Today is quite a day. May 2nd stands in the annuls of history as a day of shock, a day of remembrance, a day of taking a stand. It is Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is also the anniversary of the Birmingham Children's Crusade in 1963.
Civil Rights. The Holocaust. It's hard to know exactly how to broach some of these hard subjects with our children. We want to preserve their innocence and their gentle hearts, yet we understand that as parents and educators it is up to us to make sure our children see history and humanity through the lens of compassion and understanding.
So, how do you begin to talk about Holocaust Remembrance Day - May 2nd - with an 8 year old? How do you begin to discuss Civil Rights with a child who has only know his or her family's love and support for their whole lives? In my experience, the best way to approach hard subjects is through real life remembrances and stories. I encourage you to search out holocaust survivors who might be appearing at story hours or local libraries; they are growing fewer and we must take our children to meet them, hear them, while we can. Similarly, be bold to reach out to the aging members of our communities who can tell about segregation, marching in the 60's for Civil Rights, remembering what it was like under Jim Crow laws.
Civil Rights. The Holocaust. It's hard to know exactly how to broach some of these hard subjects with our children. We want to preserve their innocence and their gentle hearts, yet we understand that as parents and educators it is up to us to make sure our children see history and humanity through the lens of compassion and understanding.
So, how do you begin to talk about Holocaust Remembrance Day - May 2nd - with an 8 year old? How do you begin to discuss Civil Rights with a child who has only know his or her family's love and support for their whole lives? In my experience, the best way to approach hard subjects is through real life remembrances and stories. I encourage you to search out holocaust survivors who might be appearing at story hours or local libraries; they are growing fewer and we must take our children to meet them, hear them, while we can. Similarly, be bold to reach out to the aging members of our communities who can tell about segregation, marching in the 60's for Civil Rights, remembering what it was like under Jim Crow laws.
Our kids won't know if we don't tell them. Recently, I taught a high school co-op literature class during a lead-up discussion for reading the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," that had never heard of Jim Crow laws or segregation. They were stunned to find out that it happened within my lifetime, and nearly 100 years after the end of the Civil War. I was similarly stunned - and saddened - at their ignorance.
But I promise your children will never forget hearing a grandmother talk about being the first black student to integrate a high school. They will never forget running their finger across the Auschwitz tattoo of a holocaust survivor. They will never forget hearing these stories, feeling the emotions.
Fortunately, a great book can evoke that same sense of understanding and compassion by capturing these real life events and bottling the emotion in print so that our children can continue to learn well the lessons of history. Today, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance day, I have selected four "beginning" books on the Holocaust, picture books that introduce ideas and facts without being scary. Of course, you know your children and will want to preview these, but I found them to be a great starting point for elementary age kids. Read them, discuss them, tell them you want them to remember - so that this never happens again!
But I promise your children will never forget hearing a grandmother talk about being the first black student to integrate a high school. They will never forget running their finger across the Auschwitz tattoo of a holocaust survivor. They will never forget hearing these stories, feeling the emotions.
Fortunately, a great book can evoke that same sense of understanding and compassion by capturing these real life events and bottling the emotion in print so that our children can continue to learn well the lessons of history. Today, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance day, I have selected four "beginning" books on the Holocaust, picture books that introduce ideas and facts without being scary. Of course, you know your children and will want to preview these, but I found them to be a great starting point for elementary age kids. Read them, discuss them, tell them you want them to remember - so that this never happens again!
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"Hidden" is a graphic novel/picture book in which a grandmother tells her granddaughter about being hidden from the Nazis as a young girl in France, the people who helped her, and her ultimate escape. My sensitive child loved this book because it brought the grandmother closer to her family as they heard her never-before-revealed memories.
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"Benno and the Night of Broken Glass" tells the story of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, from the point of view of a neighborhood cat. The cat simply observes the changes in the Berlin neighborhood where it resides, and tells the changes happening around it. The point of view perfectly allows the telling of facts without addition of detail and makes it a solid, gentle introduction to this hard subject.
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"The Butterfly" is a beautiful, true story of a family that risks everything to help Jewish families hide from the Nazis. Poignant and beautifully illustrated, this little story teaches about bravery, honor, and self-sacrifice in order to stand up for what is right. Though there is sadness in the story, there is ultimate triumph as well.
