The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís

Peter Sís – Author and illustrator. The wall: growing up behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-374-34701-7

Author website: http://www.petersis.com/noflash.html

Media: Multi-media, pencil, marker, crayon, colored pencil, pen and ink

Genre: biography, memoir, nonfiction, history, Juvenile literature, graphic novel, picture book

Annotation

Visual award-winning personal memoir of artist Peter Sís growing up on the oppressed Russian Communist totalitarian dictatorship side of the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War and his desire for freedom.

My thoughts

This is an award-winning book, Peter Sís brings the reader to his past in Communist controlled Prague during the Cold War. The information brought by the illustrations and prose brings this period vibrantly alive describing the struggles for freedom and expression under the harsh control of a totalitarian regime. For the beginning, Sís uses bright color and different symbols to show the contrast between his natural childhood desire to express his imagination against the repetitive and monotony of the symbols and colors associated with the Soviet Red Army.

His personal story is juxtaposed with a timeline of historical events. Sís adds first personal journal entries from his journal at that time and the reader can understand his perspective and move with him from the tacit acceptance during his childhood to his shift of awareness as he grows up and is exposed to the world.

The colors reflect the personal reactions to the time. During the most oppressive and difficult times, Sís restricts his color choice to black white and red. When he begins to express himself there are bursts of color. “Slowly he started to question. He painted what he wanted to- in secret.” A two page full-color vibrant spread shows the revolution of the 60’s leaking into Sís awareness. It concludes with the fall of the wall on November 9, 1989. This book contains lots of talking points.

Peter Sís provides an introduction, his chronological timeline journal entries, and an afterward to provide additional information to the already expressive illustrations.

Curricular connections

In classrooms, the rise and fall of Communism focuses on the political shifts and oppression in an impersonal manner. This book provides a very personal account that makes the effects of Communist very real and clear. It’s told in a way that is relatable.

Literary devices

Use of repetition: The word “COMPULSORY” is used like an unspoken brand after each description of Communist mandates or suggested activities. (Example: “Joining the Young Pioneers, the Communist youth movement- COMPULSORY. Collecting scrap metal- COMPULSORY. First of May parade celebrating the workers of the world- COMPULSORY. Public displays of loyalty- COMPULSORY. The practice of religion- DISCOURAGED.” This really hammers home the point.


Use of Symbol: Communist ideology and symbols are also repeated throughout the book. The hammer and sickle. 

Reading level/ Interest Age

Age 8 and up/ Grade 3 and up

Reviews and Awards

Caldecott Honor Book

Sibert Medal

Booklist Starred Review

School Library Journel Starred Review

Kirkus Starred Review

Horn Book Starred Review

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

Publishers Weekly Starred Review

And, many other positive reviews…

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley and Edwin Fotheringham

Kerley, Barbara, & Fotheringham, Edwin. (2010). The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-545-125086.

Annotation

Based on thirteen year-old Susy Clemens’ secret biography of her famous writer father Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain).

My thoughts

Barbara Kerley shows a side of Mark Twain by using quotes from Susy Clemens’ journal. The book tells about Twain’s family and personal life and interspersed are Susy’s comments about her father. It starts off with Susy stating that most people don’t really know Mark Twain and that he was so much more than a humorist. Susy proceeds to describe her father. She writes about his flaws (smoking too much), his likes (billards), makes observations about his temperament, and describes his physical appearance. Susy gives the reader an honest account of one of America’s greatest writers.

Edwin Fotheringham’s bright glossy digital illustrations add humor and details that bring the reader back to Twain’s time. The illustrations support the text without distracting the reader. The journal “mini-book” pages inserted between the pages written with cursive with the misspelling of youth give insight and make this a good example of primary and secondary sources.

The book includes a timeless of Mark Twain’s life in the back along with instructions about how to write a biography.

Curricular connections

Elementary school 5^th grade- Middle school: Humanities/English: biographies

Using the page in the book, Writing an Extraordinary Biography (According to Barbara Kerley*), as a guide for students to learn how to write a biography. Then have them write a biography on someone who they know well utilizing observation, research, examples and quotations, and specific details. Students can use the mini-diary for inspiration.

