Books help children know about war
Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday celebrated the last Monday in May to commemorate U.S. soldiers who died in military service. The first Decoration Day-type celebration was held May 1, 1865, by freed slaves in what is now Hampton Park.
If only remembering and commemorating would keep our world from repeating. If only ...
Regardless, children do need to know about war despite the fact that war is grim and grisly and because of the fact that war is grim and grisly.
"Otto: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear" by Tomi Ungerer is a powerful picture book meant for children ages 8 and older. And their parents. And the rest of us.
Ungerer grew up in Nazi-occupied France and wrote this autobiographical story to introduce younger readers to the Holocaust. He thinks that artists have a responsibility to be of service to society. Although the Holocaust is a solemn topic, he wants children to be aware of the horrors of war.
In response to critics who say this book will traumatize children, Ungerer responds that children already are traumatized by what they watch on TV news.
The book traces the life of a teddy bear that is given to a Jewish child named David. When David's family is taken away to the concentration camp, he gives the bear to his friend, Oskar. After going through bombings and shooting, the bear is taken by an American G.I. to his little girl in the United States. Eventually, the bear winds up in an antique shop window and is the catalyst for reuniting David and Oskar. My only caution about this book is to read it to yourself before you read it to a child.
"World War II Fighting for Freedom, 1939-1945: The Story of the Conflict That Changed the World" by Peter Chrisp is a comprehensive, chronological introduction for students in the fourth grade and up. With spare text and hundreds of photographs and maps, this presentation is compelling and will create interest. The book includes a glossary and index.
"On the Wings of Heroes" by Richard Peck is a fictional account of what life was like at home in a small town during World War II. Commodities are scare, rationing is a fact of life, children conduct collection drives for paper and other resources, loved ones leave to fight and some never return. For children in grades four through middle school, this is one of my favorite books. Oddly enough considering the subject, this book makes readers laugh out loud.
"The Other Half of Life" by Kim Ablon Whitney is a young adult novel based on the true, but little known, story of the MS St. Louis ocean liner. Elie Wiesel calls it "an excellent introduction for young readers wishing to understand contemporary history and its traumatic and moral challenges." The very readable story is told by a boy who is traveling alone.
In 1939, this ship left Germany on a voyage to Havana, Cuba. Onboard were 937 passengers, a majority of whom were Jews escaping Hitler and the Nazi regime. Cuba, other Latin American countries, Canada and the U.S. all refused to allow the passengers to disembark. France, Holland, Belgium and Great Britain eventually agreed to accept the passengers, but 254 of those passengers died in the Holocaust. The book includes a timeline and other resources.
"Lest we forget ..."
Reach Fran Hawk at franbooks@yahoo.com.
