When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Written by: Judith Kerr

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Nine-year-old Anna was too busy with schoolwork and friends in 1933 to take much notice of Adolf Hitler's rise to power in her native Germany. But when her father is suddenly, unaccountably missing, and her family flees Berlin in secrecy, Anna is forced to learn the skills needed to be a refugee and finds she's much more resilient than she thought."

Product Description

Online Resources:
http://www.remember.org/educate/moretta.html

The Keeping Quilt

The Keeping Quilt

Written and Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco

Elementary Grades

The text develops a strong feeling for family and Jewish traditions as a great-grandmother comes to the United States from Russia. She brings with her a blue dress and a red babushka. These items eventually become part of a quilt that reveals the memories and history of the family.

Multicultural Connections: After reading the book, students could create their own keeping quilt as part of an art project.

Online Resources:
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAArtCIMathSSMDPatriciaPolaccoACraftyAuthorIntegratedUnit3.htm
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/keepingquilt.html

When Zaydeh Danced on Eldridge Street

When Zaydeh Danced on Eldridge Street

Written by: Elsa Olson Rael
Illustrated by: Marjorie Priceman

Elementary Grades

"This radiant story about the power of the Torah is illustrated by Marjorie Priceman, a Caldecott Honor-winning artist. The atmospheric art brings this celebration of Jewish immigrant life in the 1930s America to exuberant life. With a thorough glossary, a generous author's note, and two delightful recipes, the book is complete in all its exquisite detail."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.jewishamericanheritagemonth.us/program_activity.aspx

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

Written by: Amy Hess
Illustrated by: P.J. Lynch

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Jessie lives with her grandmother in a poor village in Eastern Europe. When Jessie is chosen by the rabbi to travel to America and leave her grandmother behind, they both feel their hearts will break. Award-winning author Amy Hest brings her touch to the story of immigrant heritage as she follows Jessie across the ocean to a new life--and a new love--in America."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://web.bsu.edu/00smtancock/CyberLessons/jessie/jessie.htm

The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

Written by: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by: Katya Krenina

Elementary Grades

"During the Jewish festival of Sukkot, in ancient times, families traditionally built a sukkah (a booth) in the fields where they harvested crops. The legend is that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob visit each sukkah disguised as guests and bestow a blessing when welcomed, or a lesson when spurned. This tale follows two brothers in ancient Israel: wealthy Eben, who is selfish and unwelcoming to his poor guests, and Ezra, a poor but generous man whose sukkah always has room and plenty of food for all. They are each visited by the three other wordly guests disguised as poor travelers, who then dole out appropriate punishments and blessings. The story is purposeful but elegantly told, and is matched well by Krenina’s decorative acrylics that look like details from an ancient tapestry. Deeply hued swatches of the land’s bounty surround pensive faces, conveying the somewhat somber, reflective mood of the tale. An author’s note further explains the traditions of a holiday that emphasizes kindness and hospitality."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://ericakimmel.com/teachers-guides/

Chanukah Lights Everywhere

Chanukah Lights Everywhere

Written by: Michael J. Rosen
Illustrated by: Melissa Iwai

Elementary Grades

“One crescent moon glows in the sky. Two headlights shine through the window. . . . On each magical night of Chanukah, a young boy and his sister count more lights shining all around them! Join them as they discover what it means to celebrate Chanukah in a world filled with so many other lights.”

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/hanukkah/hanukkah.php

Habibi

Habibi

Written by: Naomi Shaihab Nye

Junior High and High School Grades

"When fourteen-year-old Liyanne Abboud, her younger brother, and her parents move from St. Louis to a new home between Jerusalem and the Palestinian village where her father was born, they face many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://litplans.com/authors/Naomi_Shihab_Nye.html

Golem

Golem

Written and Illustrated by: David Wisniewski

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Rabbi Loew has a prophetic vision in 1580 when the Jews of Prague are accused of mixing the blood of Christian children into matzoh: he must create a Golem, "a giant of living clay, animated by Cabala, mystical teachings of unknown power." Brought to life with apocalyptic explosions of steam and rain, the Golem seeks out the perpetrators of the Blood Lie and turns them over to the authorities. Thwarted, the enraged enemies of the Jews storm the gates of the ghetto, but the Golem grows to enormous height and violently defeats them with their own battering ram. Once his work is done, he pitifully (and futilely) begs the Rabbi: "Please let me live! I did all that you asked of me! Life is so... precious... to me!" Wisniewski (The Wave of the Sea Wolf) emphasizes the Golem's humanity and the problems with his existence; instead of reducing the legend to a tale of a magical rescuer, the author allows for its historical and emotional complexity."

Publishers Weekly Review

Web Resources
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/golem/index.html

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust

Written by: Karen Gray Ruelle
Illustrated by: Deborah Durland Desaix

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"When the Nazis occupied Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place--the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children. Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Mosque

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin

Written by: Susan Goldman Rubin with Ela Weissberger
Junior High and High School Grades

"Ela Stein matured between the ages of 11 and 15 when she was imprisoned in the Terezin concentration camp with other Czech Jews. In horrific conditions, Ela forged lifelong friendships with other girls from Room 28 of her barracks. Adults working with the children tried their best to lift the youngest prisoners' spirits. A children's opera called Brundibar was even performed, and Ela was chosen to play the pivotal role of the cat. With death and fear of transports to death camps a part of every day life, this unimaginable coming of age memoir is persistent in its belief that humans can triumph over evil."

SayFair Books

Web Resources:
www.holidayhouse.com/docs/CatwiththeYellowStarEducatorsGuide.pdf