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7. The Holocaust and World War II
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CHAPTER 7 The Holocaust and pWorld War IIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction Books for children about the Holocaust offer a real challenge to the authors who write them and to the parents, teachers, and librarians who choose them for children to read. Children’s books are expected to affirm life, to offer hope, and to end on, if not a happy note, then at least a positive one. The realities of war and the Holocaust defy these goals, so it is hard to achieve them without distortion. For example, many Holocaust stories are about rescuers, usually courageous (but sometimes opportunistic) gentiles who hid Jews and saved them from the Nazi’s Final Solution. If there had been as many rescuers as it seems there were from children’s books, then six million Jews would not have died, including a million and a half children. The urge to show humans at their bestdistorts the fact that the Holocaust showed humans at their worst. Another twisting of reality comes from books that try to extract a message of hope from the horrors that ensued. The number of books with the word “hope” in their title or as their theme is legion, especially if they are about Anne Frank. Grasping onto Anne’s comment that “in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart,” authors gloss over the fact that the occupants of the Secret Annex were arrested and murdered and that for most victims, there was no hope. It seems harsh to confront young readers with this grim truth, but even for children, history should not be whitewashed nor should the Holocaust be presented with a humanitarian message. Like all historical accounts or stories based on history, accuracy in Holocaust literature is of primary importance. In this case, accuracy is very frightening. Part of the art of writing is in the felicitous selection of detail, and while the most gruesome details about the Holocaust need not be dwelled upon or shown in photographs, its profoundly evil nature has to be revealed, if not explicitly stated. For this reason, many teachers and librarians think that children below the age of 10 are too young to be exposed to books or films about it. In the 1950s, when books for children about the Holocaust began to appear, this wasn’t a problem because most were aimed at older children.16 Since the 1960s, however, books for children about the Holocaust have been published in ever-increasing numbers, some with formats that appear to be for younger and younger readers. Very few are actual picture books, a genre defined as being intended for preschool and primary grades, which demonstrate a simplicity of concept and an equally balanced use of words and pictures to tell a story. More of these, however, are rather deceptively packaged to look like picture books: heavily illustrated and often short on text. It is their serious, sad, or frightening content that places them beyond the range of what young children can handle.17 The term “illustrated book about the Holocaust” is a rather awkward way of distinguishing these books from real picture books, but considering the subject, it is important to note the difference. 167 Many of the books recommended in this chapter are based on events that actually happened to their authors before, during, and after the Holocaust. Some are written as memoirs, others as historical fiction. There are also many non-fiction accounts of the Holocaust including biographies. Some of the “illustrated books about the Holocaust” mentioned above are also included, although others are not because their illustrated, early childhood format conflicts too strongly with the starkness of their content. An effort has been made to select books for this chapter that are accurate, age-appropriate, authentic, readable, thought-provoking, discussable, non-sentimental, focused on Jewish characters and experiences, and capable of arousing empathy.18 Introducing children to the Holocaust through books is a grave responsibility and it is also an essential act of preserving memory. Best Jewish Books for Children and Teens 168 [3.237.46.120] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 14:45 GMT) Chapter 7 • The Holocaust and World War II Recommended Reading Fiction Baer, Edith A Frost in the Night PANTHEON, 1980. 208 PAGES. AGES 12–16. This novel, plus its sequel, Walk the Dark Streets (Pantheon, 1998), are unrivalled in distilling the experiences of German Jews in the 1930s during Hitler’s rise to power. Told by a child named Eva, they...