The Holocaust in Literature


Resource Books

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After the Holocaust. Howard Greenfeld. New York. Greenwillow Books. 2001. 146 pages. ISBN 0-060-29420-5

Through the stories of eight child survivors of the Holocaust, we learn of life after the Holocaust; liberation, the search for family, and the DP camps. Each contains personal survivor testimony, and briefly tells the survivor's story from prewar to after liberation. Survivor stories include hidden children and survivors of labor and concentration camps.
  • suitable middle school up
  • contains maps, historical photos and black/white photos of survivors and their families
  • historical sidebars provide background of concepts/events
  • stories good starting place for further investigation of topics

Atlas of the Holocaust. Martin Gilbert. New York. William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1993. 245 pages. ISBN 0-688-12364-3

A collection of 314 maps that show chronologically anti-Jewish violence, the destruction of Jewish communities, acts of resistance and revolts, pathways of escape, and the fate of individuals. Throughout are photographs of the people and places reflected by the maps and accompanying narrative.
  • excellent reference
  • contains an index of places and an index of individuals

The Auschwitz Album: The Story of a Transport. Israel Gutman & Bella Gutterman, ed. Jerusalem, Israel/ Oswiecim, Poland. Yad Vashem/ Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. 2002. 274 pages. ISBN 965-308-149-7

The Auschwitz Album contains rare photographs of the May 1944 transport of Hungarian Jews upon their arrival at Birkenau. Taken by SS photographers, the photos show the train's arrival, the unloading and the selections for life or death. Included is a history of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the history of the annihilation of Hungarian Jewry, the story of Lili Jacob, the woman who found the album, and additional photographs of Auschwitz-Birkenau and its satellite camps, and photos of Heinrich Himmler's visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Photos are captioned, and where known, individuals are identified.
  • extremely moving visual of arrival at Birkenau
  • many of the photos shown are seen at other locations, but found here in context
  • contains forward by Chairman of Yad Vashem Directorate and preface by editors
  • photos are used as part of history discussion

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Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust. Hazel Rochman and Darlene Z. McCambell. New York. Orchard Paperbacks. 1999. 135 pages. ISBN 0-531-07115-4

This is a collection of excerpts from literary works ranging from memoirs to poetry to short stories. It offers a view of the Holocaust from various perspectives. Works include Night, Friedrich, Maus II, Nightfather, and Shoah: An Oral History of the Holocaust. The reader learns of the horrors of life in a camp, the lingering pain for family lost, the agony of decisions made without choice, the shock of the liberators, and the ongoing tragedy for the children of survivors.
  • very usable in the classroom
  • excellent selection that provide an introduction to both the Holocaust and to these authors' works
  • selections easily used by itself
  • ALA Notable Children's Book
  • SLS/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
  • IRA Young Adults' Choice
  • A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Selection
  • A Chicago Tribune Year's Best Book for Young Readers Selection

Bearing Witness: Teaching About the Holocaust. Beth Aviv Greenbaum. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Boynton/Cook, Publishers, Inc. 2001. 193 pages. ISBN 0-86709-510-5

In Bearing Witness, Greenbaum, a high school teacher, shares the materials and the methods she uses when teaching her semester-long Holocaust literature course. Using exceptional literature as the framework, she intertwines the historical background needed with her students' understanding of the text and of the victims, both emotionally and psychologically. Each chapter focuses on a theme explored through a piece of literature, videos, discussion, and journal writing.
  • excellent resource for a wealth of ideas
  • provides connections between pieces of literature, on line resources, videos etc.
  • well-written, a very comfortable read
  • contains a compendium of stories, poems, memiors, and videos, a glossary, and an index
  • foreward by Gerda Weissman Klein and Kurt Klein

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Children of the Swastika: The Hitler Youth. Eileen Heyes. Brookfield, Connecticut. The Millbrook Press. 1993. 96 pages. ISBN 1-56294-237-9.

