If you are trying to help children learn about a difficult topic, it’s always helpful to have access to good materials and expert advice. Since today is Holocaust Remembrance Day I thought I would share some of the resources that I found for a patron who was about to start talking about this history with her son.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has excellent online information including a section of the website for with advice for teachers. There are lots of helpful suggestions, and even online training for teachers who are addressing the topic for the first time.
These are a few titles I suggested as having introductory information about the Holocaust and being short enough to read aloud to a class:
Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II by Marisabina Russo
Photos and documents in a scrapbook help tell a family’s story.
Benno and the Night of Broken Glass by Meg Wiviott
The events of Kristallnacht are told from the perspective of a cat.
The Feather-bed Journey by Paula Kurzband Feder
A grandmother tells the story behind a feather pillow–once a feather bed– that is the only possession left from her childhood in Poland.
The Secret Seder by Doreen Rappaport
A boy and his father passing as gentiles in occupied France secretly join others for Passover.
For a longer read, these are some newer books that come highly recommended:
Adam and Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld
Adam and Thomas is the story of two nine-year-old Jewish boys who survive World War II by banding together in the forest.
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport
Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II.
Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauvillier
A grandmother shares the story of her experiences in WWII with her grandchild in this graphic novel for young readers.
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