Ackerman, Karen. Night Crossing. New York: Random House, Bullseye Books, Inc. 1994.

When Clara hears her father’s fearful words, she knows her life will change forever. The year is 1938, the Nazis have come to Austria, and Jews are no longer safe. Clara and her family must leave their homeland and travel to a new country, taking only what they can carry. Clara chooses two straw dolls that once belonged to her grandmother. She knows they’ll give her comfort on the dangerous journey ahead. But she never imagines that these old dolls — and her own incredible courage-will help to bring her family to safety.

Adler, David A. Child of the Warsaw Ghetto. New York: Holiday House, 1995.

Students will learn about the millions who died, the suffering of children their own age, and the courage of one boy who survived to tell his story. Illustrated throughout with full and half-page pastel drawings.

Adler, David A. Hilde and Eli: Children of the Holocaust.

The biographies of two real-life Holocaust victims are told in this lavishly illustrated book. The sensitive tale is set against a factual backdrop of Hitler's rise to power, loss of civil liberties, and Nazi advances in Eastern Europe.

Adler, David A. We Remember the Holocaust. New York: Henry Holt, 1989.

This book uses the stories of survivors who were children or adolescents during the Holocaust to present a compelling history. Survivor accounts and photographs are woven together to explain European Jewish life before the 1930’s, the violence of Hitler’s rise to power, the struggle to survive in the ghettos and camps, and the Nuremberg Trials. 147 pp. , bibliography, chronology, glossary.

Adler, David A. One Yellow Daffodil. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1995.

Morris Kaplan fills his shop with fresh flowers from the market. Each Friday Jonathan and Ilana come to Morris’s shop to buy flowers for the Sabbath, but then one December week the children come on Tuesday. They need a special bouquet for the first night of Hanukkah. Surprised to learn that Morris doesn’t celebrate the holiday, they insist that he come home with them. Morris is once again able to embrace the traditional celebrations and remember his past in Poland. An outstanding picture book for all ages.

Adler, David A. The Picture Book of Anne Frank. New York: Social Studies School Services. , 1993.

Anne’s life in hiding is retold in simplest fashion in this beautiful book with softly colored, full page illustrations evoking the moods of family love, growing anxiety, tense monotony, death camp suffering, and a father’s grief. Black-and-white "photographs are scattered throughout. Although inherently intense, the story’s brief, calm language is appropriate for younger readers.

Adler, David A. The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm. NY: UAHC Press, 1987.

A curious young girl asks her grandfather, who wears long-sleeved shirts and a coat, even in summer, about the number she notices on his arm while they are washing dishes together. A low-key introduction to the Holocaust.

Baylis-White. Sheltering Rebecca. New York: Puffin Books, 1991.

Sally Simpkins doesn’t expect to become friends with her new classmate, Rebecca Muller. Rebecca is a Jewish refugee who has been smuggled out of Germany in time to avoid the Nazis. But even as she is grateful for her British home, she cannot stop thinking about her parents and brother, who were not as lucky. Sally and Rebecca grow closer and war seems inevitable. Rebecca shares her memories with her new friend and when the war draws to a close, both of them are anxious to learn the answer to the most important question of all: has Rebecca’s family survived?

Bishop, Claire. Twenty and Ten. New York: Puffin Books, 1952.

During the German occupation of France, twenty French children were brought to a refuge in the mountains. One day a young man came to their school with a request: Could they take in, and hide, ten Jewish refugee children? Sister Gabriel spoke up, "The Nazis are looking for those children. If we take them we must never let on that they are here. " The children understood, but how would they hide them if the Nazis did come?

Brooks, Phillip. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. New York: Children’s Press, Grolier Publishing, 1996.

A factual book about the creation, architecture, and purpose of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with photographs.

Buck, Pearl, The Big Wave. New York: Harper & Row, 1986.

Although Kino and Jiya are both Japanese and live on the same island in close proximity to one another, their basic lifestyles and outlooks on life are quite different. The diversity within a community is central to the story, as is a strong sense of interdependence and belonging to the larger community regardless of differences.

Bunting, Eve. How Many Days to America: A Thanksgiving Story. New York: Clarion Books, 1988.

