Compiled by Heidi Rabinowitz & Chava Pinchuck, 2021
In December 2021, The Washington Post ran a story about a teacher who made third grade students reenact scenes from the Holocaust, including digging mass graves and shooting victims. The students also reported that the teacher made antisemitic remarks. As of this writing, the teacher has been placed on leave pending a school investigation. In the wake of this event, it seems appropriate to highlight Holocaust resources that can help educators and families raise children who understand this crucial period of history, and ensure their ability to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to our own times.
Here, then, are a few selections from the 200+ Holocaust titles that have been recognized by the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sydney Taylor Book Award committee over the years. There are fiction and nonfiction titles for children and teen readers. Each title’s recognition status and age range is provided at the end of the annotation.