Lesson Plan

See 'Lesson Plan' page

Literary devices

Use of Alliteration:

“the busiest bee in the household hive”

Use of Repetition

The cursive line work in the background of the illustrations which seem to represent Mark Twain's verbose nature and remind the reader that this is a story told from a young perspective. 

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 3-6

Reviews and Awards

2010 CYBILS Nonfiction Picture Book Award

NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

Best Children’s Books 2010 -- Publishers Weekly

Best Books 2010 -- School Library Journal

Best Books for Children and Teens 2010 -- Kirkus Reviews

Best of 2010: Books for Young Readers -- Washington Post

Oregon Book Award Finalist

Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee

Author website: www.barbarakerley.com/

Illustrator website: www.edfotheringham.com/

Media: digital media

Genre: Juvenile fiction, biography

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down.

Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney, illustrator (2010).  Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down.  New York City, NY: Little, Brown and Company.  ISBN: 978-0-316-07016-4

Author website: No website found.

Ilustrator website: http://www.brianpinkney.net/

Media: watercolor and india ink

Genre: biography, non-fiction, juvenile literature, civil rights movement, history

Annotation

Four African American students in Greensboro (NC) peacefully refuse to leave Woolworth’s lunch counter that only served white people. Their peaceful nonviolent act would inspire others to follow and led to more sit-ins and the end of segregation.

My thoughts

Many have said ‘this is a powerful book’ and it really is. Based on true events that happened in Greensboro in 1960, this book serves as a pictorial representation of a pivotal turning point in our country’s social history. Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood up by Sitting Down is also is a good representative for the power of a good picture book. The storyline, quotes, comments, and illustrates all combine to make this a great multicultural picture book that showcases the Civil Rights and the struggle for equality of the 1960s.

Andrea Davis Pinkney takes this great event and through the personal perspectives of the teenagers and storyline she makes it come alive and become more relatable for children and teens. The book effectively demonstrates the power of people when they work together for a cause that is right inspired by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Actual quotes from Dr. King's speeches within the text to help explain the protesters motivation to keep peaceful. These teenagers sat at a counter and asked for a simple doughnut and coffee. This was a peaceful sit-in for justice and equality not a complex revolution or a political scheme.

The watercolors by Brian Pinkney come across as modern and classic. They added to the story and did not distract from the powerful words and storyline.

The food metaphor and the story really hits you in the gut. Typically, the Civil Rights Movement is one that young people have trouble relating to because of its complexity, but stories such as this really help bring it to life. I also really enjoyed the back of the book's Civil Rights Timeline (in paragraph form from 1954 to 1964), the photograph of the "Greensboro Four" in Woolworth's, the more in depth look at the incident and the times, and additional recommended book and website resources. These 40 pages are really packed with information!

Memorable Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quotes.

“We must meed violence with nonviolence.”

“Demonstrate… calm dignity.”

“We are all leaders.”

“We must… must meet hate with love.”

“Be loving enough to absorb evil.”

Other memorable quotes:

“They sat straight and proud. And waited. And wanted. A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side.”

“Practicing peace while other showed hatred was tougher than any school test.”

“… it’s not about food – it’s about pride.”

Curricular connections

This material can be added into a Civil Rights Lesson plan for History and Social Studies (grade 4-6). Both the words and art can be added to a discussion.

Literary devices

Use of Metaphor: The recipe for equality and integration throughout the book.

Use of Repetition: “They did not need menus. Their order was simple. A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side.”

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grades 4-6

Reviews and Awards

Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)

Booklist Starred Review

School Library Journal Starred Review

Boys of Steel by Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ross MacDonald

Marc Tyler Nobleman, - author. Ross MacDonald - illustrator. Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. New York: A.A. Knopf, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-375-8385-02-6.