Refugees from a Caribbean island embark on a dangerous boat trip to America where they have a special reason to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Bunting, Eve. The Wall. New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

A moving account, beautifully told from a young person’s point of view about finding the name of the grandfather never known. It captures the meaning of the memorial to the American people, especially to those who lost loved ones.

Cohen, Barbara. Molly’s Pilgrim. New York: Dell-Yearling Books for young readers. 1995.

Molly and her family have moved to America from Russia. Her mother says they moved to find freedom. But the children in Molly’s third-grade class make fun of her accent and clothes. That doesn’t seem like freedom to Molly. At Thanksgiving everyone has to bring a Pilgrim doll to class. The doll Molly’s mother makes looks like a Russian peasant girl. It doesn’t look at all like the Pilgrims Molly has seen in her schoolbook. Molly is afraid she’ll never fit in with her classmates.

Cohen, Janice. The Christmas Menorah’s. New York: Albert Whitman & Company, 1995.

It’s Chanukah and menorahs glow in the windows of the Schnitzer home in Billings, Montana. Then suddenly, a rock crashes through the window of Isaac Schnitzer’s bedroom. "But why?" Issac wants to know. "Because we are Jews" his father tells him. Christmas lights shine in the Hanley home, where Isaac’s friend Teresa and her family decide to do something brave so that the Schnitzers can celebrate their holiday without fear. This powerful narrative tells how two children, two families and a community resolve to stand together against bigotry and acts of hatred. Her story is based on real events that happened in Billings in 1993. A strong message of power and goodness.

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1991.

A young boy accompanies Uncle Willie to a soup kitchen to help others. The soup kitchen is a friendly, bustling place where workers try hard to make a difference in their neighbors’ lives. This is a sensitively written text.

Dooley, Norah. Everybody Cooks Rice. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1991.

A child is sent to find a younger brother at dinner time and is introduced to a variety of cultures through encountering the many ways rice is prepared in the different households visited.

Dorros, Arthur, This is My House. New York: Scholastic, 1992.

Simple text and childlike illustrations represent the different types of houses children live in all over the world. On each page, the phrase, "This is my house" appears in the appropriate native tongue.

Drucker, M. and Halperin M. Jacob’s Rescue. New York: Dell Yearling Books, Inc. 1993.

Once Jacob Gutgeld lived with his family in a beautiful house in Warsaw, Poland. He went to school and played hide-and-seek in the woods with his friends, but everything changed the day the Nazi soldiers invaded in 1939. Suddenly it wasn’t safe to be Jewish anymore. One afternoon, eight-year-old Jacob slipped through a hole in the ghetto wall to meet Alex Roslan, a kind Christian man who agreed to be his new "uncle". The Roslan family, at the risk of their own lives, kept Jacob’s identity as a Jew hidden. Every day of hiding meant a new danger and a threat of discovery. Jacob worried about his real family and longed to go to school and play outside like the Roslan children. The fear, the hunger, and the hardships brought Jacob closer to the Roslan family — until at last they were able to begin a new chapter in their lives.

Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1944.

Wanda wore the same faded-blue dress to school every day. It was always clean, but it looked as through it had never been ironed properly. One day when a classmate showed up wearing a bright new dress that was much admired, Wanda said suddenly, "I have a hundred dresses at home. " That had started the teasing game of dresses, which Peggy and Maddie played with Wanda. This is a sensitive, lovely story that allow the reader to understand about games, and friendship.

Feelings, Murial. Jambo Means Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book. New York: Dial Press, 1974.

This follow-up to Moja Means Onesupplements the Swahili vocabulary with the words used in everyday life in an African village.

Filpovic, Zlata. Zlata’s Diary. New York: Penguin Books, 1995.

The diary of Zlata begins with the typical concerns of an eleven year old girl: piano lessons and birthday parties, new skis and grades at school. Eight months later, as blasts of gunfire destroy her happy world, Zlata witnesses and records instead the horrors of war, the deaths of friends, food shortages, and days spent seeking refuge from bombs and artillery in a neighbor’s cellar. In a voice both innocent and heartbreakingly wise, Zlata tells her remarkable story.