After providing the reader with the historical background of the events in Germany prior to and during Hitler's rise to power, Heyes describes the ideology of the Hitler Youth and the structure of the organization. Testimony of Hitler Youth members is included offering the reader an understanding of Nazi indoctrination methods.
  • very readable for middle level students
  • contains an index, timeline, and suggested further readings
  • discusses status of racial hatred and violence based groups in the United States today
  • discusses the question of whether or not a leader such as Hitler could come to the forefront today

The Complete History of the Holocaust. Mitchell G. Bard, ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhaven Press, Inc. 2001. 567 pages. ISBN 0-7377-0373-3

Using selections from other sources, print and electronic, The Complete History of the Holocaust provides perspectives of the Holocaust. Chapters address the background to the Holocaust, the Final Solution, the ghettos and the concentration camps, the victims, resistance, rescuers, the aftermath, questions if the Holocaust could have been prevented, and discusses what the Holocaust means today. Selections include those by Elie Wiesel, Michael Berenbaum, Christopher Browning, Simon Wiesenthal, Martin Gilbert, and Robert Jay Lifton.
  • suitable for high school and above
  • addresses topics not generally found in a collective text, i.e. Odessa, Jan Karski, life in the camps for Germans
  • contains glossary of terms, chronology, prominent people, bibliography, Holocaust-related web sites, further reading, major subject list, and index

** Crying Hands: Eugenics and Deaf People in Nazi Germany. Horst Biesold. Washington, D. C. Gallaudet University Press. 1999.230 pages. ISBN 1-56368-077-7

When the Nazis assumed power in Germany in 1933, their implemented their radical racial policies, first by securing passage of the Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases. Among those designated by this law as "congenitally disabled" were deaf people. Crying Hands documents the collusion with the Nazis of various physicians, administrators, and teachers in the forced sterilization, and in some cases euthanasia, of the deaf.
  • suitable for high school and above
  • contains preface to German edition by author, introduction by Henry Friedlander
  • appendix contains questionnaire used by author, questionnaire data, and documents written in support of a deaf woman who was forcibly sterilized.
  • contains notes, author's bibliography, selected bibliography in English and index

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Dictionary of the Holocaust. Eric Joseph Epstein and Philip Rosen. Westport, Connecticut. Greenwood Press. 1997. 357 pages. ISBN 0-313-30355-X

Contains biographical descriptions that give the individual's connection to the Holocaust and the person's fate, geographical descriptions of cities, towns, regions, and countries, and Holocaust related terminology including foreign terms.
  • extensive
  • contains cross-reference within the descriptions and at the end of most entries
  • provides suggested readings
  • good starting reference to get focused

Documents on the Holocaust: Selected Sources on the Destruction of the Jews of Germany and Austria, Poland and the Soviet Union. Yitzhak Arad, Yisrael Gutman, & Abraham Margaliot, editors. Jersualem.Yad Vashem. 1981. 504 pages. ISBN

An excellent collection of 213 primary source documents on the destruction of the Jews in Germany, Austria, Poland and the Soviet Union . It includes documents produced by the Nazis, individual Jewish leaders and Jewish groups.
  • a must if incorportating primary source documents in units and lessons
  • documents grouped by country
  • each section contains an introduction that describes the documents contained in the section and groups like documents together
  • contains selected bibliography, index of names, index of places, index of organizations and institutions

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**The Hidden Children. Howard Greenfeld. New York. Ticknor & Fields. 1993. 118 pages. ISBN 0-395-66074-2

One and a half million children died during the Holocaust. The Hidden Children describes the experiences of Jewish children who were forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust and survived. Divided into three sections the book tells of the beginnings when parents realized they needed to hide their children, life in hiding and, finally, liberation and the search for family.
  • suitable for middle school
  • short chapters with excerpts of oral testimonies
  • gives "real" face to events
  • contains black/white photographs, index, list of further readings

The Holocaust: Maps and Photographs, 2nd edition. Martin Gilbert. New York. Anti-Defamation League Brown Center for Holocaust Studies & Martin Gilbert. 1992. 59 pages. ISBN 0-88464-141-4.

Contains 23 captioned maps dealing with Jewish life prior to the Holocaust, the concentration camps, non-Jewish victims, deportation, the fate of the Jews, Jewish riots, and the Righteous Among the Nations. Accompanying the maps are 59 captioned photographs.
  • contains a reading list for further information
  • maps, excellent reference and teaching tool
  • some photos graphic

The Holocaust Chronicle. Louis Weber, publisher. Lincolnwood, Illinois. Publications International, Ltd. 2001.765 pages. ISBN 0-7853-2963-3

