I’ve written before about the challenges of finding appropriate kids’ books about the Holocaust. How young is too young? Do you go with fiction or nonfiction? How do you convey the magnitude of the tragedy without leaving your kid aghast, looking like a Keane painting?
Read the rest at Tablet magazine, where I talk about two excellent additions to the canon: Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust, and The Whispering Town.
“…but when you’re educating the very youngest students, introducing the Holocaust through the notion of helpers and everyday heroes feels exactly right.” – Exactly. And I hear Mr. Rogers in that sentence. In every tragedy, always find the helpers…☺
I have read a lot of good things about HIDDEN; I love graphic novels, and it seems to be another good approach to telling particular hard truths. (Honestly, this is the sort of conversation wise Christian parents should have; I mean, imagine a world where Mel Gibson gets to be the one to tell your child anything!? Hello, pornographic horror. Find some books… quickly.)