Library & Information Science, Course 262: Resources for Young Adults.
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Nightfather by Carl Friedman; Persea Books; 1991 Very short chapters illustrate moments the author remembers of his father's tortured memories of a concentration camp. After reading this one might ask if the father really did survive. The three children in the family are irrevocably traumatized by the father's memories as he relates them to his children.This book is best for high school.

The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev; Houghton Mifflin; 1981 This is a very powerful young adult novel about a boy separated from his father in a Nazi round up. The young boy, Alex, hides out in an abandoned building and wait against hope for his father to return.In the five months Alex becomes an adult and becomes self-sufficient. This is a very powerful book for junior high students-Alex's powers of survival are touching and commendable. I recommend this book highly.

The Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman; Knopf; 1994 This is a very brief book (56 pages) that describes a family's rushed and tense departure from their home in order to escape the Nazis. This family faces a few tense moments, but in the end it survives. This is for very young readers-maybe 5th or 6th grades.

The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss; Harper Trophy 1972 This affecting novel is based on the author's own experiences. Annie and Sini, two Jewish sisters in Holland, must go into hiding with a kind, simple, farm family that saves their lives. The scenes are vivid and evocative of how it must feel to have to live in one room for two years. At first this book was a little slow to get into, but after 30 pages the plot took off. This is best for junior high school readers.

Gentlehands by M.E. Kerr; HarperTrophy; 1978 This is an excellent ya novel that mixes troubled romance and political/social issues. A young high school junior discovers that german grandfather was actually an SS guard. At the same time he begins dating a very wealthy young girl. This novel illustrates the discomfort of the teenage years and poses very interesting moral questions as well. This is an excellent book and I recommend it for junior high and up.

Summer of My German Soldier - Bette Greene; Bantam; 1973 The humanity of a Nazi POW is revealed when he is shipped to Arkansas and manages to escape. He is befriended by Patty, a Jewish girl, who is forced to examine her values and her sense of patriotism. She risks a great deal and her dilemma is ver captivating to young adults.

Anne Frank's Tales From the Secret Annex by Anne Frank; Washington Square Press; 1949 The Diary wasn't the only thing Anne Frank wrote. While in hididng she wrote numerous short stories that are available in this slim volume. The only remarkable thing about the stories is that they are written by Anne Frank.

The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer; Doubleday; 1988 This is a good follow-up to the Diary for those students who wish to know more explicitly the fate of Anne Frank. Through first-hand interviews and accounts of women in Bergen-Belsen, the author patches together a story of Anne Frank's experiences. It is a disturbing, but very effective learning tool. For older readers.

The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank; Bantam 1952 A one-time staple of junior high curriculums, this book still captures the horror of the times. Anne Frank's words are still able to spark classroom discussion and engage students. Students are drawn in to Anne Frank's world and are able to explore their feelings

Night by Elie Wiesel; 1960; Bantam This is a classic for a good reason. Told simply and in a straightforward manner, Night tells the story of Elie Wiesel's struggle to survive the concentration camps. He valiantly fights to stay with his father and bolster him as he begins to fail. This is appropriate for grades 7-12 and should be in every middle school and high school library.

After the War by Carol Matas; Aladdin Paperbacks; 1996 This book deals with a topic that isn't often broached - what happened to the Jews who survived the war? This book follows Ruth a fifteen year-old girl who makes her way to Palestine and begins to harbor hope for a Jewish nation. Along the way, Ruth rediscovers her sense of joy and hope and miraculously finds her older brother. This is an effective and ppowerful novel as it vividly portrays the predicament of a group of people by dramatizing the plight of one girl.

Jacob's Rescue: A Holocaust Story by Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin; Delacorte Press; 1993 This is a very touching book about a young Jewish boy, Jacob, who is separated from his family and forced to hide from the Nazi's. A brave Polish family takes Jacob in and hides him for almost four years. It is the richness of human relationships that is explored in this vivid and touching novel. Pictures of the people the characters are based on are a wonderful addition.

I am a Star by Inge Auerbacher: Puffin Book; 1986 Notes: This nonfiction book is rich in history and information about the causes of the Holocaust, the onset, and the aftermath. The narrative is laced with emotional poems and very moving photographs. Although the book is for ages 8-12, I think the vocabulary and comprehension level is a bit higher. If you want to introduce the historical basis of the Holocaust, this is a very good start.

Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally, Touchstone Publications, 1982 This book illustartes the moral dilemma of a gentile during the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler, a poor businessman and admitted weakling when it came to other moral concerns, nonetheless rises to the occasion for hundreds of Jews. By employing them in factories, feeding them, and protecting them, he saved many many lives. A good, fast read appropriate for high school.

Maus - Spiegelman, Scholastic, 1986 Notes: This is the Holocaust in cartoon (graphic novel)with the Jews as mice and the Nazis as rats. This is effective and gripping. A must for all school libraries.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen Young Hannah is transported back in time to a small Polish village in 1942 where her name is Chaya. Although some of the Yiddish terms might be confusing, the book can serve as an important introduction to Jewish customs. This is a gripping and realistic rendering of the concentration camps and students will be engaged by Chaya's dilemma. A surprising and satisfying ending. I recommend this book highly.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith Kerr, Putnam and Grossett, 1971 This is the story of a wealthy German-Jewish familiy who were forced to flee their home in 1933 when Hitler came to power. The children in the book, Max and Anna,are first moved to Switzerland and forced to acclimate to the strange ways of the Swiss. Later in the book the family moves again, this time to France and the children start all over again. The family members are self-described refugees and their traumas and tribulations are poignantly described.

Remember Not to Forget: A Memory of the Holocaust by Norman H. Finkelstein; Mulberry Ppaperback; 1985 Notes: This book is brief and to the point. The drawings are bold and dramatic and illustrate well the text. The book provides a background and history of the Jews and then outlines the Nazi rise to power. This is a good book to use to read aloud to a class. The book is simplistic and for younger readers.

The Children We Remember by Chana Byers Abells; Greenwillow Books 1983 The text is deceptively simple, but very powerful and poignant. The subject is the children of the Holocaust. By focusing on them, the author illustrates the depths of brutality of the Nazis. The pictures are appropriate for junior high age. This is an excellent read-aloud book with the opportunity to show the class the pictures.

Number the Stars - Lois Lowry; Bantam, 1989 This Newbery Award winner is an excellent book for 5,6,or 7th grades. Although it lacks graphic description and portrayal of the horror of the Holocaust, it does dramatize the losses and the transformations in the Danish city of Copenhagen. An afterword provides the reader with factual information. The reading level is 5.2.

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