Maus I: A Survivor's Tale

Like many of the books on my list, I've been waiting to read this book for a long time. After hearing about it in a class a couple of years ago, I put it on said list - and then soon after bought it - but haven't had an opportunity to read it until now. Also, I have so many books on this list that it's hard to choose sometimes. But all of that said, I knew I would love this book and I was not disappointed. Not only am I excited to add a graphic novel to my library, but I always appreciate a new perspective on World War II and on the Holocaust specifically. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale offers both of these. Gritty and painfully honest, Art Spiegelman's account of his father's experiences in Europe as a Jew during World War II and the rise of the Nazi Party takes place alongside Spiegelman's present-day relationship with his father. Both story lines captivate and endear the reader; you can't help but read for fear of what will happen to war-era Vladek but also for curiosity of what the next interaction between Art and current Vladek will look like. You sympathize with the characters - both in the past and in the present - and you become increasingly more horrified as the Nazis gain more control. One of the most interesting elements of this particular graphic novel, though, is the way Spiegelman chose to draw each of the characters. Jews are depicted as mice while the Germans/Nazis appear as cats. The image of these animals, who are timeless enemies, pitted as enemies in this real life piece of history will stick with struggling readers in an unforgettable way. I highly recommend this book for teachers of Language Arts and History who are trying to communicate the Holocaust from a unique perspective and a reader-friendly format. Stay tuned for my review of the sequel.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Set in post-World War II London and the British island Guernsey, this book is written entirely in the letters that are sent as correspondance between each of the characters. This somewhat unique approach - or at the very least, uncommon - brings the characters so much more to life than I had expected. Virtually no character or plot development is lost through this method, and I actually think that I grew to love the characters more because I got to know them through their letter-writing. (Also, it made me really want to write letters. And receive them. And immediately join a book club.) I know I have a tendency to be generous with my support and flowery adjectives and gushes of being in love with every new book I read, so I'll spare you from that this time and just simply say: this book is really good. It's special. The characters are immediately endearing and charming; the setting is unique to me as the 20-something American who has not recently survived a war fought in my own city; the insights and perspectives offered regarding the German occupation of the island of Guernsey during World War II are honestly far beyond what I'd ever seriously considered as true events that took place. It's good...it's really, really good. The friend who recommended it to me said that her mother had given it to her for Christmas, and that both of them had already read it several times because they missed the characters so much. At the time this sounded slightly silly, but now I understand. I dearly wish that Juliet was a real person in my life. I would write her a letter a day just so I could receive her hilarious and witty responses. I honestly would.

The Butterfly and Rose Blanche

I stumbled across these books yesterday kind of on accident, but I am so thankful I did. The idea of a picture book about the Holocaust is disturbing and intriguing, and both books detail the events of this tragic time in the world's history from extremely different perspectives and with painfully different conclusions.

The Butterfly, by Patricia Polacco

In this story, Monique lives in war-torn France. Nazis are everywhere and the young girl fears the violence and oppression of the men in the "tall boots." She wakes up one night and sees a girl, who she assumes is a ghost, sitting on the end of her bed. As the story progresses, she sees this girl more and more, and eventually is able to speak to her one night before the "ghost" disappears. The girl describes that she is actually a Jew living in hiding with her family in the basement of Monique's house. Monique and the girl form a friendship throughout the rest of the story, until a neighbor sees them playing through a window and Monique's mother is forced to help the girl's family relocate to a new safe house.

The Butterfly is a very interesting story describing a point of view that we are familiar with in regards to World War II, but from a somewhat new angle. To look at a country occupied by the Nazis through a child's eyes is intriguing, as well as to see her come to terms with the concept of hiding Jews in her home in order to keep them safe. The progression of the plot is endearing and engaging: you easily become afraid for the characters as they are forced to relocate and as they attempt to avoid being captured by the Nazis. The ending is sweet, though, and encouraging; both you and the characters are left with a feeling of hope that everyone is safe. It's a great book with a sweet story and an interesting twist on a history we are commonly familiar with in regards to World War II.

Rose Blanche, by Roberto Innocenti

Rose Blanche is a young girl living in Germany during World War II who has an up-close and personal perspective to the actions of the Nazis. The beginning of the book details several encounters with Nazi soldiers in which Rose views trucks and trains transporting soldiers and machinery off to war, but several strange things that she accidentally witnesses in the middle of the story cause her to question and wonder what she has seen. After a moment of curiosity getting the better of her, Rose follows a truck deep into the woods where she discovers a concentration camp. Throughout the rest of the book, the young girl returns to the camp in order to slip food to the prisoners through the fence until a surprising and heartwrenching conclusion changes everything.

This book broke my heart. I won't spoil the ending more than just to say that in stark contrast to The Butterfly, it does not end hopeful or happy. If you are searching for a short picture book with beautiful illustrations and an emotional response from your audience, this is an excellent source. What I also love about it is that an entirely different perspective is offered than what might be considered common or usual; Rose is a German girl who is entirely unaware of what her country's leaders and soldiers are doing. These actions that we as modern Americans are so used to and so aware of was not broadcasted on newspaper headlines and shouted about throughout the streets during the war itself in Germany. We take for granted that knowledge about concentration camps and the hideous civilian death tolls was widespread, but it really wasn't. Because of that, this story paired with the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - or scenes from it, perhaps - could be an interesting teaching tool. When collecting books about World War II or about war in general, this would be an excellent tool for varied perspectives, as well as varied responses and results.

Stepping on the Cracks

I have to say, this was my absolute favorite book in 5th grade. It made the biggest impression on me that I can remember from all the books I read in elementary school. One of my favorite memories of that year, actually, involves me making a deal with one of my male classmates who hated to read: I promised to read his favorite book for him if he read this one for me. I can't even remember what book I had to read for that deal but he loved this one. (I guess the moral of that story is that I've always been a nerd and I've always been an English teacher trying to trick kids into reading.) All of that being said, I finally got around to re-reading this week and...I have to say I'm a tiny bit disappointed. I still love it and it still holds a very special place in my heart, but it's not exactly what I remembered. I will say, though, that there are two major story lines throughout this plot, and one of them I love very much while it's the other one that I'm struggling with. I'll go with the one I'm struggling with first: this book is disappointingly anti-war. The story's protagonist/narrator has a brother who is fighting in the war, and the tragic side effects of this are more than present on the homefront. Much more central than that, however, is a focal character who is - spoiler alert - a deserter of the war. Although this character is extremely loveable and endearing, his anti-war viewpoint is heard often throughout the story...and it's really one of the only viewpoints the remains by the end. I am very interested, though, in presenting this book within a war unit, surrounded by books presenting other viewpoints as well. Obviously, presenting multiple perspectives and opinions is an important part of teaching. The other storyline that I absolutely love is about the antagonist and his relationship with the two central girs of the story. Although Gordy is presented as a bully who only cares about making other people's lives miserable on a continuous basis, the reader is able to see glimpses into his life that explain his behavior and cause true empathy for him as a character. It's extremely easy to see Gordy as a reflection of children that you grew up with or that you teach, and it is a great device for creating the need for the second look at a person, or the inspiration to discover what a child goes home to each night when they leave your classroom. Taking the time to find out what life is like for them when they leave you may give you an entirely new perspective. So despite the ways that an adult reading of this childhood favorite disappointed me, I still highly recommend it.