Parallel Journeys
By Eleanor Ayer, with Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck
Published: 1995
Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (Non-Fiction) (1996)
CBC/NCSS Notable Children’s Book in Social Studies
Christopher Award (1995)
Flora Stielglitz Straus Award (1995)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Teen Readers (1995)
VOYA 1995 Roll Call
Parallel Journeys follows the paths of two Germans during Hitler’s regime. One, Alfons Heck, joined the Hitler Youth. By the time the war ended when he was seventeen, Alfons was a leader of the Hitler Youth with thousands of people under his command. He was also a Luftwaffe (German air force) pilot, though once he completed training he was needed on the front to help defend against the advancing Allied troops. The other, Helen Waterford, was a young Jewish woman. She and her husband Siegfried fled to Amsterdam, where they eventually went into hiding. They were later discovered, and sent to Auschwitz on the same train that Anne Frank and her family were on. This was the last train to leave for Auschwitz from Holland. Eventually, Helen and Siegfried were separated, and she was later sent to a labor camp, where she remained until liberation. Parallel Journeys gives their stories side-by-side as the events of World War II and the Holocaust unfold.
Shortly after the war, Helen and her daughter (whom they had hidden with help from the underground network) moved to the United States. Alfons first went to Canada, and later immigrated to America. They were both living in San Diego, when Alfons published an article in 1980 about his time in the Hitler Youth. Helen contacted him, and they spent nearly a decade lecturing together at schools across the country. Both have been treated with hatred and misunderstanding by some, but they persisted in getting their message across:
“Both Helen and Alfons speak for their dead – she for the six million murdered, he for the two-and-one-half million young Germans sacrificed for a madman’s glory. But they also speak in the hope of building understanding—helping their readers and listeners realize what happened during those nightmare years. Understanding how a powerful, charismatic leader could brainwash an entire nation may help keep today’s young people from following future demented Pied Pipers. Understanding how the Holocaust was allowed to happen may help to ensure that it never happens again” ( Ayer Parallel 222).
In 1988, Alfons was part of a BBC film, The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler, and in 1991 HBO made a documentary about his life: Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth, which received an Emmy in 1992. Helen’s story is now a permanent part of history at the United States Holocaust Museum. She and Siegfried’s stories are two of the 500 identity cards selected by tourists when they visit the museum, and the card travels the exhibits with them. Some of those chosen, like Helen, survived; others, like Siegfried, did not.
Published: 1995
Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (Non-Fiction) (1996)
CBC/NCSS Notable Children’s Book in Social Studies
Christopher Award (1995)
Flora Stielglitz Straus Award (1995)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Teen Readers (1995)
VOYA 1995 Roll Call
Parallel Journeys follows the paths of two Germans during Hitler’s regime. One, Alfons Heck, joined the Hitler Youth. By the time the war ended when he was seventeen, Alfons was a leader of the Hitler Youth with thousands of people under his command. He was also a Luftwaffe (German air force) pilot, though once he completed training he was needed on the front to help defend against the advancing Allied troops. The other, Helen Waterford, was a young Jewish woman. She and her husband Siegfried fled to Amsterdam, where they eventually went into hiding. They were later discovered, and sent to Auschwitz on the same train that Anne Frank and her family were on. This was the last train to leave for Auschwitz from Holland. Eventually, Helen and Siegfried were separated, and she was later sent to a labor camp, where she remained until liberation. Parallel Journeys gives their stories side-by-side as the events of World War II and the Holocaust unfold.
Shortly after the war, Helen and her daughter (whom they had hidden with help from the underground network) moved to the United States. Alfons first went to Canada, and later immigrated to America. They were both living in San Diego, when Alfons published an article in 1980 about his time in the Hitler Youth. Helen contacted him, and they spent nearly a decade lecturing together at schools across the country. Both have been treated with hatred and misunderstanding by some, but they persisted in getting their message across:
“Both Helen and Alfons speak for their dead – she for the six million murdered, he for the two-and-one-half million young Germans sacrificed for a madman’s glory. But they also speak in the hope of building understanding—helping their readers and listeners realize what happened during those nightmare years. Understanding how a powerful, charismatic leader could brainwash an entire nation may help keep today’s young people from following future demented Pied Pipers. Understanding how the Holocaust was allowed to happen may help to ensure that it never happens again” ( Ayer Parallel 222).