Flender, Harold. Rescue in Denmark. New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1963.

Fleuk,Toby K. Memory of My Life in a Polish Village. New York: Knopf, 1990.

Toby Knobel Fleuk, a Holocaust survivor and artist, tells the story of her family between 1930 and 1949. Each page consists of an original painting and a brief description of the part of her life shown in the illustration.

Freedman, Russell. Immigrant Kids. New York: Puffin Books, 1995.

America meant "freedom" to the immigrants of the early 1900s — but a freedom very different from what they expected. The cities were crowded. Jobs were scarce. Children had to work selling newspapers, delivering goods, and laboring in sweatshops. In this unique book, Freedman offers a rare glimpse of what it meant to be a young newcomer to America.

Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984.

A wonderfully thought provoking book with subtle similarities and differences among cultures.

Gilson, Jamie. Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs. New York: Pocket Books, Inc. 1985.

Harvey Trumble’s family hosts a Vietnamese refugee family who are arriving in the small city of Pittsfield. Tuan Nguyen, his father, and grandmother arrive from a refugee camp by way of Chicago. His mother and baby sister had to stay behind because of illness. Harvey thinks it will be neat teaching the Vietnamese boy to speak English and become an American. Harvey grapples with a variety of emotions. He and Tuan learn about each other’s culture and how to cope with prejudice, stereotyping, and the balance between assimilation and the preservation of one’s own culture and identity.

Golenbock, Peter. Teammates. New York: Voyager Books, Harcourt Brace & Company, 1990.

Jackie Robinson was more than just a teammate. He had a tremendous amount of talent, ability, and dedication. He set a standard for future generations of ball players. This is a wonderfully illustrated short story telling about his accomplishments, breaking the color barrier, and important lessons for all.

Gross, Judith. A Book of Jewish Holidays. New York: Platt & Munk. 1992.

Hakim, Joy. A History of the US: War, Peace and all that Jazz. New York: Oxford Press. 1995.

A 10 volume storyteller’s history of our nation written for young people from nine to ninety-nine. This volume covers the period of history from World War I through World War II, recounting events that have defined our past and shape our future. An excellent elementary and middle school resource.

Hesse, Karen. Letters From Rifka. New York: Penguin, 1993.

After fleeing Russia in 1919, Rifka must be treated for ringworm in Belgium before she may board a steamship to America. Rifka must endure the journey alone, the rest of her family having already reached America.

Historical Atlas of the Holocaust. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. New York: Simon & Schuster MacMillin Publishing. 1996.

The story of the Holocaust in all its specific geographical detail — country by country, ghetto by ghetto, camp by camp, action by action. The story of this tragic period of world history is made clear — from location of the Jewish and Romani (Gypsy) communities in 1933 to postwar Europe in 1949-50. The maps and the text explain the physical facts of deportations, concentration camps and the extermination of the victims of the Nazi state in Europe, from Germany and the western countries to Poland and the other areas in the east.

Hoestlandt, Jo. Star of Fear, Star of Hope.

This color illustrated, award-winning children's book directly, yet gently, explains the horrors confronting Jews in Nazi-occupied France. The poignant story tells of two close friends that were separated by the events of the Holocaust.

Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. New York: Dial Books, 1991.

When classmates tell Grace she can’t play Peter Pan in the school play because she’s black and a girl, Grace’s mother and grandmother help her realize she can do anything she puts her mind to.

Holmes, Mary Z. History’s Children 1942-Dear Dad. Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn. 1992.

This series of historical fiction tells America’s story through the experiences of children. Each illustrated book presents a dramatic story that brings a period of American history alive and gives early readers a deep understanding of what life was like.

Hoobler, Dorothy and Hoobler, Thomas. Florence Robinson, The Story of a Jazz Age Girl. NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1997.

Florence grew up in a small Mississippi town. She can’t wait for her father to return home from fighting in WWI, but little did she know that soon, her whole life would change. Her father, threatened and almost killed by the Ku Klux Klan, goes to Chicago to start a new life for his family. It is there that Flo finds out about a life where she is not segregated because of her race and where she finds out about an exciting new kind of music -jazz.

Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. , 1993.

Clara is a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation. She knows that the Underground Railroad can lead her to freedom. The only problem is, How to find it? By piecing together scraps of cloth with scraps of information gathered from the other slaves, she fashions a map so secret that even the master won't suspect.

Hurwitz, Johanna. Anne Frank: Life in Hiding. New York: Beech Tree Paperbacks, 1993.

From July 1942 until August 1944, a young teenager named Anne Frank kept a diary. Keeping a diary isn’t unusual. Lots of teen-age girls do. But, Anne’s diary was unique. It chronicled the two years she and her family spent hiding, hiding from the Germans who were determined to annihilate all the Jews of Europe. This is a sensitive and thoughtful introduction to the Holocaust and to the life of one of its best known victims.

lntrater, Robert. Two Eyes, A Nose and a Mouth: A Book of Many Faces, Many Races. New York: Cartwheel: A division of Scholastic, 1995.

Likenesses and differences are explored in this book of photographs about the colors, shapes, and types of faces in the world.

Jules, Jacqueline. The Grey Striped Shirt: How Grandma and Grandpa Survived the Holocaust.

Young Frannie discovers a prison uniform in her grandparents' attic, and begins a search for the truth about her family's history in Europe during the Holocaust. Illustrated with several full page pen-and-ink drawings.

Kerr, Judith. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. New York: A Yearling Book, Inc. , 1971.

Anna is only nine years old in 1933, too busy with her schoolwork and friends to take much notice of Adolf Hitler’s face glaring from political posters all over Berlin. Being Jewish, she thinks is just something you are because your parents and grandparents are Jewish. But then one day her father is unaccountably, frighteningly missing. Soon after, she and her brother, Max are hurried out of Germany by their mother with alarming secrecy. Reunited in Switzerland, Anna and her family embark on an adventure that will go on for years, in several different countries.

Kidd, Diana. Onion Tears. New York: Beech Tree Paperback Books, 1989.

Vietnamese Nam-Huong wants to adjust to her new life in Australia, but she can’t. She misses her parents and her beloved grandfather too much, and she is haunted by her experiences as a refugee. When her classmates try to make friends she rejects them, so they begin to tease and torment her. Soon, she doesn’t talk at all, but with the help of her foster mother and her teacher, Nam-Huong slowly begins to trust and love again.

Knight, Margy B. Talking Walls. Maine: Tilbury House. 1992.

This book offers an illustrated description of walls around the world and their significance, from the Great Wall of China to the Berlin Wall. Beautifully illustrated, factual.

Knight, Margy B. Welcoming Babies. Maine: Tilbury House. 1994.

The value and beauty of various ceremonies used to greet newborns, from Muslim to Korean to Hopi, are discussed in this book about the joy that new births bring.

Knight, Margy B. Who Belongs Here? An American Story. Maine: Tilbury House, 1996.

In this probing, plain-spoken book, based on a true story, Knight invites young readers to explore the human implications of intolerance. Anecdotes relating the experiences of other refugees and their contributions to American culture play counterpoint to Nary’s tale, all enlivened by illustrations. A compendium at the end of the book offers more detailed information about Pol Pot, Ellis Island, and other topics in the text.

Kuklin, Susan. How My Family lives in America. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1992.

Through photos and text cultural identity of the family is explored. The stories emphasize the seemingly minor and everyday ways heritage is transmitted: stories, songs, games, language, special occasions. They show the importance of choice and adaptation in forging a cultural identity.

Lawlor, Veronica ed. I Was Dreaming to Come to America. Memories from the Ellis Island Oral History Project. New York: Viking Books, Inc. 1995.

This book captures the hopes and dreams of millions of immigrants who came to the United States from all over the world. Memoirs from some of the people, mostly children at the time who passed through Ellis Island between 1900 and 1935.

Leighton, Maxinne Rhea. An Ellis Island Christmas. New York: Puffin Books, 1992.

A moving account of one families journey from Poland to the United States.

Leitner, Isabella. The Big Lie. New York: Scholastic, Inc. , 1992.

