The Holocaust in Children's Literature

Recommended children's resources, including both fiction and non-fiction. Books are divided by grade level, with additional series listings. Comics and graphic novels for a range of grade levels are listed separately. French-language books are included throughout.

Elementary School Level

La promesse: L'histoire de deux sœurs prisonnières d'un camp de concentration Nazi by Pnina Bat Zvi; Margie Wolfe; Isabelle Cardinal (illustrations); Isabelle Allard (translation)
Call Number: JUV FIC B3274P
Publication Date: 2018
The story of two brave sisters whose promise to their parents to “always, stay together” helped them survive Auschwitz. Ages 7-10.
The Tree in the Courtyard by Jeff Gottesfeld; Peter McCarty (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC G685T
Publication Date: 2016
Told from the perspective of the tree outside Anne Frank's window. The tree watched a little girl, who played and laughed and wrote in a diary. It watched as she and her family were taken away--and when her father returned after the war, alone. The tree died the summer Anne Frank would have turned eighty-one, but its seeds and saplings have been planted around the world as a symbol of peace. Ages 6-9.
Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Tanya Simon; Richard Simon; Mark Siegel (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC S596o
Publication Date: 2015
A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City on the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, he experiences the city's many holiday sights, and encounters it various residents. Each offers Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping him on his way to a new life in the new world. Ages 5-8.
End of the Line by Sharon E. McKay
Call Number: JUV FIC M4883E
Publication Date: 2014
Ordinary citizens risk everything to save a young Jewish girl in wartime Holland. Ages 8-10.
Otto: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear by Tomi Ungerer
Call Number: JUV FIC U57o
Publication Date: 2010
A powerful and beautiful book told first-hand by Otto, a German-born teddy bear who is separated from his Jewish owner, lives through World War II, and is reunited with his original owner 50 years later. Ages 5-9.
Willy and Max by Amy Littlesugar; William Low (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC L779W
Publication Date: 2006
This novel describes a friendship between the non-Jewish Willy and his Jewish friend Max in Belgium during World War II. Despite being separated because of the war, the boys remain strong friends, connected by a painting that Willy's family had purchased from Max's. Ages 5-8.
The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse; Wendy Watson (Illustrator)
Call Number: OISE Children's Literature JUV FIC H587Ca
Publication Date: 2004
Tells the story of two little girls who escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II and became involvement in the Resistance by smuggling food inside by train. When the Gestapo threaten their smuggling by bringing in dogs to find the food, the girls hatch a plan to gather feral cats and release them to confuse the Gestapo and the dogs. Ages 7-10.
The Harmonica by Tony Johnston; Ron Mazellan (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC J73H
Publication Date: 2004
A Jewish boy is separated from his parents when the Nazis sent them to a different concentration camp. He is able to keep a harmonica which had been a gift from his father which helps him survive the camp. The boy is able to remain hopeful through his music despite having to play for the Nazi officers. The author's moving story is perfectly complimented by the illustrator's detailed and complex imagery. Ages 7-10.
Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki; Dom Lee
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 M688P
Publication Date: 1997
This beautiful picture book tells the story of Chinue Sugihara a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania who saved the lives of thousands of Jews in World War II by providing them with visas to Japan against his government's orders. It is told through the perspective of Sugihara's five year old son. Ages 7-10.

