My secret camera: life in the Lodz ghetto by Mendel Grossman and Frank Smith

Grossman, Mendel (photographer), and Frank Smith (text). My secret camera: life in the Lodz ghetto. San Diego: Gulliver Books, 2000. ISBN: 978-1845078928.

Author website: No official website.

Photographer website: No official website.

Media: photography

Genre: nonfiction, World War II, Holocaust

Annotation

Mendel Grossman, a captive in the Lodz ghetto in Poland during World War II, secret photographs taken from inside his raincoat documenting the real stories of the captives and exposing the horrors of the Holocaust.

My thoughts

It’s hard to believe that these photos exist. These are photos taken of prisoners captive and systematically enslaved, mistreated, humiliated in a ghetto where thousands were shipped out never to be seen again. The fact that the photos made it through those 4 years during the war and years since 1945 is remarkable. However, very sad that there were 10,000 other photos that were destroyed. The bravery and courageousness of Mendel Grossman to take these pictures is astounding.

These photographs capture what books cannot describe in words. Demonstrating the power and the importance of picture books. In the photographs children are seen harnessed to a heavy load and are treated like herd animals. A woman scrubs the streets. A boy looks out of the page with fear in his eyes.  These are people struggling. Yet, there are photos that show that even in the worse of time, the captives found strength to be optimistic. One photo shows women laughing as bread is pulled out of an oven while baking for Passover. A crowd gathers around two entertainers who provide some of entertainment. The photographs show the suffering but also the strength of the human spirit.

These 17 photos are Mendel Grossman’s legacy. Unfortunately, he died in 1945 days before the Germans surrendered. The narrative text was created by Frank Smith as an attempt to add more to these already very powerful photographs.

As Frank Smith wrote in the introduction, “Yes, these studies break the heart. But they strengthen the heart, too…” These photos have timeless meaning.

Curricular connections

World War II, world history, Holocaust
Grade 4-6

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 3-6/ Ages 7 and up.

Memories of Survival Esther Nisenthal Krinitz and Bernice Steinhardt

Krinitz, Esther Nisenthal and Bernice Steinhardt. (2005). Memories of Survival. Illustrated by Esther Nisenthal Krinitz. Hyperion, New York.

Reader’s Annotation: Memories of Survival is Esther Nisentha Krinitz’s memoir of her daring survival during World War II in Poland, which she tells through her own amazing artwork made of embroidery and fabric collage.

Evaluation: When the Jews of Esther’s Polish village are forced to leave for a concentration camp, she decides not to follow orders, and it turn runs away with her sister, Mania. Memories of Survival is the true story of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz whose life and happiness was turned upside down by the arrival of the Nazis in Poland in 1938. Each page of this moving memoir features a large and colorful illustration that Krinitz embroidered and sewed herself in order to tell her story. Krinitz also wrote captions to go with each of her illustrations. Her daughter also contributes to these pages by adding additional details about Esther’s life or facts about Poland, Jews or World War II.

Memories of Survival is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting, story about a young woman who survived in the midst of turmoil and death. Her beautiful and meaningful artwork is a testament to her unwavering spirit and her book is a must-read for any reader interested in learning more about World War II and its debilitating effects on Jewish people.

Interesting links: Art and Remembrance Foundation at: http://artandremembrance.org
was created by Krinitz’s two daughters who also helped write and publish this book.
Media: Needlework, including embroidery and fabric collage.
Curricular connection: Middle school History: This book would be a great addition to a middle school lesson or unit of study on the Holocaust or World War II.

The Search by Eric Heuvel, Ruud van der Rol and Lies Schippers

Heuvel, Eric, Ruud van der Rol, and Lies Schippers. (2009). The Search. Illustrated by Eric Heuvel. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York.

Reader’s annotation: Esther Hecht was separated from her family during the German invasion of Amsterdam. Now with the help of her grandson she sets out to find the truth about what happened to them.

Evaluation: At first glance, The Search looks like a classic comic book from the 1950’s, with vibrant colors and plenty of speech bubbles and action to keep any reader interested until the end. The Search however is the moving story of Esther Hecht, now a grandmother living in the United States, who wants to find out what happened to her family during World War II.