Author website: http://noblemania.blogspot.tw/

Ilustrator website: http://www.ross-macdonald.com/pages/illusmain.html

Media: ink and watercolor

Genre: juvenile fiction, biography

Annotation

In 1934, during the economic despair of the Depression, two shy teenagers created the original social crusader- Superman. Tells the story of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and the story behind Superman.

My thoughts

“It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Siegel and Shuster!” (quote from book jacket) Based on the true story of the comic book creators, this book disguises a biography book as pop lit but with classic comic illustrations. The author, Nobleman, weaves research seamlessly into the story and maintains an accurate biography. The illustrations mimic Joe Shuster’s original superman style and the general comic style of the 1930s. The choice to illustrate the biography similarly to the original is in this case important for the comic book biography and adds a bit of art history into the picture for juvenile readers.

Boys of Steel does a good job at providing a visual story driven biography for one of the most famous superheroes. The boys met in high school and sold their idea to DC Comics when they were 24 after years of visualization and trying to sell the character. One of the key points that hit me was the idea that Jerry Siegel came up with as his inspiration for Superman. “People wanted a hero they knew would always come home. Jerry and Joe gave them that- the world’s first superhero.”

Nobleman adds important social context that accelerated Superman’s popularity. This was after the decade of the economic despair of the Depression and the brewing war (WWII). “Everyday people were about to be called to duty, and many would prove to be real-life heroes. But if there was ever a time for a fantasy hero, particularly one with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, it was then.” People also needed escape.

The last three pages provide a more advanced look into Superman and the sad part of the story where Siegel and Shuster sell all rights to the character to DC Comics for $130. Nobleman gives a legal history and the rights controversy behind Superman including facts that while Superman made millions the author and illustrator often bordered on poverty.

Curricular connections

This book can be suggested to grade school students writing reports on events and biographies. This is a good book to suggest to children complaining about the typical biography book style (complaining about length, lack of interest, lack of pictures, lack of interest) or say that the reports are boring. Also recommended for comic book fans.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 5 and up (Booklist recommends this books for Grade 1-3)/ Ages 10 and up

Reviews and Awards

Booklist Starred Review

Kirkus Starred Review 2008- "The battle for truth and justice is truly never-ending."

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review 2008- “Nobleman details this achievement with a zest amplified by MacDonalds -- punchy illustrations.”

Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison

Morrison, Toni - author. (2004). Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN: 978-0618397402

Annotation

Photographs taken during the period after segregated schools were declared unconstitutional that captures this important and difficult time of integration in American history.

My thoughts

These powerful photographs became Toni Morrison’s inspiration for the fictional narrative. These two elements, narrative and photographs, can actually be discussed as separate but equal in importance in the production of this book.

These archival photographs go a step beyond journalizing because they are so close to the subjects. These are not merely newspaper photos documenting the difficulties. They show the good and bad, and the façade of good. Photos of newly integrated students sitting together during a quaint circle time lesson are followed by photos of Caucasian teenagers protesting integration. A young boy wears a klan hood and smiles for the camera while watching a Ku Klux Klan cross burn. There are some disturbing truthful photographs that can be invaluable in a history/social studies class.

In addition, Toni Morrison provides the facts. Brown v. Board of Education is an important part of history, but the dry legal case name often causes history classes to simplify the lesson. The narrative and book will flesh it out. Morrison also includes a New York Times front-page announcement of the court decision and a key event timeline for civil rights and school integration history. Photo notes provide additional interesting facts. These are incredible, compelling, and unforgettable photographs and a very important time that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Curricular connections

Social Studies and Middle School History/civil rights.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 4-12

Reviews and Awards

Coretta Scott King Award

Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)

Author website: www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/

Media: Photography

Genre: nonfiction, history

Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker and Stefano Vitale

Walker, Alice - author, & Vitale, Stefano - illustrator (2007). Why War is Never a Good Idea. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN: 978-0060753856.

Annotation

Powerful, evocative, hard hitting, gut wrenching poem about the devastating effects of war.

