This guide provides recommended elementary and secondary level teaching resources on the subject of the Holocaust from the OISE and University of Toronto Libraries collections, as well as free resources from external organizations.
Call Number: OISE Children's Literature JUV FIC H587Ca
Publication Date: 2004
Karen Hesse's 32 page long picture book 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. This picture book provides a lot of opportunities for deeper interpretation of the prose and imagery. It is an excellent item for young readers. Ages 7-10
The Jewish author of this book explores the shared experiences between her own family history and that of Romani survivors of the Holocaust when she travels to Munich with an American Romani Holocaust survivor. Through meeting Rosa Mettbach and her family of Romani Holocaust survivors, Sonneman explores the shared pain experienced by those who were persecuted by the Nazis.
This is the story of a deaf Jewish boy living in war-torn Hungary that describes his experiences in a Jewish school for deaf children. His experiences as a deaf person under the Nazi occupation are described, and as are his struggles to survive under the fascist Arrow Cross Party in Budapest. His life during the post-war period up until the birth of his first child in 1963 is also described. Included are numerous black and white photographs. This is a resource that allows for the rare chance at examining the personal experience of a disabled person during the Holocaust.
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 10-15
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. Ages 10-18