In 1988, Alfons was part of a BBC film, The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler, and in 1991 HBO made a documentary about his life: Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth, which received an Emmy in 1992. Helen’s story is now a permanent part of history at the United States Holocaust Museum. She and Siegfried’s stories are two of the 500 identity cards selected by tourists when they visit the museum, and the card travels the exhibits with them. Some of those chosen, like Helen, survived; others, like Siegfried, did not.
Reviews:
“Occasionally, the narrative’s organization is confusing, especially the constant switching from Ayer’s general history to the first-person narratives. But the stark contrasts between the Jewish and the Nazi experiences are dramatic and thought provoking. Both Germans speak quietly and honestly, without hand-wringing, cover-up, or self-pity. Readers will want to talk about the questions raised: What would I have done? Could it happen again?” (Rochman "Parallel").
Tell Them We Remember: The Story of the Holocaust
By Susan D. Bachrach
Published: 1994
Awards:
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award - Nominee (1999)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (1994)
Put together by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Tell Them We Remember provides a simple yet detailed introduction into the elements of the Holocaust. It begins by defining “holocaust” and “anti-Semitism,” and describing Hitler’s rise to power, the spreading of Nazi discrimination, and the start of Jewish (and other) persecution. Readers are then taken through the formation of the ghettos, mobile killing squads, and finally, the Wannsee Conference, where high-ranking Nazi officials came up with the “final solution.” From there, readers follow the deportations to concentration camps. Finally, there are stories of rescue and resistance, the end of the war and the liberation of the survivors.
Published: 1994
Awards:
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award - Nominee (1999)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (1994)
Put together by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Tell Them We Remember provides a simple yet detailed introduction into the elements of the Holocaust. It begins by defining “holocaust” and “anti-Semitism,” and describing Hitler’s rise to power, the spreading of Nazi discrimination, and the start of Jewish (and other) persecution. Readers are then taken through the formation of the ghettos, mobile killing squads, and finally, the Wannsee Conference, where high-ranking Nazi officials came up with the “final solution.” From there, readers follow the deportations to concentration camps. Finally, there are stories of rescue and resistance, the end of the war and the liberation of the survivors.
Reviews:
“This ambitious work, produced in association with the United States Holocaust Museum, is the book equivalent of a museum tour. Each spread investigates a different aspect of the Holocaust…While unusually comprehensive, the text does not dominate the book. Thoughtfully chosen, uncommon documentary photographs overwhelm the pages with their pathos and horror…There is much to compel thought, but there is little attempt at synthesis – rather, each entry, textual of illustrative, seems to compete for the reader’s attention” ("Tell")
“This photo-history, produced in association with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, focuses on what happened to young people whose world of family and friends, school and play, was destroyed. More than 30 short, accessible chapters cover the general history, including the rise of Hitler, the ghettos, the transports, the camps, the gas chambers, and the movements of resistance and rescue. Sidebars tell the ongoing stories of individual young people and show their ID photos; some of the individuals are pictured several times during the period 1933-45, but many don't survive. The writing is direct, with no histrionics or gimmicks. A wealth of material drawn from the museum's large collection of photographs and taped oral and video histories supports the facts… This is one of the best books available for introducing the subject to young people and an excellent text for the Holocaust curriculum now required in many states” (Rochman "Tell").
“Intended to extend the experience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum beyond its walls, this book reproduces some of its artifacts, photographs, maps, and taped oral and video histories. Bacharach makes the victims of Hitler’s cruelty immediate to readers, showing that, like readers, they were individuals with hobbies and desires, friends and family. Two interesting devices are used to generate emotional involvement. The first is an attractive ‘cast of characters,’ guileless young people whose pictures, taken from their identity cards, smile innocently out from the page and in other photographs, enjoying life. The second is to insert these same identity cards and photos of life before Hitler into the narrative of destruction so that readers can trace what is happening to the young people at different points in the Holocaust until their deaths or the war’s end. Thus, this is a very personal approach to Holocaust history and a very effective one” (Posner 110-111).