Esther and her parents were separated during the Nazi invasion of Amsterdam, and while Esther survived by running away and hiding, her parents did not survive the concentration camps. With the help of her grandson, Daniel, Esther finally learns the horrible and searing truth.

Written in conjunction with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, The Search introduces readers to World War II and its effects. Through Esther and the other characters, readers learn about Hitler’s rise to power, his subsequent persecution of Jews and the atrocities that these people faced.

While the subject is bleak and powerful, the comic format of this book makes it more accessible for tween readers. Learning about the devastation of World War II is never easy but Heuvel and his team provides this information in such a way that will appeal to a new generation of readers.

Author/illustrator website: http://www.eric-heuvel.nl/ (in Dutch)
Media: Pen and ink.
Curricular connection: Middle school history: Introduces readers to the effects of WWII on Jewish people and the eventual creation of concentration camps.

Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen by Michelle R. McCann

McCann, Michelle R. (2003). Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen. As told to Michelle R. McCann by Luba Tryszynska-Frederick. Illustrations by Ann Marshall. Tricycle Press, Berkeley, CA.

Reader’s annotation: Based on the true story of Polish Jew, Luba Tryszynska, who rescued fifty-four abandoned Dutch children outside the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she was also imprisoned.

Evaluation: After reading this remarkable story readers will be amazed at Luba’s capacity for love in the face of her own grief. Just having arrived at Bergen-Belsen and grieving the likely loss of her husband and young son, she hears children calling outside. Her investigation finds fifty-four children standing in the frozen darkness having been spared by the German guards who were to shoot them. The haunting image of an infant lying in a pillowcase on the ground instantly puts the reader in Luba’s shoes - what would you do in that situation? Luba immediately snaps into action and hides the children in her barrack. As a camp nurse, Luba had some small degree of freedom and she was able to access scarce resources for the children. Her determination, resourcefulness, and love for her lost son saved these children.

The Prologue and Epilogue provide further details of Luba’s life and further information about World War II and the Holocaust. This additional information puts this story into context and would give students an appreciation of the danger that Luba put herself in to save the children. This book would also be a good segue to discussions on bravery and resistance during the War. 


Focus on the artwork:
The artwork is a combination of oil and collage and provides a true sense of what traumatic memories are made of - dreamlike, blurry edges combined with sharp, searing clarity. This patchwork effect is extremely effective since it is soft, yet detailed, and moves the readers focus to different areas of the picture - sometimes the characters faces, and sometimes a distant object like clothes on a clothesline.

Author website: No author website.
Illustrator website: http://66.147.244.106/~annmarsh/
Media: Oil and collage.
Curricular connection: 7th grade History: Concentration camp and Holocaust survival.
Awards: 2004 Jane Addams Honor Book award.

Irena’s Jars of Secrets by Marcia Vaughan

Vaughan, Marcia. (2011). Irena’s Jars of Secrets. Illustrations by Ron Mazellan. LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., New York.

Reader’s annotation: This is the true story of a selfless, Catholic, Polish-born social worker, and how she smuggled thousands of children and babies out of Nazi-controlled Poland during WWII.

Evaluation: This book highlights what it meant for Jews to live in a Nazi-occupied region and what it meant for those who assisted them in evading Nazi capture. The seriousness of Irena's actions by defying the Nazis resulted in her life being threatened while interrogated by the secret police; however, she did not tell where she and her associates relocated over 2,500 children. Her heroism doesn't stop with only saving lives - she thoughtfully recorded and concealed the children's original names, false names, and where she relocated them. While many families faced losing each other and their children, Irena bravely offered them an alternative. She offered her best to save them, and families soon realized that the chance to save their children was far better than what was ahead of them if they remained.

The full-page artwork is painted in dark, muted colors artistically suggesting the oppressed feelings and attitudes of that period in history. Not until the last two illustrations there are brighter colors, suggesting the post-war period. In the Afterword, the reader learns in more comprehensive detail about Irena's life and how she finally received well-deserved international recognition for her heroism.

Author website: No author website.
Illustrator website: http://ronmazellan.com/
Media: Oil on canvas.
Curricular connection: 5-7th grade History: Heroic acts of resistance from non-Jewish people during the Holocaust.

The Harmonica by Tony Johnston

Johnston, Tony. (2004). The Harmonica. Illustrated by Ron Mazellan. Charlesbridge, Watertown, MA.