Organized using a chronological format, The Holocaust Chronicle details the people, places and events of the Holocaust. Chapter-opening essays put the year addressed into perspective. Sidebars detail the significant people, places, issues, and events. The timeline of information covers the roots of the Holocaust (pre-1933) to the aftermath (post-1946).
  • written in a clear precise manner
  • complete volumes available online at www.holocaustchronicle.org
  • contains appendices, suggested further readings, an index, and a glossary
  • does not provide in-depth information but good as a starting point

Holocaust in Literature for Youth: A Guide and Resource Book. Edward T. Sullivan. Lanham, Maryland. Scarecrow Press, Inc. 1999. 259 pages. ISBN 0-8108-3607-6

An excellent resource for teachers and librarian to literature available for children and young adults. Literature categories include anthologies, autobiography and biography, drama, fiction, nonfiction, picture books, poetry and songs, and reference. A brief synopsis of each book is given. The Making Connections section offers a guide to literature on anti-Semitism in history, the Armenian and Cambodian genocides, ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, genocide and prejudice, Japanese-American internment, and the enslavement of Africans.
  • appendices
    • Professional resources for educators
    • Electronic Holocaust resources
    • International directory of Holocaust memorials, museums, organizations, and other institutions
    • Booktalks, classroom activities, and lesson plans
    • Building a core Holocaust collection in our school library
  • Indexes: author, geographic, grade, subject, and title

 

Holocaust Poetry. compiled by Hilda Schiff. New York. St. Martin's Press. 1995. 234 pages. ISBN 0-312-13086-4

This collection of 119 poems by 59 poets were selected for their literary merit and because they offered divergent perspectives. The anthology is divided into subsections by theme and application. Included are Elie Wiesel, Primo Levi, Tadeusz Borowski, and Nelly Sachs.
  • suitable for high school and above
  • introduction by Schiff
  • biographical details of poets
  • indexes of poets, translators, titles, and first lines

The Holocaust; The World and the Jews, 1933-1945. Seymour Rossel. West Orange, New Jersey. Behrman House, Inc. 1992. 191 pages. ISBN 0-87441-526-8

This book provides a brief overview of the Holocaust. For the novice reader it provides short sections on the Holocaust examining its beginnings, life in the ghettos, and the death camps; a brief history of anti-Semitism, the Nazi rise to power, and the avenues available to Jews trying to leave; and a section dealing with resistance, rescue,and justice.
  • extensive use of photographs and excerpts from primary source documents
  • indexed with a short bibliography of other readings
  • Holocaust chronology
  • each chapter ends with a review section and an issues section, which poses questions about the content of the chapter.

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I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1945. Hana Volavokova, ed. New York. Schoken Books. 105 pages. ISBN 0-8052-4115-9.

Fifteen thousand children under the age of 15 passed through Terezin Concentration Camp between the years 1942-1944. Fewer than 100 survived. This is a collection of the poems and drawings created by the children.
  • contains forward by Chaim Potok which tells the history of Terezin, afterward by Vaclav Havel, and a chronology of Terezin
  • contains note from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which provides an overview of the children's work and its significance
  • catalog of drawings and poetry which identifies the artist/writer and tells what happened to each

Images Before My Eyes: A Photographic History of Jewish Life in Poland, 1864-1939. Lucjan Dobrozycki. New York. Schocken Books. 1977. 269 pages. ISBN 0-805-23607-4.

The Jews of Poland lived vibrant lives before the Holocaust. Using the evolution of photography as the framework Images Before My Eyes provides the faces of Poland's Jews from 1864-1939. The book's four parts cover the history of Jewish photography in Poland, religion and education in various communities, the history of Polish Jews from 1905-1939, life in the city, Zionism, and the Arts. Each part contains text and annotated photographs.
  • excellent to show life before Holocaust
  • includes index of names and places, statistical tables (where photos taken, ethnic composition of communities, occupation Jews and non-Jews), and an appendix of books and periodicals consulted
  • mostly posed pictures of people, places, and events

Images from the Holocaust: A Literature Anthology. compiled by Joan. E. Brown, Elaine C. Stephens, & Janet E. Rubin. Lincolnwood, Illinois. National Textbook Company. 1996. 579 pages. ISBN 0-8442-5920-9

This anthology contains selections from fiction (short stories and excerpts from novels), poetry, historical accounts biographical sketches, and drama. Each entry is preceded by a brief biographical note on the author and an introduction. Divided into ten chapters; each focusing on different themes. Themes include Hitler's rise to power and the roots of antisemitism, life on the run, in the Polish ghettos, and in the concentration camps, liberation and the ongoing impact of the Holocaust.
  • suitable for high school although some selections appropriate for middle school
  • extensive and varied collection
  • excellent addition to study of the Holocausst
  • contains index of authors and titles

Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport. Mark Jonathan Harris & Deborah Oppenheimer. New York. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2000. 292 pages. ISBN 1-58234-101-X

Using the testimony of Kinder (children who were part of the Kindertransport) Harris and Oppenheimer relate the history of the Kindertransport. A brief introduction provides a background history of Jewish/ German relations in the late 1800's early 1900"s and the formation of the Refugee Children's Movement, the group that organized the Kindertransport. Written chronologically, the chapters provide a view of prewar life and Kristallnacht, the organization of the transports, the agonizing good-byes, life in England for the Kinder, and post war life.
  • based on the feature-length documentary film of the same name from Warner Bros. Pictures
  • includes testimonies of individuals involved in the organization of the transports
  • contains black/white captioned photos of Kinder and families
  • bibliography of additional reading

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The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Ann Weiss. New York. W.W.Norton and Co., Inc. 2001. 224 pages. ISBN 0-393-01670-6

Hidden in a locked room at Auschwitz, these are the photos no one was ever suppose to see. These are the photos of families on holiday, children, gatherings of friends, and joyous moments. The Last Album shares these photos with us and provides the lives behind the faces.
  • contains a forward, introduction, afterward and index
  • background section explains how Ann Weiss came to find the 2400 photos
  • excellent for putting a face on the numbers

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Memories of the Night: A Study of the Holocaust. Anita Meyer Meinbach and Miriam Klein Kassenoff. 1994. Torrance, CA. Frank Schaffer Publications. 148 pages. ISBN 0-86734-777-5.

A reproducible text containing chapters on historical perspectives of the Holocaust from events leading to and including the Holocaust, and prejudice, stereotypes, scapegoats, and the roles of humans in a humane world. Each includes historical notes, reflection questions, and extension activities. Part 2 lists literature of the Holocaust with a brief summary, pre reading activities, questions and answers, discussion topics, writing topics, and extension activities. Part 3 lists projects to apply and extend understandings of the Holocaust.
  • able to use "pieces" successfully to supplement
  • contains a timeline, glossary, and a listing of resources; books and videos for students and teachers, and resource centers.
  • black and white photos included provide an additional resource for discussions
  • primary source material included

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Never to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust. Milton Meltzer. New York. Harper & Row. 1976. 217 pages. ISBN 0-06-024174-8

This comprehensive history of the European Holocaust is divided into three sections: the history of antisemitism and Hitler's rise to power, life for Jews under Nazi occupation including the ghettos and death camps, and how the Jews resisted Nazi persecution. Meltzer uses excerpts from primary source documents, personal testimony and correspondence to provide a human element to the history.
  • suitable for high school
  • contains index, bibliography, chronology, and maps

 

A Nightmare in History; The Holocaust 1933-1945. Miriam Chaikin. New York. Clarion Books. 1987. 150 pages. ISBN 0-395-61580-1

Starting with the history of anti-Semitism and how Hitler used this history to his benefit, Chaikin provides a history of the Holocaust. Written for use by students grade 6 and up, this is a good starting reference containing photographs and information about world viewpoints after the war.
  • contains a bibliography of books about the Holocaust listed by categories ( background and documents, history, anthologies, individual accounts, diaries, song books, about the trials, archives
  • indexed for easy reference use

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The Other Victims: First-Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis. Ina R. Friedman. Boston. Houghton Mifflin. 1990. 214 pages. ISBN 0-395-74515-2

Six million Jews died in the Holocaust. What about the other victims? Using the stories of those persecuted, Friedman tells us about those who had no place in the new world order: the gypsies, the homosexuals, the Jehovah's Witnesses, blacks, and those who spoke out. Written with a short historical background for each group persecuted followed by the story of an individual, this book is an excellent starting point for a study of the other groups targeted by the Nazis.
  • chapters can be used independent of the others
  • contains a listing of other books of interest and an index
  • excellent reference for student research
  • ALA Best Books for Young Adults
  • Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies
  • American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"

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People of the Holocaust, Volumes 1,2. Linda Schmittroth and Mary Kay Rostech, editors. New York. UXL. 1998. Volume 1, 258 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1744-X. Volume 2, 508 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1745-8.