Middle School Level

Wordwings by Sydelle Pearl
Call Number: JUV FIC P3595W
Publication Date: 2017
In 1941, 12-year-old Rivka Rosenfeld lives in the Warsaw Ghetto with her grandfather and two sisters in a synagogue because housing is scarce. When German soldiers slash her grandfather's beard, Rivka is compelled to write in between the pages of a library book by Hans Christian Andersen. Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum, founder of the Underground Archive--a compilation of Warsaw Ghetto experiences, asks her to contribute her stories to the archives and Rivka agrees, imagining her words rising up from the ground on wings of their own. Ages 11-16.
50 Children by Steven Pressman
Call Number: Robarts Stacks D810 .C4 P74 2014Y
Publication Date: 2014
Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus, an American couple, went to Austria in 1939 and brought fifty Jewish children to safety in America. This true story is also shown in Steven Pressman's HBO documentary, also called 50 Children. This books contains photos and interviews with more the surviving children. Ages 11-15.
Branded by the Pink Triangle by Ken Setterington
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.53 1808664 S495B
Publication Date: 2013
Before the rise of the Nazi party, Germany, especially Berlin, was one of the most tolerant places for homosexuals in the world. But all that would change when the Nazis came to power and existence for gay people turned into one of fear. Raids, arrests, prison sentences and expulsions became the daily reality. When the concentration camps were built, homosexuals were imprisoned along with Jews and any other groups the Nazis wanted to suppress. The pink triangle, sewn onto prison uniforms, became the symbol of the persecution of homosexuals, a persecution that would continue for many years after the war. A mix of historical research, first person accounts, and individual stories bring this time to life for readers. Ages 12-16.
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 R221B
ISBN: 9780763629762
Publication Date: 2012
In a stirring chronicle, Doreen Rappaport brings to light the courage of countless Jews who organized to sabotage the Nazis and help other Jews during the Holocaust. Ages 10-14.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC L921N 2011
Publication Date: 2011
This novel follows the 10 year old Annemarie Johanson and her Jewish best friend Ellen Rosen. The two live in Denmark, where Ellen pretends to be Annemarie's sister to avoid being taken by the Germans. With the help of the Danish Resistance, almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, including Ellen, are able to escape the Nazis. Ages 10-14.
Les arbres pleurent aussi by Irène Cohen-Janca; Maurizio A.C. Quarello.
Call Number: JUV FIC C6789A
Publication Date: 2009
An old chestnut tree in Amsterdam, sick and on the verge of death, recounts events he witnessed during World War II. From his garden, he witnessed Anne Frank and her family in hiding for two years. Ages 10-13.
Auschwitz by Clive A. Lawton
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 L425 2008
Publication Date: 2008
This book provides information about Auschwitz which is presented through an interesting collection of photographs, personal narratives, and historical research. Ages 10-14.
Brave Deeds by Ann Alma
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 A444B
Publication Date: 2008
A fictionalization of how a Dutch family, the Braals, helped to save many during the Holocaust, including Jewish people, resistance fighters and allied combatants. It is told through the perspective of a fictional Jewish child. Includes historical photos of the real life Braal family. Ages 10-14.
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC B292B
Publication Date: 2008
This novel based on a true story is about Helmuth Hübener, a German schoolboy who shifts from being strongly patriotic to speaking out against Nazi policies, particularly those aimed at Jews. Ages 11-15.
The Righteous Smuggler by Debbie Spring
Call Number: OISE Children's Literature JUV FIC S769R
Publication Date: 2006
Hendrik, a boy from Amsterdam, creates a plan to help his Jewish friends escape by boat when he realizes they danger they are in. The character of Hendrik demonstrates strong compassion and empathy as well as a willingness to risk his own safety to do what is right. This is a touching story of doing what's right even though it is hard. Ages 9-12.
Kanada by Eva Wiseman
Call Number: JUV FIC W814Ka
Publication Date: 2006
Jutka, a 14-year-old Hungarian Jew, and her family are transported to Auschwitz, where her mother and grandmother die. She is able to keep her spirit up by dreaming of Canada, which she learned of through a book from a Canadian relative. The book is notable among Holocaust fiction as it depicts life after the war, when concentration camp survivors tried to continue on despite being ostracized and homeless. Ages 12-14.
The Underground Reporters by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318543713 K11U
Publication Date: 2004
During World War II in a village in the Czech republic, a group of Jewish children created a newspaper which provided them with hope and a creative outlet to counter the fear experienced in their daily lives. Some of the copies of these newspapers still survive despite the death of many of the Jews in the village. These surviving copies demonstrate the strength, resourcefulness and hope that these children had in the face of danger. This book provides information on the lives of the youths who were the newspaper's creators and contributors. Ages 11-14.
Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev; Hillel Halkin (Translator)
Call Number: JUV FIC O71R
Publication Date: 2003
Eight year old Srulik escapes the Warsaw ghetto after being left along there. This is his story of survival after years of hiding in the countryside where he survives by his wits and some help from sympathetic locals. He eventually learns to pass as a Christian and but must flee when he is discovered to be Jewish. Srulik remains determined to survive, even after losing his arm when a doctor refuses to help him because he is Jewish. Ages 9-13.
The Night Spies by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: JUV FIC K11N
Publication Date: 2003
This is the story of how Gabi and her family go into hiding in the back of a barn in the countryside. Through her night time walks, Gabi leanrs that there are people resisting the Nazis, which provides her with enough hope to survive. Ages 9-12.
Darkness over Denmark by Ellen Levine
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.531809489 L665D
Publication Date: 2000
An account of the people in Denmark who risked their lives to protect and rescue their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis during World War II. It contains first-person accounts from those who escaped and those who helped them. Also included are many historical photographs. Ages 10-14.
Parallel Journeys by Eleanor H. Ayer; Helen Waterford; Alfons Heck
Call Number: Robarts Stacks D804.3 .A98 1995X
Publication Date: 1995
This biography compares the experiences of Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck during the Holocaust. Helen, a Jew, gets sent to Auschwitz, while Alfons reaches a high rank in the Hitler Youth. The author works in Helen and Alfons's first person accounts to the book and ultimately shows how the two can grow to have empathy for each other after the war. Ages 10-14.

