The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a story told from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. Bruno and his family live in Berlin until the government promotes his father to Commandant and instructs the family that they will be moving. Bruno’s family moves to a place called “Out-With”, as he pronounces it. Bruno does not like his new home but is intrigued by the people he sees outside his window; all wearing striped pajamas and living inside a fence. Bruno has no idea why these people are there or why they are all wearing striped pajamas, but figures it must be some sort of village. While exploring, Bruno finds the fence and discovers a boy about his age named Shmuel. The two become friends and Shmuel never explains why he is on that side of the fence, other than the fact that the soldiers hate him and his people. Bruno comes to the fence everyday to meet Shmuel and can’t understand why they can’t play together. The story tells of the horrors of the holocaust and innocence of children. The ending will surely touch any reader’s heart.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in the Holocaust and would teach it in conjuction with a unit on World War II.

A Northern Light

Jennifer Donnelly's young adult novel A Northern Light is the fictionalized account of the famous 1906 Adirondack murder of Grace Brown. Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy is also based on the same incident.

A Northern Light is great not only because it gives insight to local history, but because it is a challenge to read. The chronological sequence of the novel is interesting; the plot seems to begin in the middle chapter and stem out in both directions, toward beginning and end. The tale is riveting, and those who are familiar with the lakes of the Adirondacks will feel a strong connection to the young female protagonist.

In the history classroom, A Northern Light is a great way to introduce local history. The class could even just read excerpts from the novel and discuss how the author used the fact of the crime to create the story.

Scholastic rates the novel at a 7th grade reading level, yet they suggest that it may be of interest to older students as well.

Until We Meet Again

Until we Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust by Michael Korenbilt and Kathleen Janger follows two Jewish Families during the Holocaust in Germany. The Korenbilts son, Meyer, and the Nagelsztajins, daughter, Manya are deeply in love. Both families plan and prepare for where to hide when the Nazi’s come for the deportation of the Jews. Each family has a different idea and in a last minute decision Manya decides to join the Korenbilts along with her younger brother, Chaim. The novel follows Meyer and Manya as they hide and eventually travel from concentration camp to concentration camp, doing all they can to stay alive. The two are eventually separated and it is their love for each other that keeps them fighting to stay alive. I won't ruin the ending but it is a great book!

This isn't your typical book about the Holocaust and its vivid details are sure to engage readers.

Mississippi Trial, 1955

Chris Crowe's first novel, Mississippi Trial, 1955 is a fictionalized account of the Emmitt Till case of Money, Mississippi.

This novel is rated for grade levels 6 through 8 yet may be appropriate for older students as well.

I am currently teaching Nobel-prize winning author Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to International Baccalaureate seniors. They were really intrigued by the case and when we talked about the history of it were appalled and interested at the same time.

In the social studies classroom (especially the middle school one), this is a great way to introduce the impact of segregation and racism in the south. This is a particularly good novel because it is told from the point of view of a white teenager who disagrees with the racism he is forced to live in.

Night

Night by Elie Wiesel is a book about his experiences in Auschwitz, a concentration during World War II. The book follows Wiesel and his dad as they are taken away to a concentration camp, with details about the harsh experiences they experienced. Elie and his dad are separated from his mom and sisters and they feel lucky to just have one another. Elie feels he is living a nightmare and discusses the dehumanizing process of the camps.

This book is rather short but is full of vivid recollections from the Holocaust. The novel is at an 8.7 grade level, but could be used from 8th grade and up. I would use it as a supplementary material to teach the Holocaust.

Code Talker

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac, is an easy read for multiple grade levels.Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the US effort, sending messages back & forth in an unbreakable code in the Navajo native language. Perfect for US history in discussing US involvement in WWII.

Brothers in Hope: the Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan

Brothers in Hope: the Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan is a picture book dedicated to telling the true story of young Garang, who was about 8 years old when his Sudanese village was brutally attacked and his family torn apart. Author, Mary Williams, and illustrator R. Gregory Christie take you on Garang's story both in powerful words and beautiful illustrations.
This picture book is a great book to bridge the gap of your struggling readers with your more advanced readers.

A Diary of an Iraqi Girl

Diary of an Iraqi Girl offers great insight into the personal life of a young girl during the invasion of the United States. It provides a personal account of life in Iraq and how the US's invasion affected daily life for those living in Iraq during the time.
Perfect for many different interdisciplinary activities. Because her blog is public, students have the opportunity to interact with Hadia, providing an authentic audience for writing assignments! English dream right?? Social Studies could use bits and pieces of her diary in a unit on terrorism to provide insight to how life was affected by the US in Iraq.

Why?

Nikolai Popov's, wordless, thought provoking tale about a frog who sits peacefully on a rock smelling a flower and a mouse who aggressively snatches the flower away. The absurdity of aggression and the inevitable consequences of the violence that occurs, teaches ys the ugliness of war and that there are no winners.

Perfect to discuss any historical moment of war. Some that come to mind, World War II, Cold War, War on Terrorism, etc. Perfect for younger grade levels as well as high schoolers. Great writing assignments come to mind especially since this book is wordless.

Nothing But the Truth

Avi's young adult novel Nothing But the Truth isn't necessarily historical, but it pairs with middle school Social Studies classes nicely, as it provides a forum for students to discuss our individual rights, such as freedom of speech.

In the English classroom, Nothing But the Truth is a great choice because of its form; it isn't written in just prose. In fact, it includes a number of writing genres, including memos, news articles, and personal correspondence. This would be a good opportunity to discuss fiction and nonfiction texts as well.

In my opinion, Nothing But the Truth would be a great way to teach the format of debate in the classroom. A teacher split his or her students depending on their beliefs about Phillip (the protagonist) and his actions.

If you're interested in bringing other phenomenal young adult literature into your classroom, check out Avi's other works!

Out of the Dust

Out of the Dust is a novel by award-winning author Karen Hesse. The novel is written completely in free verse, which provides a unique challenge to students who are used to reading prose.

The novel is set during the Dust Bowl in the 1930's and follows the trials and tribulations of a young female narrator, Billie Jo.

This novel can be incorporated into the ELA and Social Studies classroom into a number of ways. In ELA, Out of the Dust provides the opportunity for students to become familiar with free verse. Furthermore, novels written in verse are more accessible to readers of all abilities (struggling readers won't be intimidated by hundreds of words on a page, whereas proficient readers will be challenged/intrigued by a new form).

In the Social Studies classroom, Out of the Dust gives a more personal connection to the Dust Bowl, and is a nice companion to the famous Dorothea Lange photographs from the period.

As an English teacher, I would recommend this novel in 7th-8th grade, which pairs with the New York State Social Studies curriculum of American History in these grades.