Contains the biographies of sixty men and women who participated in or were effected by the Holocaust. Each is written as a short narrative of the individual. Included are Nazi perpetrators and their victims, world leaders and policy makers, and those who chose to resist Hitler's reign.
  • includes a timeline of events 1910-1997
  • short glossary of terms needed to understand entries
  • written for understanding by those without background
  • contains sidebars of related information often cross-referenced from the text
  • provides references for further research

**A Pictorial History of the Holocaust. Yitzhak Arad, editor. New York. Macmillan Publishing Co. 1990. 396 pages. ISBN 0-02-897011 X

Using primarily photographs, some never released before, with explanatory text, this volume offers a concise history  of the Holocaust. Chapters focus on Nazism and Its Origins, Persecution of Jews in Germany, 1933-1939, European Jews Under Nazi Rule, 1939-1941, The Ghettos, Mass Murder, Deportation to Death Camps, The Death Camps, Jewish Resistance in Occupied Europe, Partisans, End of the War, and En Route to Israel.
  • suitable for middle school and above
  • not a "total" reference source, but photographs provide an exceptional view of history

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Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust. Milton Meltzer. New York. Harper and Row. 1988. 168 pages. ISBN 0-06-024209-4

Written for ages 12 and up this volume shares the stories of the courageous individuals who chose to help those in need despite the danger to themselves. In addition to well-known rescuers such as Wallenberg, Schindler, the village of Le Chambon, France, and the country of Denmark, many lesser or unknown stories of righteous gentiles are included.
  • introduction provides general background i.e. Hitler's rise to power, anti-semitism, formation ghettos and camps
  • chapters by countries with multiple examples of rescuers
  • each chapter contains a map
  • several individuals discussed also in video, Courage to Care
  • contains bibliography and index

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Smoke and Ashes; The Story of the Holocaust. Barbara Rogasky. New York. Holiday House, Inc. 2002 (Revised and Expanded edition) . 256 pages. ISBN 0-8234-1677-1

Covering the roots of antisemitism, the rise of the Nazis to power, the formation of and life in the ghettos and the concentration camps, other groups targeted, resistance, the role of the United States and Great Britain, rescuers, and Nuremberg Trials, this is a basic reference for classroom use. It provides the reader with basic information and is a good starting place for further research. The 2002 revised and expanded edition the chapter on special action groups has been expanded to cover the actions of the regular army and local helpers, and the chapter on The United States and Great Britain now includes a section on the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). In this new edition there are two new chapters: The Coming End discusses Commando 1005, Operation Harvest Festival, and the death marches and The Time is Now which talks about hate groups, the internet, and Holocaust denial. There are also additions to the following chapters: The Rescuers and the Righteous and Is the Holocaust Unique? A listing of internet sites has been added to sources and a section listing source notes for quotes, as well as, a timeline have been added.
  • written to be understood by middle level students
  • excellent index
  • not overwhelming with information

The Spirit That Moves Us: Volume I. Laura R. Petovello, J.D. Gardiner, Maine. Tilbury House, Publishers. 1994. 192 pages. ISBN 0-88448-204-9

Written for grades kindergarten through grade 4, this is a literature-based resource guide for teaching about diversity, prejudice, human rights, and the Holocaust. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect providing guidelines for teaching , basic background information, and literature appropriate for the topic. Lesson plans are provided for each book with a brief story summary, objectives, discussion questions, related interdisciplinary activities, and resources for teachers.
  • designed to be used as a resource not a curriculum
  • good starting resource
  • includes articles for teachers about values, human rights, prejudice, and the Holocaust.
  • includes a listing of resources for teachers including an annotated bibliography, a videography, a list of organizations, and a list by author of the children's books featured in the guide
  • published in association with the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine

The Spirit That Moves Us; Volume II. Rachel Quenk. Gardiner, Maine. Tilbury House, Publishers. 1997. 170 pages. ISBN 0-88448-187-5