High School Level

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Call Number: JUV FIC H5872G
Publication Date: 2016
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents. On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person--a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Ages 14+
Playing for the Commandant by Suzy Zail
Call Number: JUV FIC Z212P
Publication Date: 2014
A young Jewish pianist at Auschwitz, desperate to save her family, is chosen to play at the camp commandant's house. How could she know she would fall in love with the wrong boy? Ages 11+
The War Within These Walls by Aline Sax; Caryl Strzelecki (Illustrator); Laura Watkinson
Call Number: JUV FIC S272W
Publication Date: 2013
It's World War II, and Misha's family, like the rest of the Jews living in Warsaw, has been moved by the Nazis into a single crowded ghetto. Conditions are appalling: every day more people die from disease, starvation, and deportations. Misha does his best to help his family survive, even crawling through the sewers to smuggle food. When conditions worsen, Misha joins a handful of other Jews who decide to make a final, desperate stand against the Nazis. Heavily illustrated with sober blue-and-white drawings, this powerful novel dramatically captures the brutal reality of a tragic historical event. Ages 14+
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Call Number: JUV FIC Z96B
Publication Date: 2006
It is 1939 in Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. Ages 13+
The House on Lippincott by Bonnie Burstow
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PS8603 .U783 H68 2006; University College (Laidlaw) Stacks PS8603 .U783 H68 2006
Publication Date: 2006
Embedded in Canadian and world history, and set in downtown Toronto between 1947 and the turn of the century, The House on Lippincott is a Jewish family saga which weaves together family caring, Holocaust trauma, abuse, aging, betrayal, anti-Semitism, resistance, and celebration, while introducing vital new characters to the Canadian landscape.
The Greenies by Myra Paperny
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC P214G
Publication Date: 2005
The Greenies is an novel based on the experiences of those Jewish orphans who came to Canada after the end of World War II. These orphans's immigration was assisted by the Canadian Jewish Congress. It follows two 17 year old orphans, on named Danny who survived the Buchenwald concentration camp and another named Lilli who survived Auschwitz. This novel deals with the issues that these two face while trying to fit in in Canada and move beyond their traumatic pasts. Ages 12-14
The Miracle Visas by Yutaka Taniuchi
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PL862 .A65 M57 2000
Publication Date: 2001
This book provides a more in depth description of Chinue Sugihara's life as a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania who saved the lives of thousands of Jews in World War II by providing them with illegal visas to Japan. It is told through the perspective of a fictional young Jewish refugee whose father had worked with Sugihara.
After the War by Carol Matas
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC M425A
Publication Date: 1996
This novel is about the 15 year old Ruth, a survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp who leads a group of 20 children across Europe to Palestine despite the many dangers they face. This book is suggested for those 13 and over. Ages 11+
We Are Witnesses by Jacob Boas (Editor)
Call Number: Robarts Stacks D804.3 .W385 1995X
Publication Date: 1995
This book presents sections of the diaries of 5 Jewish teens who died in the Holocaust. These young diarists are Moshe Ze'ev Flinker, Age 17 who died at Auschwitz; David Rubinowicz from Poland; Yitzhak Rudashevski from Lithuania; Eva Heyman from Hungary; and Anne Frank. Each of these teens show a different way that they tried to cope with their experiences. Ages 12-18
The Old Brown Suitcase by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC B726ol
Publication Date: 1994
This novel is about 14 year old Slava who has arrived in Canada with her family after the war. She struggles to move beyond the pain and hardship she experienced in the Warsaw Ghetto. This edition also has useful notes about the Warsaw Ghetto and a list of suggested readings on the subject. Ages 10-15