Reader’s annotation: After the Nazis invade Poland, a boy is separated from his parents. Forced to play his harmonica for a concentration camp officer for survival, the boy unknowingly brings joy to fellow prisoners.

Evaluation: Based on a true story, this is a beautiful and heart-wrenching book that follows a Jewish boy as he is separated from his parents by the Nazis and taken to a concentration camp. Allowed to keep the harmonica that his father gave him, the boy is forced to play Schubert songs for a Nazi camp officer. Unknowingly, the boy also brings joy to his fellow prisoners as he plays the familiar, beautiful music. Aptly named, this story highlights the universal nature of music and its ability to give hope in even the most horrible of conditions.

This is the first children’s book Ron Mazellan illustrated. The strong use of color to convey tone and mood draw your eyes to the illustrations. Warm earth tones are used to capture the connection and happy times the boy and his parent share, which then changes to cold and sombre blue and grey tones, representing the Nazi’s arrival and the boy’s new existence in a concentration camp.

Ron Mazellan has recently illustrated Irena’s Jars of Secrets, also included in this bibliography.

Author website: No author website.
Illustrator website: http://ronmazellan.com/
Media: Mixed media on illustration board.
Curriculum connection: 5-7th grade History: Concentration camp and Holocaust survival.
Literary element: Use of simile - “who might hear the notes and be lifted, like flights of birds."
Awards:
2004 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content
AJL Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Older Readers
Independent Book Award Finalist (Picture Book 7+)
IRA/CBC Children's Choices
Jewish Stars: Recommended Books w/Jewish Themes
National Jewish Book Award finalist
Storytelling World Award -- Honor Title.

Good-bye Marianne: The Graphic Novel by Irena N. Watts

Watts, Irena N. (2008). Good-bye Marianne: The Graphic Novel. Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker. Tundra Books, Toronto, ON.

Reader’s annotation: Hitler’s Germany is no longer safe for Jews, and when Marianne gets the chance to leave her home, family, and life behind for England, she finds herself struggling to make a decision.

Evaluation: Based upon the novel by the same name, original author Irene N. Watts and illustrator Kathryn E. Shoemaker have created a poignant and touching graphic novel about young Marianne Kohn, a young Jewish girl living in Berlin in 1938.

Marianne’s world has quickly crumbled around her – her father has disappeared, she is kicked out of school, and the Gestapo makes unannounced raids in her apartment and on the street. Marianne and her mother live in fear and solitude, hoping for change and the endurance to survive Hitler’s regime. When Marianne is offered the chance to leave Germany on a kindertransport to England, she must choose between her home and freedom.

Kathryn E. Shoemaker’s pencil illustrations are simple yet evocative. The lack of color iterates the darkness of the time and the fear and unknown that the Jews of Germany faced. Watts and Shoemaker have made Marianne’s story accessible and meaningful for middle grade readers. As Marianne must decide her fate, readers will feel her anguish. Saying good-bye is never easy. Saying good-bye for a lifetime - unbearable.

This graphic novel will stay with readers long after the last page has been read, with its haunting images and meaningful story.

Author website: http://irenenwatts.com/
Illustrator website: No illustrator website.
Media: Pencil.
Curricular connection: Makes the Holocaust and the terror the Jews faced feel real and tangible to middle school readers. 7th grade History Holocaust studies.

Benno and the Night of Broken Glass by Meg Wiviott

Wiviott, Meg. (2010). Benno and the Night of Broken Glass. Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. Kar-Ben Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.

Reader’s annotation: In 1938 Berlin, a cat experiences gradual changes in his neighborhood until one night, known as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), where Jewish people are terrorized and arrested by the Nazis.

Evaluation: Initially, this book may appear simplistic; however, it provides a unique introduction to Kristallnacht and the beginning of the Holocaust in a sensitive and honest manner. Set from the unique perspective of a neighborhood cat, Benno, who roams in and out of local homes, readers are able to understand that Germans and Jewish people once lived together as neighbors.

However, the mood in Berlin is slowly changes. The lack of food, the burning of books, and the severing of ties between the German and Jewish families all lead up to November 9, 1938, also known as Kristallnacht, or The Night of Broken Glass.