My thoughts

This is a pacifist’s poem in the extreme, and if it isn’t then as the pages turn the reader will think about pacifism. It doesn’t rationalize a war instead it turns war into this evil personified thing that destroys life and has wide consequences. “When it comes/ To nursing/ Mothers/ It is blind;/ Milk, especially/Human,/ It cannot/ See.” These words are tragic and very scary because it doesn’t show the supposed just-causes of war it shows the unintended consequences on the lives of innocents.

The illustrations start off bright and capture the various regions in descriptively vague ways. China, South America, Cambodia, a jungle, European architecture, Middle-east architecture, and Africa are depicted showing the global scale. The people from these places are shown going about their innocent daily duties and lives. “Through War has a mind of its own/ war never knows/ Who/ It is going/ To hit.” A church and homes are depicted with many people playing, talking, working, walking, riding, fishing, drinking, swimming, sitting, kissing, etc. A death cloud looms on the following page. The illustrations get darker until the last page. The final page is painted from the perspective of the bottom of a well looking up at the moon. Looking down into the well are silhouetted forms with lit eyes looking into the war-tainted water. These people are innocent various global representatives representing the wide spread effects.

Curricular connections

History

Literary devices

Use of Personification: “the power and wanton devastation of war” is represented in this poem. The illustrations show the consequences of war.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 5 and up. The book jacket says “all ages.” Some people feel that this book is “scary” and disturbing. It is just as war is. I think that children are exposed to so much directly and indirectly though life and through the media. The earlier children are introduced to truths (like war is devastatingly terrible) the better. Otherwise, there is the chance of raising a generation who is blind to the consequences or sees the wrong causes. This is just a personal opinion, however. There are other people who view this book and poem as political propaganda meant to indoctrinate children to be peaceful. In addition, this particular personified war is evil. It doesn’t show the version where people gain freedom and are liberated. Books like this are great for discussions. I would think it would be good for a middle school debate.

Unfortunately, perhaps books that have these ‘mature’ concepts should be suggested with discretion in a public library setting or for individuals (parents, teachers, etc.) interested in and inquiring about war in general.

Reviews and Awards

Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize and an American Book Award for her novel The Color Purple. School Library Journal included Why War is Never a Good Idea in its Best Books of 2007 list.

Author website: No known website.

Illustrator website: www.stefanovitale.com/

Media: Acrylic painting

Genre: Juvenile picture book, poetry

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.

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.

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

So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small

St. George, Judith. David Small (illustrator). So You Want to Be President?  (2004). New York: Philomel. 56  pages.  ISBN: 0-399-24317-8.

Annotation

Previous Presidents of the United States are introduced in this picturebook with lots of facts, trivia, caricatures, and entertaining details.

My thoughts

I like informational picturebooks and especially those that make learning classroom knowledge easy and enjoyable. This book accomplishes this and presents random facts will help children to remember the 42 previous presidents. For example, some of the memorable and unusually funny facts are: George Washington’s love for dancing, Theodore Roosevelt’s son bringing a horse into the White House elevator, William Howard Taft getting a head of cabbage thrown at him during a speech, and George Bush’s dislike of broccoli. By making the former presidents into relatable people, St. George makes this a successfully entertaining informational book. There is a great deal of information by the end of the book and most children will be able to remember these new facts. I also liked the appendix at the end of the book lists the former presidents and gives factual information (such as birth place and year, dates in office, and what the president is most remembered for).

Artwork

This Caldecott Medal winning illustrations by David Small really adds sense of humor and bring this book to life. Small’s portrays these former presidents as caricature’s with inflated heads and exaggerated expressions. These caricatures will help with future identification of presidents through photographs or newspaper cartoons. The colors are also high intensity and bright which also make the picture interesting.

Curricular connections

Grade 5: American history- Presidents

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 1 and up/ Age 6 and up.

Reviews and Awards

Winner of the 2001 Caldecott Medal

ALA Notable Children's Book, 2001

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

Illustrator website: http://davidsmallbooks.com/

Media: Ink, watercolor and pastel chalk

Genre: Juvenile picture book, Nonfiction