Comics & Graphic Novels

Irena (Book One) by Jean-David Morvan; Séverine Tréfouël; David Evrard (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC M892i v.1
Publication Date: 2019
The true tale of Irena Sendlerowa, a social worker in the Warsaw ghetto in the early 1940s, during the early days of German occupation. She is credited for saving the lives of 2500 Jewish children by gradually and quietly smuggling them to safety in small groups. Also available in French. Ages 13-16
Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by David Polonsky (Illustrator); Anne Frank (Text by); Ari Folman (Adapted by)
Call Number: JUV FIC F668A
Publication Date: 2018
Adapted by Ari Folman, illustrated by David Polonsky, and authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, this is the first graphic edition of The Diary and includes extensive quotation directly from the definitive edition. It remains faithful to the original, while the stunning illustrations interpret and add layers of visual meaning and immediacy to this classic work of Holocaust literature. Also available in French. Ages 8-13
La guerre de Catherine by Julia Billet; Claire Fauvel (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV FIC B597G
Publication Date: 2017
At the Sèvres Children's Home outside Paris, Rachel Cohen has discovered her passion--photography. But as France buckles under the Nazi regime, danger closes in, and Rachel must change her name and go into hiding. As Catherine Colin, Rachel Cohen is faced with leaving the Sèvres Home--and the friends she made there--behind. But with her beautiful camera, Catherine possesses an object with the power to remember. For the rest of the war, Catherine bears witness to her own journey, and to the countless heroes whose courage and generosity saved the lives of many, including her own. Ages 12-14
Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust by Loïc Dauvillier; Marc Lizano (Illustrator); Greg Salsedo
Call Number: OISE Children's Literature JUV FIC D244H
Publication Date: 2014
A grandmother shares the story of her experiences in WWII hiding in Paris with her grandchild in this graphic novel. The grandmother relates to her grandchild how the people around her helped her stay hidden after her parents were taken away to concentration camps. This item is suitable for those 5 and over. Ages 6-10
The Property by Rutu Modan; Jessica Cohen (Translator)
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PN6790 .I73 P76 2013; Victoria University E.J. Pratt Stacks PN6790 .I73 P76 2013
Publication Date: 2013
This graphic novel follows Regina Segal and her granddaughter who travel to Warsaw after the death of Segal's son. The two hope to reclaim a family property that had been lost during World War II. Segal must confront her painful past, while trying to navigate modern Warsaw and the process of reclaiming their families lost property.
The Boxer by Reinhard Kleist
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PN6757 .K54 B69 2014
Publication Date: 2014
This graphic novel describes the experiences of a young Harry Haft who was sent to Auschwitz in 1941. His escape from the camp, his move to the United States and career as a professional prizefighter are all described here. What really stands out though is the depiction of Haft as a man struggling with his memories of his difficult choices and dark past experiences during the Holocaust. Ages 12+
MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PN6727 .S6 Z465 2011X; St. Michael's College (John M. Kelly) Stacks DS135 .P63 S684 2
Publication Date: 2011
In the pages of MetaMaus, Art Spiegelman re-enters the Pulitzer prize-winning Maus, the modern classic that has altered how we see literature, comics, and the Holocaust ever since it was first published. He probes the questions that Maus most often evokes--Why the Holocaust? Why mice? Why comics?--and gives us a new and essential work about the creative process. Ages 14+