On March 19, 1944, with World War II raging through-out Europe, the Nazis took over — and everything changed for Isabella Leitner, her family, and all the Jews of Hungary. Isabella tells of her experiences in Nazi occupied Europe. She explains how she was forced to wear a yellow star and to obey strict rules… just because she was Jewish. Isabella survived and has a very important story to share.

Levine, Ellen. Freedom’s Children. New York: Avon Books. 1993.

A collection of true stories, 30 African-Americans who were children or teenagers in the 1950’s and 1960’s talk about what it was like for them to fight segregation in the south — to sit in an all-white restaurant and demand to be served, to be among the first to integrate the public schools, and to face violence, arrest, and even death for the cause of freedom.

Levine, Ellen. I Hate English!New York: Scholastic Books, Inc. 1982.

This is a touching story of Mei Mei, a young immigrant girl from Hong Kong, who arrives in New York’ Chinatown. With the help of her teacher, Mei Mei learns that she can have the best of two worlds by learning to communicate in two languages.

Levine, Ellen. If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1993.

Questions and answers about immigrating through Ellis Island.

Levitin, Sonia. Journey to America. New York: Macmillan, 1987.

Three sisters and their mother flee the Nazi persecution in Germany and travel on a perilous journey to America, where they are finally rejoined with their father.

Linnea, Sharon. Raoul Wallenberg:The Man Who Stopped Death. Philadelphia: JPS. 1993.

Based upon archival materials and first-person interviews with Wallenberg’s family, his colleagues, and the people he saved. Illustrated with original photographs. To this day, no one knows the fate of Raoul Wallenberg. His belief that one person can make a difference endures as a legacy for all of us.

Little, Jean. From Anna. New York: Harper Collins Books, Inc. 1972.

A heartwarming story with realistic characters. "When papa moved the family from Hitler’s Germany to Canada, a friend discovered that Anna’s clumsiness and maladjustment's were caused by extremely poor eyesight. Placed in a special class with other children, all of whom wore thick glasses like her, Anna felt comfortable in school for the first time and set out to show that she was someone special.

Louie, Ai-Ling. Yeh-Shen-A Cinderella Story from China. New York: Philomel Books 1982.

Beautiful drawings by Ed Young illustrate this ancient Cinderella story. It provides interesting contrasts with Cinderella stories from other cultures.

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. New York: Dell Publishing, 1989.

Ten year old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war. But it’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town. The Nazis won’t stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend’s life. There’s no turning back now.

Madden, Eric. The Fire Children. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1993.

A retelling of the West African tale about the creation of the world and all its different peoples.

MacLachlan, Patricia. Journey. New York: A Dell Yearling Books, 1991.

Journey is eleven the summer his mother leaves him and his sister, Cat, with their grandparents. He is sad and angry, and spends the summer looking for the clues that will explain why she left. Journey searches photographs for answers. He hunts for family resemblance's in Grandma’s albums. Looking for happier times, he tries to put together the torn pieces of the pictures his mother shredded before her departure. He also searches the photographs his grandfather takes as the older man attempts to provide Journey with a past. In the process, the boy learns to look and finds that, for him, the camera is a means of finding things his naked eye has missed. Things like the inevitability of his mother’s departure and the love that still binds his family.

McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure. New York: Scholastic Inc. , 1958.

Peter Lundstrom never thought he would become a hero. But that bleak winter of 1940 was like no other. Nazi troops parachuted into Peter’s tiny village and held it captive. Nobody thought they could be defeated -—until Uncle Victor told Peter how the children of the village could fool the enemy. It was a dangerous plan. Peter and his friends had to slip past Nazi guards with nine million dollars in gold hidden on their sleds. It meant risking their country’s treasure-and their lives.

Martinez, Alejandro Cruz. The Woman Who Outshone the Sun. California: Children’s Book Press.

This legend, written in Spanish and English, is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Mexico. The legend teaches important values: connections between the natural world and quality of life, why people should be accepted for who they are, and the power of love and respect. It also teaches what can happen when a community becomes afraid and intolerant of those who are different, demonstrating how children can help to heal the effects of intolerance.

Means, Florence Crannell. The Moved-Outers. New York: Walker and Company, 1945.