A literature-based resource guide for teaching about the Holocaust and human rights written for grades 5 through 8. Chapters focus on human rights issues discussing cultural identity, American immigration and assimilation, prejudice and discrimination, making moral and ethical decisions, the Holocaust with its effect upon individuals, the role of those who defied the Nazis by helping others, and how we each can make a difference in today's world . Each chapter contains an introduction, lesson plans for appropriate literature, a listing of picture books to introduce and enhance concepts, and additional resources. Lesson plans provide a brief story summary, objectives, discussion topics, and interdisciplinary activities.
  • designed to be used as a resource not a curriculum
  • good starting reference
  • includes articles for teachers about values, human rights, prejudice, and the Holocaust
    • the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, the United Nations International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, 1966, the United Nations International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, 1966, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Child, 1959
    • guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
    • a select annotated bibliography listing Holocaust and human rights resources for students and teachers
    • a select annotated videography of the Holocaust and human rights with sources for obtaining videos
    • a listing of Holocaust and human rights organizations
    • Internet resources
  • published in association with the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine

The Spirit That Moves Us; Volume III. Lorry Stillman. Gardiner, Maine. Tilbury House, Publishers. 2001. 167 pages. ISBN 0-88448-230-8

Written by a teacher of the Holocaust, this is literature-based resource guide for using literature, art and music to teach about the Holocaust at the secondary and college level. Short stories are used to begin the study of the Holocaust. A character list, plot summary, objectives for teaching, analysis and discussion questions is provided for each. For each book a character list, plot summary and objectives, as well as, a detailed analysis of the book with writing and presentation ideas and suggested readings are provided. The chapter on poetry gives suggestions for teaching poetry and general writing ideas. Each poem is reproduced in the guide with an analysis and writing ideas for each. The background of modern Jewish Art in Russia, degenerate art, art of the Holocaust and Holocaust memorials can be found in the art chapter. Artwork is reproduced in the guide. A glossary of terms, information on how to view a piece of art and visual art projects and research topics are given. Ghetto, degenerate and the music of Terezin with information about composers and writing and presentation ideas can be found in the chapter on music.
  • excellent resource for the development of a unit
  • includes suggestions for reading-response journals, small-group work and class presentations, a list of internet resources, a chronology of the Holocaust 1933-1945, a glossary of terms used in Holocaust study, a selected bibliography and supplemental research, writing and presentation ideas
  • published in association with the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine

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Teaching about the Holocaust; A Resource Book for Educators. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. USHMM Resource Center for Educators.

An important starting reference for teaching about the Holocaust containing guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust, an annotated bibliography for middle school, high school, and adult readers, an annotated videography, answers to frequently asked questions about the Holocaust, a historical summary of the Holocaust for the years 1933-1939 and 1939-1945, specific information on children and the Holocaust, and a chronology.
  • guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust a must for all who discuss the Holocaust with children, students or otherwise
    • provides methodological considerations
    • ways to integrate into existing courses

**Teaching and Studying the Holocaust. Samuel Totten & Stephen Feinberg, ed. Allyn and Bacon. Boston. 2001. 342 pages. ISBN 0-205-18495-2

An excellent resource for anyone who wants to develop a unit on and/or integrate the arts and technology into a study of the Holocaust. In addition to chapters on developing clear rationales for teaching and instructional strategies about the Holocaust and understanding its historiography, chapters focus on using primary source documents and first-person accounts, selecting Holocaust literature, incorporating fiction and poetry, film, technology, art, drama and music in a study of the Holocaust.
  • highly recommended for anyone who wants to integrate the arts into a unit
  • contains Holocaust chronology and index
  • extensive bibliography on Holocaust history, film, education and other resources
  • each chapter contains excellent listing of resources
  • written for ease of reading

Tell Them We Remember; The Story of the Holocaust. Susan D. Bachrach. Boston. Little, Brown and Company. 1994. 109 pages. ISBN 0-316-69264-6

In brief narratives the reader is provided with "snapshots" of the events leading to, encompassing, and resulting from the Holocaust. It uses excerpts from the "identity cards" used in the USHMM and a wide array of photographs and artifacts from the museum.
  • published by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
  • excellent "start" reference

Tracking the Holocaust. Gerda Haas. Minneapolis, MN. Runestone Press. 1995. 176 pages. ISBN 0-8225-3157-7

Tracking the Holocaust contains eight stories that represent what life was like for the millions involved in the Holocaust. Mrs. Haas provides the reader with a basic, clear, and precise historical background that gives an overall picture of the German advances in occupied Europe. Starting with her own story, she relates tales of bravery, resistance, despair, and survival.
  • contains maps which are an excellent reference for the reader
  • contains an index and bibliography of source materials
  • founder of Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine

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Understanding the Holocaust, Volumes 1, 2. George Feldman, editor. New York. UXL. 1998. Volume 1, 235 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1741-5. Volume 2, 408 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1742-3.

Excellent history of the Holocaust written in language understandable by the novice reader of the Holocaust literature. Covers Jewish life in Germany before Hitler, the economic and political conditions that gave rise to the Nazi party, life in the ghettos, concentration camps, and death camps, the Nuremberg Trials, and how the Holocaust is remembered today.
  • includes a timeline of events 1914-1997
  • short glossary of terms needed to understand text
  • inserts further explain text
  • cross-referenced with suggestions for further reading
  • cumulative index

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Voices of the Holocaust, Volumes 1, 2. Lorie Jenkins McElroy, editor. New York. UXL. 1998. Volume 1, 252 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1747-4. Volume 2, 493 pages. ISBN 0-7876-1748-2.

Contains thirty-four excerpted documents written by individuals that reflect the experiences of oppressors, resisters, liberators, witnesses, and survivors. Each volume is divided into three chapters with specific themes preceded by an introduction. Each excerpt contains information that places the document and its author in a historical context, background information, the excerpt, what happened next, interesting facts, and further reading.
  • includes a timeline of events 1903-1998
  • primary source documents
  • contains sidebars of glossary terms
  • contains inserts with related information

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We Remember the Holocaust. David A. Adler. New York. Henry Holt and Company. 1989. 147 pages. ISBN 0-8050-0434-3.

Using the testimony of survivors, Adler chronicles the history of the Holocaust. Interspersed with archival photos are those of the individuals whose personal narratives tell the story.
  • contains timeline, glossary, suggestions for further reading
  • indexed
  • written for the adolescent reader

With a Camera in the Ghetto. Mendel Grossman. New York. Schocken Books. 1977. 107 pages. ISBN 0-8052-3645-7

Compelled to record the events of the Lodz Ghetto, Grossman photographed, frequently using a hidden camera, the day to day life of its inhabitants. This is a collection of a few of the remaining photographs with captions that poignantly tell of the agony and despair of the ghetto life.
  • introduction gives history of Lodz Ghetto
  • chapter provides info about Grossman and how he came to record events
  • contains excerpts of records kept by department of ghetto statistics dealing with day to day life
  • excellent primary source photos for discussion

**Witness to the Holocaust: Documenting History of the Holocaust in the Words of Its Victims, Perpetrators and Bystanders. Michael Berenbaum, editor. New York. Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1997. 364 pages. ISBN 0-06-270108-8

This illustrated volume provides survivor testimonies, diary entries, letters, government documents, newspaper reports to provide a history of the Holocaust. Topics range from the first boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany in 1933 to testimony at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946. Berenbaum states, the book is an attempt to "conceptualize the documents... to choose those documents that illustrate the evolution of the Holocaust, ...to place them with in the evolving history of Nazi policy and within the history of the era so that they are understood not in isolation, but as fragments of a whole."
  • suitable for high school and above
  • Berenbaum's commentary put the materials in context
  • excellent resource of primary documents that view topics from differing perspectives
  • contains chronology, introduction, author/title index

Writers of the Holocaust. Sherri Lederman Mandell. New York. Facts on File, Inc. 1999. 132 pages. ISBN 0-8160-3729-9

This book profiles the lives and literary contributions of ten men and women who were victims of the Holocaust. A brief life story of each, before, during, and after the Holocaust is given. A synopsis of outstanding literary works, photos, a chronology and suggestions for further reading about the author's work or about the author are given.
  • includes Primo Levi, Hannah Senesh, Anne Frank, Ida Fink, and Elie Wiesel
  • introduction contains historical background and introduces each author
  • maps included: authors' birthplaces, location main camps Third Reich and Occupied Territories, and ghettos of Eastern Europe with the estimated number of Jews murdered
  • contains chronology

The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as Told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Michael Berenbaum. Boston. Little, Brown and Company. 1993. 240 pages. ISBN 0-316-09143-0

Using the museum's artifacts, collection of eyewitness testimonies, and including over 200 pictures from the museum's archives, this is a comprehensive overview of the Holocaust.
  • excellent source for learning for the novice reader of Holocaust literature.
  • the extensive selection of pictures enhances the overall effectiveness of the text
  • usable by students as well as adults

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