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5315 S755M Pt.1
Publication Date: 1986
This is the well known and highly praised story of a Jewish survivor the Holocaust and his son, the cartoonist who tries to come to terms with the Holocaust and his father's experiences. Ages 11+
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles began by Art Spiegelman
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5315 S755M Pt.2
Publication Date: 1991
This is the sequel to Maus, and it continues the Spiegelman's father's story while also exploring their complex relationship. Ages 11+
Yossel by Joe Kubert
Call Number: Victoria University E.J. Pratt Stacks PN6727 .K78 Y67 2011
Publication Date: 2011
Yossel describes what could have been for Kubert's family if they had not been able to move to the United States in 1939. In this graphic novel, Yossel and his family are moved into the Warsaw Ghetto where Yossel finds himself drawing for the Nazis who request his drawings of superheroes. The family remains unaware of the increasing danger they are in until they are told the truth of what is really happening outside the Ghetto. Ages 13+
Mendel's Daughter by Martin Lemelman; Gusta Lemelman
Call Number: Robarts Stacks DS135 .U43 L445 2006X
Publication Date: 2006
Lemelman's graphic biography represents his mother's Holocaust experiences. Included amongst his black-and-white drawings, the authors has actual photos, documents and other items from his mother's past. His mother's prewar life is depicted as well as her experiences hiding and surviving through the Holocaust. This is a beautiful and deeply emotional tribute to a mother's struggle and strength. Ages 13+
We Are on Our Own by Miriam Katin
Call Number: New College (Ivey) Stacks PN6727 .K285 W4 2006; Robarts Stacks PN6727 .K285 W4 2006
Publication Date: 2006
Miriam Katin's graphic memoir recounts her experiences as a child during the Holocaust hiding with her mother as a Russian servant and illegitimate child. This graphic memoir is an exploration of Katin's early traumatic experiences and her attempts to come to terms with the past. Katin's illustrations are powerful, and contain haunting imagery. This graphic novel would be suitable for older students due to the intense atmosphere and subject matter. Ages 13+
Letting It Go by Miriam Katin
Call Number: New College (Ivey) Stacks PN6727 .K29 L48 2013; Robarts Stacks PN6727 .K285 L48 2013
Publication Date: 2013
This graphic memoir is a powerful companion to "We Are On Our Own Now." It examines the lasting impact that the Holocaust has on survivors and their loved ones through its effect on daily life and Katin's coming to terms with her son's decision to move to Berlin. It employs the same illustration style as Katin's previous graphic novel to great effect, easily conveying emotion in a beautiful way. This graphic memoir would be an excellent tool to teach older students about the ongoing struggles for Holocaust survivors and their families.
I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors by Bernice Eisenstein
Call Number: Robarts Stacks NC143 .E39 A2 2006; St. Michael's College (John M. Kelly) 2nd Floor NC143 .E39 A2 200
Publication Date: 2006
This graphic memoir compiles the author's memories of her childhood in Toronto in the 1950s. It provides a glimpse into the life of a child growing up with her Yiddish-speaking parents who survived Auschwitz, but do not discuss their experiences. The impact that the Holocaust has on the children of survivors and later generations are presented in an honest and moving way.
Auschwitz by Pascal Croci
Call Number: Robarts Stacks PN6747 .C74 A9413 2003X
Publication Date: 2004
Using the fictional story of a couple named Kazik and Cessia who lose a daughter at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration camp and barely survive themselves, Pascal Croci depicts the horror and brutality of the Holocaust in grim, searing, black-and-white illustrations.

Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers

The Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers from Second Story Press is accompanied by a 5-part teacher's guide that explores the major themes explored in the series' books. All titles in the series are for ages 9-13.

Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers: Teacher Resource by Shawntelle Nesbitt
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 N458T Intro; OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 N458T Section 1;
Publication Date: 2010
This teacher's guide accompanies the Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers. It explores the themes of identity, community, rights, responsibilities, the power to choose, how those choices can be influenced and the impacts that these choices have. The guide is separated into five separate sections which have full lesson plans with handouts. These sections cover the areas of language arts, the arts, and social education. The guides are made to be flexible, allowing educators to pick and choose what works for their classroom.
The Diary of Laura's Twin by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC K11D
Publication Date: 2008
The 12 year old Laura Wyman is preparing for her Bat Mitzvah when a Holocaust survivor gives her the diary of Sara Gittler who lived in the Warsaw Ghetto. Through reading the diary, Laura learns about the reality of life in the Holocaust and Sara's strength and courage.
Hana's Suitcase Anniversary Album by Karen Levine
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318092 L665H 2012; University College (Laidlaw) Stacks DS135 .C97 B73
Publication Date: 2012
This resource has an audio disk accompanying it that includes memoirs and songs. This new edition Hana's story includes the original story as well as a commemorative letters from Karen Levine, Fumiko Ishioka and George Brady. Letters and art from readers around the world, photographs of events and ceremonies, scenes from the play adaptation, images from the documentary are all included to create a rich item.
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318092 L665H
Publication Date: 2013
This book describes the process that Fumiko Ishioka, the curator of a Holocaust Education Centre in Tokyo took to learn about the owner of an empty suitcase from the Auschwitz museum. Through this process, Ishioka learns about Hana Brady, an orphan Jewish girl. The book describes Hana's life before becoming an orphan and follows her through the Holocaust until her death at age 13 at Auschwitz. The book includes historical photographs and documents related the Hana's story.
To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 K11T
Publication Date: 2011
This book describes the voyage of the St. Louis, a luxury ocean liner turned refugee ship, which took almost one thousand passengers from Germany in 1939 to look for a safe harbour in Cuba. This is told from the perspectives of Lisa and Sol, two Jewish children who eventually survive, despite the ship being turned away from Cuba. Photographs are included of the passengers and their life on the ship. Also included is an epilogue which follows some of the passengers past their life on the ship.
Shanghai Escape by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318092 K11S
Publication Date: 2013
This book describes Lily Toufar's experiences in the Hongkew ghetto in Shanghai, China, during World War II. China was one of countries more willing to accept Jewish refugees and ultimately over twenty thousand European Jews traveling there from 1937 and 1939. After arriving in Shanghai in 1938, Lily's family is forced to move into the Shanghai ghetto. This ghetto, Hongkew, does not have enough food, is dirty, and filled with illness. This experiences is described through Lily's eyes, as her family struggles to survive in poor conditions.
We Are Their Voice: Young People Respond to the Holocaust by Kathy Kacer (Editor)
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 K11
Publication Date: 2012
Across North America, Italy and Australia, children were asked to write about the Holocaust. Their writings took on many forms, including creating their own stories, interviewing survivors, or writing reflections on what they have read or learned. This volume collects these works. It is a remarkable collection of children's writing about the Holocaust.
Clara's War by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: JUV FIC K11C
Publication Date: 2001
Thirteen-year-old Clara and her family have been forced to live in Terezin (Terezinstadt), a ghetto which was built to show the world how "well" the Nazis were treating Jews during World War II. Clara is able to make friends and find some happiness despite the dangerous position she is in; however. that is all disrupted when she learns that one of her close friends is involved in an escape plan.
The Secret of Gabi's Dresser by Kathy Kacer
Call Number: Children's Literature JUV FIC K11S
Publication Date: 1999
This touching fictionalization based on the true story of the author's mother's survival follows Gabi, a young Jewish girl who is able to survive by hiding in the dining room dresser when the Nazis would search for children.

Ted Gottfried’s Holocaust Series

This series is intended for students aged 10-14.