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Published: 2005
Awards*:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults – Nonfiction (2006)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top Ten (2006)
ALA Robert F. Sibert - Honor Book (2006)
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth - Youth Nonfiction (2005)
Carolyn W. Field Award (2006)
Horn Book Fanfare - Nonfiction (2005)
IRA Notable Book for a Global Society (2006)
Junior Library Guild Selection
Kirkus Editors' Choice
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor (2006)
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People - World History & Culture (2006)
Newbery Honor (2006)
Parent's Choice - Gold Award
Publisher's Weekly - Best Children's Book of the Year
School Library Journal - Best Book of the Year (2005)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (2006)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor
*list provided on Bartoletti's website*
Adolf Hitler recognized that the future of the Third Reich rested in the hands of the youth: “I begin with the young…We older ones are used up…But my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With them I can make a new world” (Bartoletti Hitler 7). With this in mind, he formed the Hitler Youth in 1926, and inspired millions of boys and girls to follow him without question, and even give their lives for the glory of Germany. Bartoletti’s carefully researched book follows the lives of a handful of these individuals. Some, like Herbert Norkus, remained faithful to their dying breath. Others, like Helmth Hübener, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl grew disillusioned and turned their backs on Hitler and the Nazi party, and gave their lives trying to get fellow Germans to open their eyes to the truth. This book follows the events of Hitler’s rise to power, World War II and the Holocaust through the eyes of those who followed Hitler with blind devotion.
Published: 2005
Awards*:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults – Nonfiction (2006)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top Ten (2006)
ALA Robert F. Sibert - Honor Book (2006)
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth - Youth Nonfiction (2005)
Carolyn W. Field Award (2006)
Horn Book Fanfare - Nonfiction (2005)
IRA Notable Book for a Global Society (2006)
Junior Library Guild Selection
Kirkus Editors' Choice
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor (2006)
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People - World History & Culture (2006)
Newbery Honor (2006)
Parent's Choice - Gold Award
Publisher's Weekly - Best Children's Book of the Year
School Library Journal - Best Book of the Year (2005)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (2006)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor
*list provided on Bartoletti's website*
Adolf Hitler recognized that the future of the Third Reich rested in the hands of the youth: “I begin with the young…We older ones are used up…But my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With them I can make a new world” (Bartoletti Hitler 7). With this in mind, he formed the Hitler Youth in 1926, and inspired millions of boys and girls to follow him without question, and even give their lives for the glory of Germany. Bartoletti’s carefully researched book follows the lives of a handful of these individuals. Some, like Herbert Norkus, remained faithful to their dying breath. Others, like Helmth Hübener, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl grew disillusioned and turned their backs on Hitler and the Nazi party, and gave their lives trying to get fellow Germans to open their eyes to the truth. This book follows the events of Hitler’s rise to power, World War II and the Holocaust through the eyes of those who followed Hitler with blind devotion.
Reviews:
“Scrupulously sourced, Bartoletti’s page-turning history seamlessly meshes personal accounts of Hitler Youth and resistance members with the larger story of young people’s role in World War II and the Holocaust. Candid and propaganda photographs from the period heighten the impact of this chilling, absorbing work” (Horn Book Fanfare).
“Case studies of actual participants root the work in specifics, and clear prose, through documentation and an attractive format with well-chosen archival photographs make this nonfiction writing at its best. Essential for WWII collections as well as teaching units on conformity, peer pressure and resistance” ("Hitler Youth").
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust
By Doreen Rappaport
Published: 2012
Awards*:
ALA Notable Children’s Books – Older Readers (2013)
Arkansas Teen Book Award - Honorable Mention (2014)
Association of Jewish Libraries – Books for Teen Readers, Silver Award
Booklist Editors’ Choice – Books for Youth, Nonfiction (2012)
Booklist "Lasting Connections" - Social Studies (2012)
Booklist Top Ten Books for Youth – Religion & Spirituality (2012)
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Title for Children’s and Teens (2013)
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (2013)
Kirkus Reviews - Best Book (2012)
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2013)
NCTE Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2013)
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award – Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, Recommended Book (2013)
New York Times Notable Children’s Book - Middle Grade (2012)
Oregon Reader's Choice Nominee - Middle School (2014-2015)
Publisher's Weekly Best Books - Children's Nonfiction (2012)
Sydney Taylor - Honor Award Winner for Teen Readers (2013)
Tablet Magazine Best Jewish Children’s Book (2012)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor List (2012)
Washington Post Book World Best Kids Books (2012)
*list provided on Rappaport's website*
This book is an accumulation of stories about various forms of Jewish resistance. These stories range from ghetto uprisings, to smuggling children out of Nazi territories, to saving religious and personal documents from the flames, to secretly celebrating Jewish holidays, and to sabotaging equipment and supplies meant for German soldiers. It is full of tragedy and hope, and shows that even in the face of torture and death, people can pull together to fight the worst humanity has to offer.
