Transcript True Stories of the Second World War

Remembering the Holocaust
Through Literary Circles
Mrs. Jennifer Hull
8th grade
February 2008
Holocaust Study
• Research the time and
place of the books will be
completed before actually
beginning the reading
• Cooperative groups will
complete research
including mapping the
countries involved, the
Jewish experience, Hitler
and his defeat
Holocaust and WWII Study
• Complete the Freedom chart
• Study the timeline of what happened to
the Jewish people’s rights during Hitler’s
reign http://www.remember.org/educate/mtimeline.html
• Read Terrible Things by Eve Bunting
aloud to the class
Holocaust Study
• We are reading non-fiction and fiction books that
show how Hitler used fear and prejudice against
Jewish people
• Many Jewish people’s lives were completely and
totally changed
• As each book is introduced in the following
slides, take notes on your note card
• When all books have been introduced, each
student will turn in an index card with your name,
class period, and first, second and third choices
of books
The Upstairs Room
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By Johanna Reiss
5-8 grade level
196 pages
A Dutch Jewish girl
describes the two-and-onehalf years she spent in
hiding in the upstairs
bedroom of a farmer's
house during World War II.
We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of
Teenagers Who Died in the
Holocaust
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By Jacob Boas
Grades 7 & up
196 pages
Jewish teenagers David, Yitzhak,
Moshe, Eva, and Anne all kept
diaries and were all killed in Hitler's
death camps. These are their
stories, in their own words. Author
Jacob Boas is a Holocaust survivor
who was born in the same camp to
which Anne Frank was sent.
Includes a photo insert.
Heroes of the Holocaust: True
Stories of Rescues by Teens
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• by Allan Zullo
• 183 pages
• Gripping accounts of six
teenagers who willingly put
their lives in jeopardy for
the sake of saving Jews.
The legacy of these
remarkable young people
who made a difference will
captivate and inspire you.
Heroes Don’t Run: A Novel of the
Pacific War
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by Harry Mazer
Grades 5-9
128 pages
To honor his father who died during
the Japanese invasion of Pearl
Harbor, seventeen-year-old Adam
eagerly enlists in the Marines in
1944, survives boot camp, and
faces combat on the tiny island of
Okinawa.
True Stories of the
Second World War
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by Paul Dowswell
Ages 9-12
5-8 grade level
144 pages
Epic naval encounters between
titanic warships, monumental
battles involving hundreds of
thousands of men, and duels
between lone snipers facing
almost certain death, these are
just some of the dramatic tales
in this collection of stories from
the Second World War. For
those who survived, it would
remain the most intense and
vivid experience of their lives.
Elly: My True Story of the
Holocaust
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by Elly Berkovits Gross
Grades 4 - 6
105 pages
When Elly was just 15 years old, she,
her mother, and brother were deported
by cattle car to the Auschwitz/Birkenau
concentration camp. On the day they
arrived at Auschwitz, a soldier directed
Elly to the right; her mother and
brother were sent to the left. She
never saw her family alive again. Elly
later learned that her father also had
been killed in a forced-labor camp.
I Am a Star: Child of the
Holocaust
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by Inge Auerbacher
5-8 grade level
96 pages
The author's reminiscences
about her childhood in
Germany, years of which
were spent in a Nazi
concentration camp.
Includes several of her
original poems.
Behind the Secret Window: A
Memoir of a Hidden Childhood
During World War II
• by Nelly S. Toll
• Ages 12 & up
• 163 pages
• The Nazis come to Poland when Nelly is
six. By the time she turns eight, the events
of World War II have taken almost
everyone she loves. Scared, lonely, and
running from the Nazis, Nelly hides in the
bedroom of a Gentile couple in Poland. For
over a year, she lives in fear of discovery,
writing in her diary and painting pictures of
a fantasy world filled with open skies and
happy families. Illustrated with Nelly's
original watercolors, this powerful memoir
tells the true story of how a little girl's
imagination helped her survive a
nightmare.