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"Oskar" is one of those rare books that will appeal to everybody. Winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature, it is based around a simple piece of advice from Oskar's father, "Even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings." Oskar's Christmas Eve 1938 journey through New York City to find his aunt finds him navigating unfamiliar streets and encountering good people who bless him. Though the book is recommended for PS-2nd grade, I believe it actually works best for slightly older children due to the historical references contained in each "blessing" Oskar encounters. Because Oskar has been sent to his aunt following Kristallnacht, it makes a great follow-up to "Benno and the Night of Broken Glass."
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May 2nd is also the anniversary of the Birmingham Children's Crusade, a particularly difficult and yet extraordinarily victorious chapter in the Civil Rights Movement. I have always felt that the Children's Crusade is a powerful place to begin to discuss Civil Rights, carrying inherent interest because it is about children using their voices to appeal to hardened hearts - and being heard!
As with the Holocaust, there is so much that is difficult and painful to discuss in the history of the Civil Rights movement. That fact alone should propel us to prepare our students with truth and inspiration. It isn't enough to say, "I just want my children to love and respect everyone" without helping them to understand that somehow this was seen as a radical concept not very long ago. Again, you know your children. You know your neighborhood, your place in the world. For me, I wanted to be the first one to discuss Civil Rights with my children. I wanted to show them the beauty and bravery of standing up for what you believe.
It's hard to reveal the evil side of human history to our children. But if we don't, I assure you they will hear about it somewhere else, from someone else - and there are no guarantees what sort of message they will receive. Here are four of my favorites to help you start this conversation in your home or classroom.
As with the Holocaust, there is so much that is difficult and painful to discuss in the history of the Civil Rights movement. That fact alone should propel us to prepare our students with truth and inspiration. It isn't enough to say, "I just want my children to love and respect everyone" without helping them to understand that somehow this was seen as a radical concept not very long ago. Again, you know your children. You know your neighborhood, your place in the world. For me, I wanted to be the first one to discuss Civil Rights with my children. I wanted to show them the beauty and bravery of standing up for what you believe.
It's hard to reveal the evil side of human history to our children. But if we don't, I assure you they will hear about it somewhere else, from someone else - and there are no guarantees what sort of message they will receive. Here are four of my favorites to help you start this conversation in your home or classroom.
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This is the Coretta Scott King Honor award-winner for illustration, 2019, and WOW do I understand why. "Let the Children March" pairs author Monica Clark-Robertson's powerful and poetic words with Frank Morrison's vivid illustrations to absolutely bring the Birmingham Children's Crusade to life on the page. The prose is gentle, understated even, and leaves plenty of room for questions and discussion. The basic text works for younger elementary ages, but with the notes and facts added to the book, it could easily serve as a middle-school introduction to Civil Rights as well. Unforgettable.
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"Freedom Summer" is an award-winning story of friendship in the summer after the Civil Rights Act passed, the summer of 1964. That summer brings the sad realization that changed laws don't bring changed hearts for best friends John Henry and Joe. Narrated by Joe, as he describes the heartbreak of discrimination against his best friend, this book has been inspiring children (and adults) to defy racism with friendship for over 50 years now!
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"The Youngest Marcher" in the Birmingham Children's Crusade of 1963 was Audrey Faye Hendricks. Jailed at 9 years old during the protests, she was determined to stand up for what was right, to make a difference for her community, and to help Martin Luther King, Jr. (who she called by his nickname, Mike) bring an end to unjust laws. Author Cynthia Levinson spent three years interviewing and researching for books on the Children's Crusade, and this telling for children is simply superb.
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"Freedom on the Menu" revolves around the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins, but it is also a solid introduction to the types of legal separation people dealt with on a daily basis. Little Connie just wants to eat a banana split at the local Woolworth's! The images help the words hit all the right notes as they evoke that time, the pain of being so publicly discriminated against, and the simple joy of a little girl helping to change her world for the better.
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Every day is the right day to look for books that will help us talk with our children about the value of human life, the respect and worth of each individual. I hope these books give you a few ideas that will lead to great discussions in your home or classroom.
Noli Timere,
Noli Timere,
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