The author and illustrator do a remarkable job depicting the chaotic atmosphere as Nazis stormed into neighborhoods burning books, arresting and killing Jewish people, and destroying Jewish businesses and synagogues. After that night, many of the Jewish people disappeared and life would never be the same, even for Benno the cat.

The Afterword provides a detailed account and two photographs of Kristallnacht, which are beneficial for classroom discussion. This book achieves a good balance of portraying the terror of Kristallnacht and is suitable for middle grade readers. 

Author website: http://megwiviott.com/

Illustrator website: http://joseebisaillon.com/

Media: Collage, drawing, and digital montage. 

Curricular connection: Introduction to Kristallnacht, which is considered the beginning of the Holocaust. 

Awards: 2010 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards-Gold Medal. 

Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson

Jacobson, Sid. (2010). Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography. Illustrated by Ernie Colón. Hill and Wang, New York.

Reader’s annotation: The story of how the Jewish family, the Franks, became a family and struggled through WWII. Illustrated in graphic novel format.

Evaluation: This is not simply the diary of Anne Frank in graphic novel format, but an all encompassing history of the Franks - from how her parents met and ending with the death of Otto Frank in 1980. This book is offers a great history lesson by providing the reader with a political map from 1942 and snapshots of other events relating to the WWII and the Holocaust.

The detailed feelings from the text are clearly substantiated by the facial expressions of the characters. Each graphic represents an important piece of the story, giving the reader the feeling of watching a silent film with text in between. Divided into ten chapters, the reader has the opportunity to pause in between defining events, although staying away from the book for very long is difficult.

This is an outstanding piece of history and biography of one the world’s most famous young women.

Author website: No author website.
Illustrator website: No illustrator website.
Media: Pen and ink.
Curricular connection: Middle school History: Understanding a historical perspective of WWII and the Holocaust.

Rose Blanche by Christophe Gallaz and Roberto Innocenti.

Gallaz, Christophe, and Roberto Innocenti. Rose Blanche. Mankato, Minn.: Creative Editions, 1985. Print. ISBN: 978-2921620802.

Author website: No website found.

Illustrator website: http://www.robertoinnocenti.com/

Media: oil paint

Genre: juvenile fiction, historical fiction

Annotation

Rose Blanche is fictional story about a German schoolgirl risking her life to secretly bring food to the imprisoned children in a nearby Nazi concentration camp.

Summary

Rose Blanche follows a group of Nazi soldiers after they arrest a fleeing boy and discovers a concentration camp. After seeing the imprisoned children, Rose tried to help by taking food to the camp daily until the town is liberated. Tragically, on the same day as the liberation, Rose travels to the concentration camp to bring food to the children and is deeply saddened to discover that the camp is gone. At this point, through the fog, “there was a shot.” Rose Blanche is killed by an allied bullet in the end.
 

My thoughts

Rose Blanche honestly depicts the atrocities of war. Because this is a story about World War II from the perspective of a young girl, the author does not provide historical details and doesn’t explain many things in the story. The effect of capturing the viewpoint of a young girl who does not completely understand the war is very effective. Most people usually do not understand what occurs during wars. Innocenti and Gallaz leave the reader intentionally unenlightened during many parts of the book to reinforce this feeling of limited knowledge.

Key concepts such as Nazi, Swasticka, Holocaust, Jewish, concentration camp, are also not mentioned but are descriptively shown in the illustrations. The tragedies of the Holocaust are expressed through imagery and limited language leaving the reader to follow visual cues and graphic allusions to the concluding events. This method of leaving symbols and events seen but wordless and unexplained is really a horrifying concept. These are unexplained tragedies, ruthless savagery, and horrifying monstrosities, but to Rose Blanche it is simple: she must help the children.

There is so much unspoken but implied in this book that will make it more appropriate for a mature audience. Then there is the disappearance of the children and Rose’s own death which was the result of a careless mistake. Even the final liberation is also not understood by the young child. Soldiers enter the town and are identified in the text as ‘speaking another language and wearing different uniforms.’ This book does an excellent job at bringing the experience alive but the reader should have a basic understanding of the war.

Innocenti’s powerful and very realistic paintings are amazing. These illustrations are what captured my attention when I was trying to decide on a book for this genre.