Published: 2012
Awards*:
ALA Notable Children’s Books – Older Readers (2013)
Arkansas Teen Book Award - Honorable Mention (2014)
Association of Jewish Libraries – Books for Teen Readers, Silver Award
Booklist Editors’ Choice – Books for Youth, Nonfiction (2012)
Booklist "Lasting Connections" - Social Studies (2012)
Booklist Top Ten Books for Youth – Religion & Spirituality (2012)
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Title for Children’s and Teens (2013)
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (2013)
Kirkus Reviews - Best Book (2012)
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2013)
NCTE Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2013)
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award – Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, Recommended Book (2013)
New York Times Notable Children’s Book - Middle Grade (2012)
Oregon Reader's Choice Nominee - Middle School (2014-2015)
Publisher's Weekly Best Books - Children's Nonfiction (2012)
Sydney Taylor - Honor Award Winner for Teen Readers (2013)
Tablet Magazine Best Jewish Children’s Book (2012)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor List (2012)
Washington Post Book World Best Kids Books (2012)
*list provided on Rappaport's website*
This book is an accumulation of stories about various forms of Jewish resistance. These stories range from ghetto uprisings, to smuggling children out of Nazi territories, to saving religious and personal documents from the flames, to secretly celebrating Jewish holidays, and to sabotaging equipment and supplies meant for German soldiers. It is full of tragedy and hope, and shows that even in the face of torture and death, people can pull together to fight the worst humanity has to offer.
Reviews:
“In a book that is the very model of excellence in nonfiction, Rappaport dispels the old canard that the Jews entered the houses of death as lambs led to the slaughter…By shining a spotlight on individuals and their involvement in given situations…she creates intimate personal snapshots of the years of the Nazi occupation. She tells of people who committed acts of destruction as well as those whose resistance was in the simple act of celebrating and maintaining their faith in impossible conditions…Thorough, deeply researched and stylistically clear, this is a necessary, exemplary book” ("Beyond").
“The uncluttered book design helps make the detailed history accessible, with spacious type on thick, high-quality paper and portraits, photos, and prints on every page, all meticulously documented in extensive chapter notes and a bibliography. That many young people played important roles in the resistance is a special draw for YAs. An important addition to the Holocaust curriculum” (Rochman "Beyond").
Teen Witnesses to the Holocaust (Series)
- Escape: Teens Who Escaped the Holocaust to Freedom by Sandra Giddens
- The Hidden Children of the Holocaust: Teens Who Hid from the Nazis by Esther Kustanowitz
- The Hitler Youth: Marching Toward Madness by Alexa Dvorson
- In the Camps: Teens Who Survived the Nazi Concentration Camps by Toby Axelrod
- In the Ghettos: Teens Who Survived the Ghettos of the Holocaust by Eleanor H. Ayer
- Liberation: Teens in the Concentration Camps and the Teen Soldiers Who Liberated Them by E. Tina Tito
- Rescuers Defying the Nazis: Non-Jewish Teens Who Rescued Jews by Toby Axelrod
- Resistance: Teen Partisans and Resisters Who Fought Nazi Tyranny by Charles Anflick
Awards:
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (1999) (for Escape: Teens Who Escaped the Holocaust to Freedom)
This series focuses on a variety of events during the Holocaust, and the teenagers affected by them. There are stories of rescue, of hiding, of escape, liberation and rebellion. One book focuses on two teenage Germans, a boy and a girl, who joined the Hitler Youth, their feelings of being betrayed by their nation for believing what they were programmed to believe, and the shame they felt when it was all over and the truth came out. Each book begins with an introduction by Yaffa Eliach, a professor of History and Literature in the Department of Judaic Studies at Brooklyn College, stating the importance of learning about the Holocaust to prevent it from ever happening again. The end of the books include a timeline of important events, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading, including videos and websites.
Reviews:
“The volumes in this series are short and dramatic. Filled with photographs they are guaranteed to grab the interest of even the most reluctant reader. While dealing with specific historical events the authors utilize the stories of the young people who were there. The series fills a gap in most collections about the Holocaust. The various titles address many aspects of the Holocaust often overlooked in fiction titles…The books are designed to look like newspapers, scrap albums, etc.” (Laurita).
