Julia Mackel

ENG 296
24 March 2020

Text Set Annotated Bibliography

Essential Question
● ``How do social systems impact our internal/external traumas?”

Choice Reading
Morris, Heather. The Tattooist of Auschwitz: YA Edition. Echo Publishing, 2019.
● Heather Morris’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz,
follows the atrocities and traumas Nazi Germany evokes amongst prisoners of Auschwitz
concentration camp through the eyes of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian prisoner. Being a man
who is knowledgeable of many languages, Lale is recruited to work the job of “the
tattooist”--or, the person responsible for permanently marking his fellow prisoners. This text
is valuable in relation to the essential question in that the concept of social class is
multilateral. While race and religion are clear contributors to social systems in this particular
text (ie. Nazis at the top of the social hierarchy and prisoners at the bottom), social systems
and class are found within the community of the camp as well, with all class members facing
their own internal or external traumas.

Milner Library Print Sources- (Students Will Choose 1 of 3 As Their Choice Reading)
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2012.
● Suzanne Collins’ critically acclaimed series The Hunger Games is set in the dystopian nation
of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol forces each
district to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in
the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-
old female from the impoverished District 12 is selected to represent her district in the
Games. In order to win, she will have to endure and participate in unspeakable trauma.
Because of social class and the roles of persons residing in the Capitol, members of all twelve
districts are forced to face both internal and external traumas to the point of revolt. This book
does a wonderful job of highlighting social class, and how class-related traumas could lead to
a multitude of outcomes.

Sáenz Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Regular Print Book
Discussion Kit. Assembled by the Henderson County Public Library, 2019.
● Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Sáenz follows the
story of Aristotle, a lonely, angry, Mexican-American teen and Dante, another Mexican-
American, lonely teenaged know-it-all with a very unique perspective of the world. As the
two develop a stronger friendship, they navigate important truths about themselves and the
kind of people they want to be. This text examines the multiple internal and external traumas
 many of the characters face in navigating the world. The traumas include: navigating
sexuality, race, social class, and loss.

Wamariya, Clemantine, and Elizabeth Weil. The Girl Who Smiled Beads: a Story of War and What
Comes
After. Broadway Books, 2019.
● The Girl Who Smiled Beads is an autobiographical retelling of Clemantine Wamariya’s
traumatic experiences seeking peace and shelter during the Rwandan genocide, being
displaced from her family, and finding asylum in America at the age of twelve. In her book,
she captures the true costs and aftershocks of both war and relocation to another country in
which she knows nothing of the language and culture. The Girl Who Smiled Beads not only
discusses the impact of social class on the external trauma Clemantine Wamariya faced, but it
examines the internal traumas she faced in familiarizing herself with another culture, social
class, and means of life.

Milner Library Digital Sources

“Rosie.” Kanopy, illstu.kanopy.com/video/rosie.
● “Rosie” is a documentary about a young girl who faces abuse and trauma from her foster
mother and must find inner strength to survive due to her low socio-economic standings. This
documentary tackles both physical and emotional traumas that are due to Rosie’s societal
standing as a runaway foster child. This documentary does a wonderful job in emphasizing
that social systems can factor into emotional and physical traumas. By understanding this
concept, students will use analytical skills in order to see just HOW social systems impact
traumas.

“Fly By Light-Young People Overcoming the Trauma in Their Lives.” Kanopy,

illstu.kanopy.com/video/fly-light
● “Fly By Light” is a documentary series that explores young people from low socio-economic
backgrounds who are seeking to overcome the violence in their lives and seek a new path for
their future by connecting to a world outside of their societal standing. The film provides a
window into the pain and challenges young people carry today.

Instructional Resources
“Auschwitz and the Holocaust: 5 Podcasts to Listen To.” HistoryExtra, 21 Jan. 2020,
www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/auschwitz-holocaust-learn-history-podcast-
listen
● Holocaust lit can be a difficult topic to discuss in the ELA classroom. Beacuse student
knowledge of the holocaust and traumas evoked on campers can vary between students, these
podcasts can help better inform students on the historical cotext of their required reading, The
Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

“Booktrailer – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.” Read On Wisconsin!,
 readon.education.wisc.edu/?page_id=3095.
(teachingbooks.net resource)
● This book trailer summarizes the key plot points of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets
of the Universe and briefly discusses the internal and external traumas Aristotle and Dante
face. This instructional resource can be viewed by students in order to help make a choice
reading selection. This resource serves as an alternate means of giving a book talk.

“Videos for Teachers.” Video Book Trailers, Author Videos, and Educational Videos for Teachers,
www.scholastic.com/teacher/videos/teacher-videos.htm#3193874243001/1840656769.
(teachingbooks.net resource)
● This interview of Suzanne Collins serves as an informational of what The Hunger Games is
about as well as where Suzanne Collins got the idea to write the series. Moreover, this
website contains more interviews, book talks, and readings of the book. This resource can aid
in the selection process of students’ choice reading and be an instructional tool in aiding
students to complete their readings.

Wamariya, Clemantine. “Transcript of ‘War and What Comes after.’” TED,

www.ted.com/talks/clemantine_wamariya_war_and_what_comes_after/transcript.
(teachingbooks.net resource)
● This Ted Talk by Clemantine Wamariya is a recollection of her experiences through the
Rwandan genocide and the events in her life that transpired following it. She discusses her
transformational experiences with trauma as written in her book. This Ted Talk can be
utilized as a tool that informs students of the content of the book, aiding them in the decision
making of their choice reading text.