This is the first children’s book to focus on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Means captures the conflicts of the situation effortlessly, and crafts a remarkable coming-of-age story.

Norrell, Robert J. We Want Jobs! A Story of the Great Depression. New York: Steck Vaughn Company. 1983.

Oppenheim, S. L. Lily Cupboard. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.

Set in the dark days of World War II, this book is a moving celebration of the heroism of ordinary people–people daring to save lives, even at the risk of their own.

Panzer, Nora, ed. Celebrate America in Poetry and Art. New York: Hyperion books for Children, 1994.

Poetry, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs in this book create a vivid image of America’s past and present. One hundred contributors are poets such as Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, Li-Young Lee, Walt Whitman; artists such as Bierstadt, Catlett, Benton, Homer, and Johnson. Each offers their personal vision.

Paulsen, Gary. The Cookcamp. New York: Dell Yearling Books, 1991.

In 1944 a little boy is sent to stay with his grandmother. Grandma cooks for nine men who are building a road from Minnesota to Canada. Living in the forest is a great adventure. The little boy helps his grandmother, who gives him her love and delicious things to eat. It’s hard to be brave with his father fighting in the war and his mother far away in Chicago. Grandma understands his feelings. Can she find a way to help him to return home?

Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Simon and Schuster Books, Inc. , 1988.

Patricia tells the story of her own family and the quilt that remains a symbol of their enduring love and faith.

Pomeranc, Marion Hess. The Hand Me Down Horse. New York: Albert Whitman & Co. , 1996.

World War II is over, and like many people who have survived Nazi persecution, David and his family are waiting to emigrate to America. In the months that drag on and on, David’s beloved Aunt Rachel leaves without him. He is so discouraged that he takes his treasured collection of English words off the wall. He will not even think about America anymore. Then one day, someone knocks on the door and leaves something wonderful — a beautiful rocking horse. A gift from a child who has already left for America. David must promise that when he leaves, he will give the horse to another child who waits. Astride the hand-me-down horse, David is given hope. Once again, he can dream of America.

Rabe, Bernice. The Balancing Girl. New York: E. P. Dutton. 1981.

Despite her disability, Margaret’s special skill helps her earn money for the school and the respect of her classmates. More emphasis is placed on Margaret’s creativeness and strong personality than on her diversity.

Reiss, Johanna. The Upstairs Room. New York: Crowell, 1972.

A Dutch family shelters Johanna and her sister from the Nazis for more than two years.

Reiser, Lynn. Margaret & Margarita: Margarita y Margaret. New York: Greenwillow, 1993.

Margaret, who speaks only English, and Margarita, who speaks only Spanish, meet in the park. Illustrations show the pleasant interactions between the girls as they get to know each other and, in the end, understand the Spanish and English words for friend.

Rogasky, Barbara. Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust. New York: Holiday House, 1988.

Why did it happen? How? Didn’t anyone try to stop it? Couldn’t the Jews see what was coming? This book tries to answer these questions and many more.

Rylant, Cynthia. An Angel for Solomon Singer. New York: Orchard Books, 1992.

A tender vignette, narrated with eloquent simplicity that has appeal for almost any age. A very special union of text and art in a memorable portrait of one lost old man who symbolizes many more.

Sandler, Martin W. Immigrants. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.

This book presents the journeys, struggles, and triumphs of immigrants from countries around the world who left their homelands behind in search of a better life in the United States.

Say, Allen. Bicycle Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

A tall African-American soldier amazes members of a Japanese village with his bicycle tricks during a sporting event where he wins the biggest prize.

Say, Allen. Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993.

Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather’s life in America and Japan, Allen Say delivers a poignant account of his family’s unique cross-cultural experience. He warmly conveys his own love for his two countries and describes the strong and constant desire to be in both places at once: When in one country, he invariably misses the other. His grandfather, he tells us, would understand.

Schnur, Steven. The Shadow Children.

In this coming-of-age story, a young French boy visits his grandfather in the countryside shortly after WWII and learns of the terror experienced by ordinary people under the Nazi regime and of the postwar guilt felt by caring and compassionate individuals. Illustrated.

Stanek, Muriel. I Speak English For My Mom. Niles, IL: A. Whitman, 1989.