True Stories of Teens in the Holocaust: Primary Sources from the Holocaust (Series)
- Courageous Teen Resisters by Ann Byers
- Escape - Teens on the Run by Linda Jacobs Altman
- Hidden Teens, Hidden Lives by Linda Jacobs Altman
- Shattered Youth in Nazi Germany by Linda Jacobs Altman
- Trapped - Youth in the Nazi Ghettos by Ann Byers
- Youth Destroyed - The Nazi Camps by Ann Byers
Holocaust Research by Margaret Shannon
Published: 2010
Working with researchers from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., this series examines the lives of teenagers who were directly involved with the horrors of the Holocaust. Using a combination of autobiographies, interviews and online testimonials, the books are a great introduction to the myriad of experiences and emotions of a number of teenagers during the Holocaust. The end of each book in the series contains a timeline of events, chapter notes (including sources used for each quote/testimonial, a glossary of popular terms, suggestions for further readings, informative websites, and an index of events, people and places referenced in the book.
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps
By Andrea Warren
Published: 2001
Awards*:
ALA Notable Children’s Books – Older Readers (2002)
ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book for Most Distinguished Informational Book for Children (2002)
American Society of Journalists and Authors – Outstanding Children’s Book (2002)
Association of Jewish Libriaries – Notable Children’s Book of Jewish Content (2001)
Brandeis University National Women’s Committee Learned Research Journal Award
Children’s Literature Choice – Young Adult (2002)
Kansas City Star – 100 Notable Books for 2001
National Association of Parenting Publications – Gold Medal for Children’s Nonfiction
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2002)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Cumulative Master List, 1998-2015 (2005)
Society of Midland Authors Children’s Nonfiction Book Award (2002)
South Carolina Children’s Book Award – Finalist (2004-2005)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (2001)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor Book (2001)
William Allen White Children’s Book Awards Master List 2003-2004 – Grades 6-8
William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner – Grades 6-8 (2004)
*list provided on Warren's website*
Fifteen-year-old Jack Mandelbaum was one of the lucky few who survived the Holocaust. From his home in Poland, he and his family were first forced into a ghetto, and then transferred to a variety of concentration camps, where Jack became number 16013. Against staggering odds, and with the help of other prisoners, Jack found not only the will to survive, but also to not let the Nazis deprive him of his sense of self. Together with another survivor, Jack went on to found the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education to ensure that the events of the Holocaust are not forgotten, lest they should happen again. "It started with little acts of racism and discrimination and eventually led to the murders of millions of innocents. We thought the European people would rise up out of basic decency and defend us. Some tried, but not enough. We must never think the Holocaust cannot happen again" (Warren 125).
Published: 2001
Awards*:
ALA Notable Children’s Books – Older Readers (2002)
ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor Book for Most Distinguished Informational Book for Children (2002)
American Society of Journalists and Authors – Outstanding Children’s Book (2002)
Association of Jewish Libriaries – Notable Children’s Book of Jewish Content (2001)
Brandeis University National Women’s Committee Learned Research Journal Award
Children’s Literature Choice – Young Adult (2002)
Kansas City Star – 100 Notable Books for 2001
National Association of Parenting Publications – Gold Medal for Children’s Nonfiction
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2002)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Cumulative Master List, 1998-2015 (2005)
Society of Midland Authors Children’s Nonfiction Book Award (2002)
South Carolina Children’s Book Award – Finalist (2004-2005)
Sydney Taylor - Notable Book for Older Readers (2001)
VOYA Nonfiction Honor Book (2001)
William Allen White Children’s Book Awards Master List 2003-2004 – Grades 6-8
William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner – Grades 6-8 (2004)
*list provided on Warren's website*
Fifteen-year-old Jack Mandelbaum was one of the lucky few who survived the Holocaust. From his home in Poland, he and his family were first forced into a ghetto, and then transferred to a variety of concentration camps, where Jack became number 16013. Against staggering odds, and with the help of other prisoners, Jack found not only the will to survive, but also to not let the Nazis deprive him of his sense of self. Together with another survivor, Jack went on to found the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education to ensure that the events of the Holocaust are not forgotten, lest they should happen again. "It started with little acts of racism and discrimination and eventually led to the murders of millions of innocents. We thought the European people would rise up out of basic decency and defend us. Some tried, but not enough. We must never think the Holocaust cannot happen again" (Warren 125).
Reviews:
“The combination of Mandelbaum’s experience and Warren’s reporting of the whole picture makes this an excellent introduction for readers who don’t know much about the history. There’s only one false note…there’s a radiant innocence here: everything ‘before’ was blissful (‘It was a lovely life’), and, even in the camps, Jack never has an ugly thought” (Rochman "Surviving").