 978-1-4231-0008-9
When the author discovers hundreds of tracings of feet in her grandparent's attic, she sets out to learn their story. Using a combination of painting and collages of original photos with simplistic text, Jugdge tells the story of how her grandparents organize a relief effort that eventually sent packages of food, clothing, and shoes to over 3,000 people in 15 countries in post-war Europe.
- author's note tells background of grandparent's story
- text entries dated to provide timeline of events accompanied by muted illustrationsß
- explanation of framework in which story takes place needed
One Yellow Daffodil: A Hanukkah Story. David A. Adler. New York. Gulliver Books. 1995. ISBN 0-15-200537-4
Morris Kaplan owns a flower shop filled with fresh flowers daily. Ilana and Jonathan stop each Friday to buy flowers for Shabbat. They invite Mr. Kaplan to join the family for Hanukkah. Although he hasn't celebrated in the past he arrives with a gift and shares in the lighting of the menorah. He returns to the family's home with the menorah last used by his family before deportation. Where upon he tells of his family's' fate in Nazi occupied Poland.
- full page watercolor illustrations
- hopeful tone
- story of renewal
**A Penny for a Hundred. Ethel Pochocki. Camden, Maine. Downeast Books. 1996. 31 pages. ISBN 0-89272-392-0
In the fall of 1944 nine-yar-old Clare is old enough to help with the potato harvest in Aroostook County, Maine. With many of the local men off to war, German POWs are brought in to help with the crop. As they work together to gather the harvest, Clare and the community learn that these men aren't very different from the young American soldiers.
- fictional telling of actual events
- story provides a view of Maine life in the 1940's
- combination of watercolor and pencil illustrations enhance story
Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. Ken Mochizuki. New York. Lee and Low Books. 1997. ISBN 1-880000-49-0
Told through the eyes of his young son, Hiroki, we learn how Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat consul to Lithuania decides to help the hundreds of Jews who wait at the consul gate waiting for visas. Despite orders not to, Sugihara wrote visas for a month: 300 per day. When the Soviets take over Lithuania, Sugihara is reassigned to Germany.
- brown tone detailed illustrations
- in afterword son tells what happened to family because of his father's actions
- American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
Promise of a New Spring: The Holocaust and Renewal. Gerda Weissman Klein. Scottsdale, Arizona. Phoenix Folios. 1981. ISBN 0-940646-51-X
Using limited text Klein tells the story of the Holocaust. The focus changes to the suffering of the Jews and their confinement to camps. The Holocaust and man is compared to a forest fire and nature and the resulting destruction and then renewal.
- recommended for readers ages 7-10
- allegory
- introduce Holocaust and the meaning of survival
- primarily black and white illustrations, some color and some photos
Rose Blanche. Roberto Innocenti. New York. Harcourt Brace and Company. 1996. 28 pages. ISBN 0-15-200917-5
Although a picture book, this is not meant for small children. Through the brief text and the expressive pictures, the reader learns with Rose Blanche the horrors of the Nazis and the fate of so many.
- illustrations magnificent
- emotional
The Secret Seder. Doreen Rappaport. New York. Hyperion Books for Children. 2005. not paged. ISBN 0-7858-0777-6
Jacques and his parents live in Nazi occupied France passing as Catholics. Father and son, despite the danger, travel to the mountains to celebrate Passover. As Jacques and his father participate in the Seder , the reader learns the story of Passover and its parallel with events of the time.
- suitable for grade 2 and up
- muted watercolor illustrations
- story of faith and resistance
- contains bibliography on resources for information for chldren on Passover and the Holocaust
Star of Fear, Star of Hope. Jo Hoestlandt. New York. Walker Publishing Co., Inc. 1995. ISBN 0-8027-8373-2
Helen, as an old woman, tells the story of Lydia, her friend in France in 1942. When Lydia, a Jew, sleeps over at Helen's house she learns of a roundup. She hurries home to warn her parents. When Helen goes to see her friend the next day, she finds them gone.
- illustrations stark and haunting
- tells of friendship between a Jew and a non Jew
The Tattooed Torah. Marvell Ginsberg. New York. UANC Press. 1983. ISBN 0-8074-0252-4
This is the story of a torah from Brno, Czechoslovakia confiscated, tattooed by the Nazis, and put into storage. After the war it is moved with other torahs to a synagogue in London. Years later an American father in search of a small torah for his son learns the torahs in London are available. He selects the small torah from Brno which he gives to his son's school where it is cared for appropriately and used weekly.
- story told by the small torah
- richly colored illustrations
Terrible Things; An Allegory of the Holocaust. Eve Bunting. Philadelphia. The Jewish Publication Society. 1993. 28 pages. ISBN 0-8276-0507-2
Through the eyes of Little Rabbit and the arrival of the Terrible Things, the reader learns the lessons of standing up for what we believe in. We learn the lessons of Pastor Martin Niemoller's quote condemning bystanders.
- excellent introduction to the Holocaust and the man's roles
- picture book
Willy & Max: A Holocaust Story. Amy Littlesugar. New York. Philomel Books. 2006. not pages. ISBN 0-399-23483-7
Following the purchase of a painting by Max's father from Willy's father's antique shop, the two boys become close friends. When Max and his father leave Antwerp to escape the Nazi occupation, they leave the painting hidden with Willy's father. The painting is confiscated by the Nazis. Its connection to the two boys surfaces 60 years later. Willy finds Max's family and the painting is reunited with the family.
- illustrations are beautiful mixed-medium double-paged paintings
- author's note discusses the Nazi's theft of art during World War II and present day efforts to return artworks to rightful Jewish owners
Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark, The. Carmen Agra Deedy. Atlanta, GA. Peachtree Publishers, LTD. 2000. ISBN 1-56145-208-4
Using large expressive pictures and limited text, this is a story of the legend of King Christian X of Denmark and the wearing of the yellow star by Denmark's Jews. Although a picture book it is a good starting point for older students and lends itself to a discussion of legends and of courage.
- author's note defines legend, lists the facts about the King of Denmark and the Jews
- older students; don't read author's note, but, rather, have them research what did happen
- excellent resource for older students Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews by Ellen Levine