Lupe, a young Mexican-American, must translate for her mother who speaks only Spanish, until Mrs. Gomez decides to learn English in order to get a better job.

Stadtler, Bea. The Holocaust: A History of Courage and Resistance. West Orange, NJ: Behrman House, 1974.

An enduring question, why did the Jews not resist genocide, is answered in this book. Jews did resist. A second enduring question, why governments and individuals did not try to stop the killing, also is answered. The answer is a few, but only a few, did try. Stadtler addresses these two questions by describing armed and spiritual resistance by Jews, and attempts by "Righteous Gentiles" to rescue Jews targeted for destruction. 210pp. bibliography.

Stanley, Jerry. Children of the Dust Bowl, The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1992.

A compelling story of the "Okie" migration to California in the 1920’s and of the construction and life of a remarkable school at a farm workers’ camp there. Told largely in the words of the migrants themselves, and generously illustrated with period photographs, this memorable book provides a glimpse of a neglected period of American history and tells a story of prejudice being transformed into acceptance and despair into hope.

Stanley, Jerry. I am An American: A True Story of Japanese Internment. New York: Crown Publishers, 1994.

A chronicle of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, focusing on the experiences of one high school student, Shi Nomura, and relating them to the larger events of the period — from the history of Japanese immigration to the political and military events of the war and the outstanding service of Japanese American soldiers.

Seuss, Dr. The Sneetches and Other Stories. New York: Random House, 1961.

Surat, Michele Maria. Angel Child, Dragon Child. New York: Scholastic Inc. , 1989.

Nguyen Hoa has just arrived in the United States from Vietnam and worries about her mother whom she has left behind; at the same time, she is taunted about her clothes by her American classmates.

Tames, Richard. Lifetimes of Anne Frank. New York: Franklin Watt: Grolier, 1989.

An exciting biographical series which uses authentic photographs and lively narrative to show the life and work of Anne Frank. Features a factfinder section which helps to place the subject in context with the world, as well as a glossary and an index.

Tunnell, Michael and Chilcoat, G. Journey to Topez. New York: Holiday House, 1996.

Based on the diary kept by Miss Yamauchi’s third-grade class at the Topaz Relocation Center. After visiting the Topaz camp site and learning about the diary from a local high school teacher, this book was researched through archives of the Utah State Historical Society. The diary was in near perfect condition, preserved in its cardboard and rice paper cover. During Miss Yamauchi’s time in the camp she taught a third-grade class and kept a daily diary. The injustices experienced by the children are lessons in themselves. This diary, placed in historical context, explains the details of daily life in a war relocation camp.

Turner, Priscilla. The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996.

In this hilarious look at the hidden life of letters, Turner reveals how sworn enemies become allies and discover what one takes for granted. The pen is really mightier than the sword. A story for all ages.

van De Rol, Ruud and Rian Verhoeven. Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance. New York: Viking Press, 1993.

An excellent complement to The Diary of Anne Frank. This book provides interesting background that could be read by or to elementary, middle school and high school students. This book combines Frank family photographs, historical photographs, excerpts from the diary, photographs of diary pages, and maps along with an accounting of the times.

Volavkova, H. (ed. ), I Never Saw Another Butterfly. New York Schocken Books Inc. , 1993.

The innocent and honest depictions allow one to see through the eyes of the children what life was like in the ghetto. The children’s poems and drawings, revealing a maturity beyond their years, are haunting reminders of what no child should ever have to see.

Williams, Vera. A Chair For My Mother. New York: Mulberry Books, Inc. , 1982.

After a fire destroys their home and possessions, Rosa, her mother, and grandmother save and save until they can afford to buy one big, comfortable chair that all three of them can enjoy.

Yep, Laurence. Dragonwings. New York: Harper Trophy Books, 1975.

Inspired by the account of a Chinese Immigrant who made a flying machine in 1909, Dragonwings portrays the rich traditions of the Chinese community making its way in a hostile new world. With Moon Shadow’s help, Wind Rider is willing to endure the mockery of the other Chinese, the poverty, and the longing for his wife and country to make his dream come true.

A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 2005.