Survivors True Stories of
Children in the Holocaust
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by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
5-8 grade level, ages 9-12
196 pages
These are the true-life accounts of nine
Jewish boys and girls whose lives
spiraled into danger and fear as the
Holocaust overtook Europe. In a time
of great horror, these children each
found a way to make it through the
nightmare of war. Some made daring
escapes into the unknown, others
disguised their true identities, and
many witnessed unimaginable horrors.
But what they all shared was the
unshakable belief in-- and hope for-survival. Their legacy of courage in the
face of hatred will move you, captivate
you, and, ultimately, inspire you.
Four Perfect Pebbles: A
Holocaust Story
• By Lila Perl and Marion Blumenthal
Lazan
• Grades 7 & up
• 132 pages
• Following Hitler’s rise to power, the
Blumenthal family –father, mother,
Marion, and her brother Albert- were
trapped in Nazi Germany. They
managed eventually to get to Holland,
but soon thereafter it was occupied by
the Nazis. For the next six-and-a-half
years the Blumenthals were forced to
live in refugee, transit, and prison
camps. Their story is one of horror
and hardship, but it is also a story of
courage, hope and the will to survive.
Hana’s Suitecase
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by Karen Levine
5-8 grade level
120 pages
A biography of a Czech girl
who died in the Holocaust,
told in alternating chapters
with an account of how the
curator of a Japanese
Holocaust center learned
about her life after Hana's
suitcase was sent to her.
I Have Lived A Thousand
Years
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by Livia Bitton-Jackson
Grades 7 & up
196 pages
A graphic narrative describes
what happens to a 13-year-old
Jewish girl when the Nazis
invade Hungary in 1944.
Includes a brief chronology of
the Holocaust. The author
describes her experiences
during World War II when she
and her family were sent to the
Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.
Marika
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by Andrea Cheng
5-8 grade level
163 pages
Although she has been
raised Catholic, Marika
learns how dangerous it is
to be of Jewish heritage
and living in Hungary during
World War II.
Room in the Heart
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by Sonia Levitin
Grades 7 & up
196 pages
While Jews are persecuted in other countries
by Nazis, Julie’s family and friends have a safe
haven in Copenhagen, Denmark. Then
German planes fly overhead, dropping leaflets
stating that they’re occupying Denmark.
Suddenly, German tanks roll down the streets,
German ships float into the harbor. Julie’s
family and friends might be separated and sent
to concentration camps. Now Julie and her
friend Niels must risk everything to protect the
people they love. This epic novel, told in
interchanging voices, paints a riveting portrait
of Copenhagen during the occupation and the
everyday heroes who overcame evil with
courage and kindness.
Behind the Bedroom Wall
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by Laura Williams
5-8 grade level
170 pages
Thirteen-year-old Korinna
must decide whether to
report her parents to her
Hitler youth group when
she discovers that they are
hiding Jews in a secret
space behind Korinna's
bedroom wall.
The Devil’s Arithmetic
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by Jane Yolen
Grades 7 & up
170 pages, fiction
Hannah resents the traditions
of her Jewish heritage until
time travel places her in the
middle of a small Jewish
village in Nazi-occupied
Poland.
Holocaust Literature Study
• After all students have turned in their index
cards with their preferences, groups will be
selected based on book choices and
ability grouping.
• The groups will need to be able to work
well together.
• Once determined…the following
assignment will be shared.
Holocaust Literature Study
• Students will need to begin by creating a plan for
each book on completing the reading within the
time period available.
• Deadline should be before Spring Break!
– Preferably by the AR deadline
• Teacher will also need to assist groups in
creating a timeline for each of the books
– Help each group determine their plans for reading
and completing the book on time.
Holocaust Literature Study
• Will need to develop an assessment for
presenting the books to the entire class
• Project based presentation required to
acquaint all students in each class with
each book and the information shared in
particular with the non-fiction selections
• Will need to include an outline to follow for
presentation purposes
Holocaust Literature Study
• All students will be required to take the AR
quiz on their Holocaust book for a grade in
English class gradebook
• Book report ideas found at the
following website:
http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/langart
s/reading/bookrepts1.html