The Money We'll Save by Brock Cole

Cole, B. (2011). The money we'll save. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 978-0374350116.

Annotation

Times are tough in this nineteenth century New York City tenement, so Ma asks Pa to try to save money while grocery shopping. Pa takes her suggestion. He comes home with a baby turkey that’s alive.

My thoughts

Talk about great timing. Illustrated to appear out of the turn of the nineteenth century, this book shows a struggling family making do and living happily with what they have. 

This book has a lot going for it. There is the unique situation of a small New York City tenement with a country turkey. The humorous antics that transpire when trying to keep the pseudo-wild bird in the unnatural captivity of the home. There is the unique text that flows and makes this a great read along for younger audiences. There is the concept of being content in owns environment without falling into over consumerism. (As implied by the family existing on their means without sketching debts to buy the best groceries and appearing happy- Pa doesn’t appear despondent. He makes it work). And finally, there is the art.

More about the book- moral issues of eating animals are implied. This book doesn’t get into depth that but it certainly is implied by the family’s resistance to eating the turkey claiming it would be like eating their neighbor. This would be a nice book for parents, children, teacher’s to use for related discussions. It doesn’t toss out the point and say think about food sources, but it certainly leads the reader down that path of thinking about where the meat comes from.

I highly recommend this book! In fact, it is the new “Christmas Story” (80's movie) of my family.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Editorial reviews suggest that this book is for 4 and up (I would suggest that the up equal older readers and anyone looking for a humorous/holiday picture book).

Reviews and Awards

Horn Book’s Best Picture Books of 2011

Starred reviews

Author website: No website found.

Media: Ink and watercolor.

Genre: holiday, juvenile picture book

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

Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride: Based On A True Story by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick

Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Brian Selznick. 1999. Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride: Based On A True Story. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0590960755.

Annotation

Amelia, the famous aviator Amelia Earhart who was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean; and Eleanor was Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States and committed activist for human rights take to the sky in this picture book based on a true incident.

My thoughts

It’s great to see a book about these two historically strong women doing things that were out of the social norm of their time. This story is based on the night of April 20, 1933 when Eleanor Roosevelt invited Amelia Earhart to the White House for dinner. During the dinner, Amelia was asked what it is like to fly at night. “Very few people in the whole world had ever flown at night, and Amelia was one of them.” The guests listen with closed eyes imagining the experience of flying at night. Eleanor asks about the view of the Capital at night and Amelia arranges for a ride on an Eastern Air Transport Plane (a Curtis Condor twin-motor airplane). Within an hour, the two women were up in the air experiencing a clear night’s view of the area between Baltimore and Washington D.C.

This little known true account revealed a spontaneous side of Eleanor Roosevelt and takes the reader back to a time when flying at night was a big deal. So many things have changed over the last century, but hopefully the feeling of being completely in awe of the stars remains the same. With Eleanor and Amelia’s bold personalities, and Selznick’s breathtaking illustrations, readers are inspired to take actions to make their own dreams to come true.

Focus on the Art

Brian Selznick’s pencil illustrations capture this bygone era by resembling old photographs and carry this story beautifully. The details have been carefully researched (actual China patterns, an Evening Star newspaper from Washington D.C. with factual headlines, furniture and fashions of the time period, etc.) In addition, there is a beautifully illustrated nighttime view of Washington D.C that captures the Capital dome and famous monuments.

Curricular connections

Grade 4-6: Social studies lesson with focus on Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt and also the geography of the area described in the story.

Literary devices

Use of Metaphor: (p. 5) “Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather.”

Reading level/ Interest Age

Ages 5-9

Reviews and Awards

ALA Notable Children’s Book

Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist

Author website: http://www.pammunozryan.com/

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

Media: Pencil on Paper

Genre: Juvenile picture books, nonfiction

John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith

Smith, L. (2006).  John, Paul, George, and Ben.  New York City, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.  ISBN: 9780786848935.

Annotation

The book tells the stories of young John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson with wonderful illustrations and wit to match.

My thoughts

Overall, this book is educational and fun. It teaches about the founding fathers and the early history of the United States with small bouts of laugh out loud humor. Lane Smith uses stories that show the ‘early signs’ of each adult personality (example: Paul Revere was loud) and how those traits (bold, noisy, honest, clever, and independent) would affect American history before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.

As a bonus, the book has extras such as facts on the Founding Fathers at the end. The also author admits to “taking liberties” with facts so he included a true/false section at the end of the book to “set the record straight” which is a necessary addition for readers.

Curricular connections

Grade school- Middle school: History: American Revolution

Literary devices

Use of Allusion: the titles link of the founding fathers’ first names to the Beatles and “Revolution” (Beatles song).

Reading level/ Interest Age

Ages 5 and up/ Preschool and up

Reviews and Awards

NY Times Best Illustrated Books: 2006

NY Times Notable Children’s Books: 2006

Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Books: 2006

SLJ Best Books for Children: 2006

Author website: http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/

Media: pen and ink. Texture was achieved by using oil paint on canvas, handmade parchment paper, and weathered pulp board.  Illustrations also used the collage technique to combine the media. (Information retrieved from the copyright page of the book.)

Genre: Juvenile picture book