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An extraordinary, beautifully illustrated graphic novel that looks at the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of children and young people who lived through it
Nazi control of Germany was marked by the insidious escalation of anti-Semitic policies, as Jews were first forced to self-identify, then were violently pushed to relocate from their apartments to the poorest areas of town, where their movements and livelihoods were tightly controlled by German soldiers. The ghettos were isolated from the rest of the city and subject to ever-increasingly restrictions the resulted in overcrowding, disease, and starvation. Readers will also learn the terrifying aftermath of the liquidation of the ghettos, as it was revealed that they were primarily meant as holding cells on the way to death camps. These stories will not only open conversation into the horrors of anti-Semitism in Germany, but will also lead to discussions of anti-Semitism and Jewish ghettos elsewhere in history.
By the time it became clear how horrific the situation in Germany would become for non-Aryans, many Jews had been rendered incapable of leaving by the slow acceleration of Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic policies. As more Jews were stripped of their jobs, homes, and basic rights, many lacked the resources to flee, and those that successfully escaped faced terrifying obstacles even after they left Germany. This book offers readers a first-hand look at the stories of teens who managed to escape the Nazi regime, surviving only through a combination of gut instinct and luck. Readers will also see parallels between the plight of those fleeing Germany and the refugees from Syria and other countries facing similar crises today and will discover the complex reasons some people simply didn't leave before it was too late.
Of the estimated six million Jews who died during the Holocaust, it is believed that at least three million died in work camps, where Jews were forced on pain of death to work on behalf the German military or perform backbreaking labor, and death camps like Auschwitz and Dachau. Originally built as prisons for Adolf Hitler's political opponents, these camps became the last stop for those deemed unacceptable under the Nazi regime, whether because of their race, religion, sexuality, or other attribute. Readers will learn of the horrors of the gas chambers, which could kill hundreds at once, the countless crematoria for burning dead bodies, and the horrific experiments of the infamous Joseph Mengele. Survivors' accounts of these atrocities will spur student discussion of trauma and PTSD, while tales of resistance attempts will engender conversation about courageous action in the face of almost certain death.
"Zhanna and Frina Arshanskaya were two talented child musicians when Nazis invaded their city of Kharkiv, Ukraine during World War II. Along with their parents, the Jewish sisters were forced into a death march. They each eventually escaped individually and were reunited, but how would they survive the rest of the war? By hiding their true identities and becoming musical entertainment for German soldiers. Learn about their story of survival in this inspiring graphic novel"--
Both Jewish and Gentile teens played a key role in resisting the Nazi regime. Students will learn first-hand of the different resistance groups in Nazi Germany, from the anti-authoritarian pranksters Edelweiss Pirates to the communist Baum Group to the anti-fascist Christians of The White Rose. This book also examines resistance outside of Germany. While Western European countries focused on military resistance and rescuing children, resistance in Eastern Europe primarily meant survival, as Aryan-looking Jews became couriers carrying badly-needed food to those in need. Students may be inspired toward high-level ethical discussions of the role children played in certain resistance activities and the impossible choices faced by those embroiled in guerrilla warfare in the forests of Eastern Europe.
As Adolf Hitler's control over Germany became absolute, those Jews who could not run from the Nazis were forced into hiding. Readers will experience the harrowing first-hand narratives of those who concealed either themselves, in bunkers or attics or even the forest, or by their Judaism, relying on Aryan looks to hide themselves in plain sight. Some people tried to plan in advance, constructing secret rooms in which they hid, silently, relying on the kindness of trusted friends. Others hid wherever possible, building bunkers into the dirt floor of barns, in the ghettos in order to avoid being shot or deported to death camps, and even in the rubble of bombed out cities as the war progressed.
Though many teens and children did not fully understand what was happening in the early days of Adolf Hitler's reign, they certainly felt the effects of anti-Semitism. Students in Nazified schools were forced to perform the Hitler salute every day, and Jewish students were increasingly persecuted by teachers and peers alike. Friends turned against friends, and there was enormous pressure on young Gentiles to adhere to Hitler's racist policies, as Aryan teens were compelled and eventually forced to join the Hitler Youth or the League of German Girls. Students may find parallels between the pressure to conform in these groups and the echo chambers of social media. These stories of Nazi teens will spur discussion of the recruiting tactics and bonding rituals of racist groups in America today.
Though it ended nearly 80 years ago, World War II looms large in American consciousness. In this hi-lo overview of the conflict, young readers can learn about the major players, important battles, and turning points in the war. Features include a map of a key battle, a timeline of important events, and a diagram of an atomic bomb. This fascinating title is perfect for reluctant readers curious to learn more about an important time in world history.
Beyond MAUS. The Legacy of Holocaust Comics collects 16 contributions that shed new light on the representation of the Holocaust. While MAUS by Art Spiegelman has changed the perspectives, other comics and series of drawings, some produced while the Holocaust happened, are often not recognised by a wider public. A plethora of works still waits to be discovered, like early caricatures and comics referring to the extermination of the Jews, graphic series by survivors or horror stories from 1950s comic books. The volume provides overviews about the depictions of Jews as animals, the representation of prisoner societies in comics as well as in depth studies about distorted traces of the Holocaust in Hergé's Tintin and in Spirou, the Holocaust in Mangas, and Holocaust comics in Poland and Israel, recent graphic novels and the use of these comics in schools. With contributions from different disciplines, the volume also grants new perspectives on comic scholarship.