Nazi Germany: The Face of Tyranny by Ted Gottfried
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 G685N
Publication Date: 2000
This book describes the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. The impact of Germany's loss of World War I and how various ethnic minorities such as Jews became easy targets for scapegoating which built the foundations for the Holocaust.
Martyrs to Madness: The Victims of the Holocaust by Ted Gottfried; Stephen Alcorn (Illustrator)
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 G685M
Publication Date: 2000
This book in the series focuses on the victims of the Holocaust. After a preliminary examination of the foundations of the Holocaust, each chapter is dedicated to the examination of a specific group of victims. Jews, Catholics, African Germans, Romani, Slavs, homosexuals, the handicapped, and POWS are examined. There are descriptions of the methods used to victimize these groups and accounts of victim led rebellions.
Heroes of the Holocaust by Ted Gottfried; Stephen Alcorn (Illustrator)
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 G685H
Publication Date: 2001
This item describes the acts performed by groups, Government leaders and regular citizens throughout Europe who helped Jews and other victims of the Holocaust. The people described here assisted victims in a variety of ways, including providing them with shelter, hiding places, food, and other assistance. Also explored are the acts of resistance performed by Jews, including rebellions and other actives. A useful chronology is also included.
Deniers of the Holocaust: Who They Are, What They Do, Why They Do It by Ted Gottfried; Stephen Alcorn (Illustrator)
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 G685D
Publication Date: 2001
This volume is focused on examining people and groups who deny that the Holocaust happened. It describes the rise of Holocaust denying organizations, and examines the use of moral relativism to justify the actions of the Nazis. There is particular focus in the use of the internet to spread Holocaust denial.
Children of the Slaughter: Young People of the Holocaust by Ted Gottfried
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.5318 G685C
Publication Date: 2001
This book focuses on the impact that the Holocaust has had on children. This includes Jewish children and other victims of the Nazis, Hitler Youth, and the children of survivors. Furthermore, the effect that the Holocaust has had on modern Jewish and German youths is also explored.
Displaced Persons: The Liberation and Abuse of Holocaust Survivors by Ted Gottfried; Stephen Alcorn (Illustrator)
Call Number: Curriculum Resources 940.04924 G685D
Publication Date: 2001
This volume discusses the aftermath of World War II. The people left homeless in the wake of the war are discussed. The main focus is the plight of the Jewish survivors of concentration camps who had no homes to return to. These survivors also had to face further violence, antisemitism, and difficulties immigrating due to strict immigration policies. The wide-spread resistance to the establishment of Israel is included. There is also a description of what happened to the two million homeless German refugees.

Blackbirch Press Holocaust Series

In this comprehensive series, the story of the Holocaust is told within its broad historical context, year by year. With a text that blends historical narrative and primary sources, each volume explores the unique aspects and events that shaped each significant time period. Ages 10–14. Teachers Guide is also available.

Forever Outsiders by Linda Jacobs Altman; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.1
Publication Date: 1998
This first volume briefly covers the history of the Jewish people from ancient times to August 1935. It also contains a chronology and images of various primary source. A weakness of this book is that it attempts to cover too much content in such a small volume, resulting in generalizations and oversimplifications.
Smoke to Flame by Victoria Sherrow; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.2
Publication Date: 1998
This volume covers September 1935 to December 1938. It explores the raising anti-Semitism and restrictions placed on the Jewish populations during this period. The spread of these restrictions from Germany to other countries is described.
The Blaze Engulfs by Victoria Sherrow; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.3
Publication Date: 1998
This volume describes the period of the Holocaust between January 1939 and December 1941. Germany's invasion of Poland and Czechosolvakia is covered, as is the formation of the Axis alliance between Germany, Russia, Japan and Italy.
A Firestorm Unleashed by Eleanor H. Ayer; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.4
Publication Date: 1998
This volume covers the events of the Holocaust between January 1942 and June 1943, paying particular attention to the rising antisemitism and the intensification of the genocide of the Jews.
Inferno by Eleanor H. Ayer; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.5
Publication Date: 1998
This volume covers the most intense 2 year period of the Holocaust with increased efforts of the Nazis to exterminate the European Jewish population. It also describes the liberation of the concentration camps.
From the Ashes by Eleanor H. Ayer; Stephen D. Chicoine; William L. Shulman (Editor)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.6
Publication Date: 1998
The aftermath of the Holocaust is discussed in this volume of the series. Particular focus is paid to those who survived but were left homeless and the subsequent creation of Israel. The Nuremberg Trials and what happened to Nazis after the war is also covered. A brief examination of other cases of genocide are discussed.
Voices and Visions by William L. Shulman (Compiled by)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.7
Publication Date: 1998
This final book in the series is a compilation of personal narratives of people who survived the Holocaust and other primary sources, such as documents.
Resource Guide by William L. Shulman (Compiled by)
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.8
Publication Date: 1998
This volume of the series is an annotated bibliography which describes various resources related to the Holocaust organized by reading level. Information is provided about audio-visual items, websites and museums, etc.
Holocaust: Teacher's guide [for books 1-6] by William L. Shulman
Call Number: OISE Curriculum Resources 940.5318 H754 v.1-6 T.G.
Publication Date: 1998
This contains three lesson plans that are designed to assist in teaching aspects of the Holocaust in connection with the resources in this series. They meet the standards of "Time, Continuity, and Change;" "Individual Development and Identity;" "Individuals, Groups, and Institutions;" and "Power, Authority, and Governance" from the National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards for Elementary School and Middle School.