Banned Book

This is considered a controversial picture book. This is partially because of its graphic nature and mature content. This book truly captures the true horror of war and the feeling of being helpless. That is something that should not be banned. I do feel that teachers should teach the material to bring a complete understanding to young children to get the full picture. In addition, librarians should use discretion and should suggest this book for older readers already familiar with the Holocaust and World War II. But I don’t think that it should be censored or re-edited from the original text. Many things should be challenged, the Holocaust was a terrible event that many would like to forget. It is, however, important to keep younger generations educated and aware of these events and perspectives. Rose Blanche provides a springboard for discussion and allows children find a viewpoint that will in turn change their own. Hopefully, through witnessing Rose’s perspective young readers will become empowered. 

Literary devices

Use of symbolism: The main character is named after the "Rose Blanche" (or the French White Rose) was a group of young German protestors that were executed for their resistance to the war.

Curricular connections

Social Studies grade 4-8  (Holocaust, World War II, European front)

Humanities grade 4-8 (Discussion: historical fiction and narrative shifts)

Reading level/ Interest Age

There is controversy surrounding this book due to it graphic nature and deep topics. Because of this controversy and mature discussions (the Holocaust and Rose’s death), I would recommend this book for older students rather than elementary students.

Reviews and Awards

Roberto Innocenti received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration, 2008

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 1986. This award is given to an American publisher for an outstanding children's book that was originally published in a foreign country in another language.

Golden Apple, Biennale of Illustrators, Bratislava, 1985

American Library Association Notable Book, 1986

Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book citation, 1986

Anne Frank by Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett

Poole, Josephine. (2005) Anne Frank. Illustrations by Angela Barrett. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. ISBN: 978-1-60060-439-3

Author website: No website found.

Ilustrator website: No website found.

Media: drawn and painted

Genre: Juvenile literature, biography, history

Annotation

Meticulously researched visual narrative picture book that captures the beautifully inspirational moments along with the haunting and horrifying times of Anne Frank’s life.

My thoughts

Anne Frank’s story is told simply but in no means is it simple. The story begins “with an ordinary little girl, someone you might sit next to in class” and proceeds from her birth in Frankfurt (1929) to being discovered by the Nazi’s in the attic, to the posthumous discovery of her diary after World War II. Many facts about the social conditions and social transitions are effectively communicated by visually and through the text.

Focus on the artwork
The illustrations really make this book special. In an interview by Magic Pencil, Angela Barrett discusses the research that went into creating the illustrations. She states that it was important to get all the details correct and she kept in mind that there are people alive who remember those details. She aimed for historically authenticity and incorporated symbolism into both her technique and the elements within the illustrations. “Things matter and the way people persecute you is they take the things away from you.” The transition from wealth to disparity is represented in the book by showing in the beginning that the family did have beautiful things to the end where Anne and Peter sit side by side with basically nothing…. just each other.

Additionally and very importantly, are the emotional elements that are depicted within the representation of the character of Anne Frank. From photographs, Bennett seems to capture her likeness. The last picture of the Anne’s nightmarish apprehension by the Nazi’s is haunting and full of emotional punch. Her eyes look out from the page affixed to the helpless reader but her lips are pressed tightly together. It seems to be a wordless cry out to the reader.

Oddly, for this genre and topic, the book presents a great deal of information in a very manageable way making it a good book to be further deconstructed and discussed. This is an easy-to-understand introduction to the Holocaust.

Quotes

“There was a man called Hitler- a stiff little man with a mustache- he talked a lot and made big promises. Huge crowds gathered round him. They had no jobs, no hope. No wonder they cheered when he promised to make Germany rich and strong again.”

This point can be added into a discussion to understand what was going on with the Germans during this period. Many people can’t understand how they would allow such atrocities to occur. These simple sentences provide a rationale that young audiences can understand and can be added into the discussion in addition to racism and prejudices that brought forth the genocide of the Holocausts. Many times historical events can be broken down to economic foundations.

Curricular connections

History 6^th or 7^th grade- provides Anne’s Frank’s personal perspective in a visual narrative. This book can accompany the literary classic The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 4-7 Grade level 3-5?

Reviews and Awards

Booklist Starred Review

School Library Journal Starred Review

Interview-

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/magicpencil/learning_barrett_interview_4.html