World War II book review and books for the classroom
After reading the description of The Librarian of Auschwitz, written by Antonio Iturbe, I was intrigued and wanted to read more. I have a minor in History and I have already read lots on the topic of World War II and the plight of the Jewish people, but I have never read a book about the day to day horrors of Auschwitz through a young adults eyes. This book was such an insightful read. Dita’s voice is authentic and one that will haunt me for years to come.
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| This book is cataloged- Young Adult, historical fiction |
The protagonist is Dita, a 9 yr. old Jewish girl living in Prague. Dita spends most of her childhood in a Jewish ghetto and then later in a concentration camp. What we experience through her is nothing short of miraculous. It’s hard to imagine the strength and sheer determination one must have to ever endure such deplorable conditions and acts of violence.
Dita is assigned the task of Librarian while in Auschwitz. Her duties include keeping the eight books in the library in good repair, checking them out to the teachers of the kinder school, and hiding them away at the end of the day. At the beginning each school day, when the doors were closed and the look-out gave the “all clear” sign, Dita would bring out the books so the teachers could read parts of them to the children. Some of the teachers had committed a book to their memory (prior to captivity) and they would re-tell those stories to the children as well. These stories were called “Living Books” and the children would sit and listen and for a little while escape.
The Nazis obviously did not know about the secret library- All books were banned in the camps and if you were found to have one it was a sure death sentence. The kinder school in Auschwitz was set up as a propaganda tool allowing the world to think that the Jewish children were being taken care of.
For the classroom:
Who should read this book? All students from 7th grade and up. I can easily see this book as a starting point for a World War II discussion in history or English class. I would choose this book over, or in addition to, Diary of Anne Frank. Some of my Eighth grade boys did not like Diary of Anne Frank because it was written in the form of a girl’s diary. Although this book is also written from a girl’s point of view, the details are graphic enough to hold the interest of a middle school or high school adolescent boy.
Topics for further research could include: Josef Mengele, Auschwitz Camp, Prague and Warsaw ghettos, the Extermination plan, liberation and how difficult it was for the liberators to witness such horror, the Nuremberg Trails, and lice and typhoid- diseases in the camps. Map studies could follow Dita’s travels from Prague to Bergen-Belsen.
Other World War II books for students: