To

Forget The Holocaust

Is

To Kill Twice

~Elie Wiesel~

Emma Holthus
Dr. Laurie Zum Hofe
ENG 392
19 November 2020
 Holthus 1

~ Inquiry Question~

When it comes to teaching the Holocaust in a Secondary English language Arts platform, how
should teachers use historical fiction, nonfiction, and/or graphic novels in a way which is overall
beneficial to the students’ understanding? Is there a genre that is more effective than another?
 Holthus 2

Table of Contents

● Introduction……………………………………………………………pp. 3-4

● Hands-on Research……………………………………………………..pp.5-10

● Scholarly Research……………………………………………………...pp.11-14

● Applicability of Research……………………………………………….pp. 15-20

● Rationale List…………………………………………………………...pp. 21-22

● Annotated Bibliography………………………………………………...pp. 23-25

 Holthus 3

Introduction

Ever since I was a young child, I have always had a special affinity for history, especially

Holocaust history. I believe that it is vital for young adults to have a thorough understanding of

the atrocious events that occurred during WWII under the Third Reich, so that they may learn

from the past in order to make a better future for the human race. History is doomed to repeat

itself due to our sinful natures. If we do not receive a thorough understanding, we are doomed to

repeat the past. This is not even the first holocaust in the history of the world, but it is one of the

most well-known. It must be taught inside and outside of the classroom.

As a future English/History teacher, I have some serious concerns about which genre will

help the students to gain a better understanding and an increase in empathy. When I was in 10th

grade, we read many books written about this era in a variety of genres, but mostly just

nonfiction and fiction. Some of these works include Night by Elie Wiesel and The Boy in the

Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. I believe that these books transformed my perspective on the

Holocaust on a very personal level. Our teacher also implemented the video of Oprah and Mr.

Wiesel taking a tour through Auschwitz. As a student, Night hit me a bit harder, knowing that as

a young Jewish man of sixteen years old survived, Elie, lived in Auschwitz and watched

countless friends and family members die in the worst possible way imaginable, by the hands of

another fellow human being. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, though still horrific in its own

way, did not hit me quite as hard, because I knew these people were not real, not to say events
 Holthus 4

like the death of a young child mistakenly entering a gas chamber, did not or could not have

happened.

I heard about Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus in tenth grade, though we never read it

in class. It is on the banned books list, and I believe that my teacher did not want to cross those

lines if she didn’t have to. But it led me to question why it was banned, and if it is used in the

classroom, how will it be received? Will a graphic novel be a motivating factor in promoting

engagement and understanding, where a novel could not? Are the pictures distracting the

students from the overall purpose of the lesson?

Yet despite my personal experiences reading Holocaust novels in tenth grade, over the years,

I have also come to appreciate the impact that historical fiction can bring to the table. If it is

written well and accurately researched, it can also transform your world. I just want to know if

there is something that occurs in Nonfiction that is missing in Historical fiction. Authenticity? Or

do fictional narratives have more of an impact on young readers? Do certain graphic novels

encourage students more than other narratives? Which is the best choice for the students?
 Holthus 5

Hands-On Experience

In order to gain perspective on this question, I decided to send an interview in the form of a

survey to two of my former high school English teachers. I also decided to see what college

students remember about their high school English classes that taught the Holocaust and whether

or not it was effective. I did this in order to gain some perspective on what both teachers and

students feel about the effectiveness of each genre.

How do English teachers teach about the Holocaust?

Question: Secondary English Secondary English Pre-Service teacher (i.e., me):

Teacher #1: Teacher #2:

Which genre do you prefer to use Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction

when teaching the Holocaust to
your students?

Why did you choose this genre? Nonfiction provides There are so many Nonfiction provides a first-
an authentic voice incredible first-hand person account of an event,
from those who lived accounts of the giving the students an authentic
during that time. Holocaust for all learning experience that cannot
While historical grade levels. It makes be found in any other genre.
fiction can often the facts so much
provide readers with more real for the
an emotional reader.
connection,
nonfiction can show
multiple sides of the
same event, which is
a critical component
to understanding
history.

How would you effectively teach I begin by showing Besides reading the I would tap into their emotions
about the Holocaust using this students two excerpts: book, I would include by providing them with first-
genre? one from the diary of a visual hand accounts from at least two
Anne Frank, and one representation of different perspectives. I will

What do you think is most
important for students to get out of my Holocaust unit is
this experience?
Holthus 6
from the diary of a events through also provide a visual
Hitler Youth member. pictures and videos. representation of events
Both authors would There are many video through videos (e.g. the
be teenagers during options to share interview between Oprah and
the same time period which bring an Elie Wiesel) and pictures.
and approximately emotional aspect to
the same location, but the story. Students
the juxtaposition of would write about
both authors would why this is an
provide a striking important part of
picture of the history for them to
complexities of the know about and
Holocaust. After understand and also
students have read the why and how it
excerpts, they affects them.
brainstorm a list of
reasons that explain
the author's
perspective.
The ultimate goal of To accept that this They need to learn the
really happened and complexities of the human
to examine this to not let it happen condition-everyone has the
overarching question: again. capacity for evil. They need to
How can the same understand the Holocaust from
historical event have various perspectives. They
two completely two need to know the horrors-it
different should not be sugar-coated.
perspectives? I use This event should never happen
this question to show again.
the important role that
nonfiction plays in
writing the story of
our history.
Another goal is to
show how authors
write about events
that are going on at
that time. An author
who writes historical
fiction decades after
the fact can try to tap
into the historical
perspective but
ultimately writes their

What are the benefits of utilizing
Historical Fiction when teaching
the Holocaust in your classroom?
What are some cons of utilizing
Historical Fiction in your
classroom when teaching the
Holocaust?
What are some examples of
Historical Fiction novels you have
used in the past to teach about this
event?
What are the benefits of utilizing
Nonfiction when teaching the
Holocaust in your classroom?
What are some of the cons of
utilizing Nonfiction when teaching type of nonfiction, it
the Holocaust in your classroom? may not be as
Holthus 7
text from the
perspective of
someone who "knows
better" and is in the
future. An author's
historical document
written during that
time gives you a
sense of what people
knew, what they
didn't, and what the
general historical
climate was.
Historical fiction can It can make the novel Historical fiction can provide a
be more entertaining read more story-like. way for students to be able to
or engaging for really connect with the
students, depending characters of the novel.
on the plot.
Historical fiction Some will say even Historical fiction is often
often uses stereotypes though it’s based on written by authors who live 40
as the basis for their historical events it’s years or so after the event, so
story. It may also still made up. the information can be accused
show only one side of being far less accurate
(the "right side" or concerning both the history and
the "winning" side) of the characters themselves.
the story.
The Boy in the Number the Stars, N/A
Striped Pajamas, Torn The Book Thief
Thread
Nonfiction shows the It’s real, it’s graphic, Nonfiction is a first-hand
thoughts of those who first-hand account account of the events and
actually lived during experiences of people.
that time or had
experiences with
those events.
Depending on the It is typically one It has one perspective and it
person’s perspective. can contain biases. It might not
We are jaded by our be as engaging for readers.
compelling for biases and opinions
students to read like when we tell a story.
historical fiction.

What are some examples of
Nonfiction you have used in the
classroom (i.e., within the context
of the Holocaust)?
Have you ever used graphic novels No
to teach about the Holocaust: why
or why not?
What are some pros of using
graphic novels?
What are some cons of using
graphic novels?
Holthus 8
Night (Elie Wiesel); Night N/A
excerpts from Susan
Campbell Bartoletti's
"Hitler Youth"
diaries, diary of Anne
Frank
Yes, I used Maus. N/A
Graphic novels are a
unique genre of high
interest to students
which makes them
more interested in
reading and may
soften some of the
horrors Of the events.
Students will be They think it takes It can make students more
engaged by the less effort to read. engaged by the visual
pictures, and there The visual implants in information that is not provided
can be emotional their heads more so by either Nonfiction or
portrayals done than just text. Historical fiction.
through well-drawn
artwork.
It may simplify the Might not be taken as Same answer as teacher #1 due
concept to the point seriously. to the oversimplification of the
where it's watered most horrific times in history.
down. For example, I
know some teachers
use "Maus" to teach
the Holocaust, but I
find that graphic
novel is rather
offensive due to the
visuals of the Jews
and Nazis being cats
and mice. It
simplifies a time in
history that is
arguably one of the
most dehumanizing
and violent.

What do students remember about their experience learning about the Holocaust in an English
classroom?
Question:
What is your favorite book
about the Holocaust? Why?
Which genre do you prefer to
read when learning about the
Holocaust in an English
classroom?
Why did you pick this genre?
Which genre did your teachers
use most frequently when you
were in high school to teach
about the Holocaust?
How well do you understand
and know about the events that
occurred within the Jewish
Holocaust?
What are the three most
important reasons you should
want to learn about the
Holocaust? (This is an opinion
Holthus 9
University Student University Student University Student #3 (i.e.,
#1: #2: me):
I have two. Number Night by Elie Wiesel. Night and Torn Thread
I’ve had to read it
the Stars and Night twice in both middle
and high school so I
know it quite well.
Historical Fiction Historical Fiction Nonfiction
I like there to be a Sometimes reading
story related to what nonfiction is hard to
I'm reading about the get through since you
Holocaust. While the know this all
story is fictional, it happened to someone.
shows me what kinds Historical fiction
of things are makes it slightly
happening even easier to read while
during the event of also exposing the
the Holocaust. I like reader to the nature of
memoirs too because what happened.
it's coming from
someone's
perspective.
In high school, we Fiction Combination of Historical
read nonfiction Fiction and Nonfiction.
stories and memoirs
mostly.
4/5 5/5 5/5
It's an important thing So that it is never It should never be repeated
in world history that repeated again again.
impacted so many So we can understand
people. It's a real the severity of what To understand the terrible

question, feel free to share your
personal beliefs on the topic)
On a scale from 1 to 5, how
much did you enjoy learning
about the Holocaust in an
English classroom in high
school?
What made the Holocaust an
interesting subject for you in
high school? If it didn't, how
could teachers better retrieve
your attention and keep you
engaged?
What makes for an engaging
lesson on the Holocaust in a
Secondary English Language
Arts platform?
Holthus 10
event that actually happened and nature of humans.
happened, and it understand that all
shows how well people are humans no
certain groups of matter what a It is also important to know
people were valued in political group says both sides of the conflict.
Europe during WWII. To understand the
historical nature of
the time and the
setting that allowed it
to occur.
5/5 4/5 5/5
I loved learning about I think it's something We not only read nonfiction and
it because it's an that humbles the historical fiction, but we also
actual thing that whole class. No one watched videos and looked at
happened in our makes light of it, pictures.
world, and there are which makes it for a
so many different really mature
perspectives and discussion about what
stories about it that happened and allows
you can really learn a the subject to be
lot from all sides. interesting and
heartfelt.
Looking at different I don't really know. I Looking at different
perspectives of it do know that perspectives, and watching
rather than just watching the Boy in videos and movies. Appeal to
reading a book. the Striped PJs is emotions.
what really quieted a
lot of people in my
class and humbled
them to the tragedy.
Scholarly Research
 Holthus 11

The Holocaust offers a useful case for examining the tensions surrounding the studying of
difficult literature about the past due to the historically unprecedented effort at state-sponsored
mass murder. Because Holocaust texts and teaching about the Holocaust pervade U.S. English
classrooms, the content offers a set of practical pedagogical challenges for new teachers;
therefore it is vitally important to know “who tells the tale--and how” when approaching these
events. In order to do this, new teachers need guidelines to help them to select and use the
literature they will teach. The literature needs to be accurate in both historical facts and
perspective, authentic in the voices it portrays, approachable in form for students, and practical
in length for the time constraints of the classroom. Each genre (i.e., Nonfiction, Historical
fiction, and Graphic novels) selected brings its own challenges and benefits in an English
Language curriculum.

~ Nonfiction~
When examining the benefits of nonfiction, Elie Wiesel’s Night fits the criteria of
presenting accurate historical information, it presents an authentic narrative voice, it is
approachable, and it fits within limited classroom time. Elie Wiesel’s Night is an
autobiographical account that presents Wiesel’s personal journey in the night of the Holocaust
when he was between twelve and sixteen years of age. While students must be aware of the
historical context from which the literature springs, but with Night, a positive learning
experience can be created if students read the book before discussing the historical facts.
Students’ questions, as they read the account, can lend direction to the discussions. By
experiencing these events through the literature, students can process the facts as they are held
together by the sinews and lifeblood of real human beings and place them in a meaningful
context of learning. Because students encounter the historical facts through the impact of these
events on real humans, the facts become more lifelike and meaningful. It creates a human
connection to events and it also personalizes the impersonal historical data (Danks).

~Historical Fiction~
Historical fiction also provides many benefits to students. Australian novelist, Grant Rodwell
looked at several authors of historical fiction who were passionate about the use of their genre in
the classroom. Some teachers are also passionate about the use of the genre in the classroom. For
example, Ms. Moran writes about why she decided to use historical fiction in her classroom to
which she stated, “For many of my tenth graders, it was historical fiction novels that had them
coming to me after the school day ended. They wanted to ask if Henry VIII had really sent Anne
Boleyn to the chopping block” (Rodwell, 18-19).
Internationally, educators and researchers have long argued for the use of historical
fiction. One researcher argued that through historical fiction, children can begin to visualize the
 Holthus 12

sweep of history. As characters of historical fiction from many different time periods face and
overcome their problems, children may discover universal truths, identify feelings and behaviors
that encourage them to consider alternative ways to handle their own problems, empathize with
viewpoints that are different from their own, and realize that history consists of many people
who have learned to work together. Students are able to recall historical information more easily
because it has been associated within the context of the plot, character, setting, and theme of the
novel. Within the confines of historical fiction, students can engage in interdisciplinary activities
when reading historical fiction, practicing research skills, and critical thinking in their quest to
validate the information presented by the author (Rodwell, 19).
Despite some of the benefits of Historical fiction, critics of contemporary literature tend to
agree that the experience of the Holocaust has altered not only the nature of historical reality but
also the possibility of embodying that reality (Doherty). Some books recommended as relevant to
the topic can obscure, distort, and deny the truth as easily as they can shed light on it. When
teachers select historical fiction for classroom reading and studying, they do it with the
assumption that the fictitious work has a certain authenticity, or that it conveys the “truth” about
a particular period. Yet they must also realize that there is a fine line between historicizing
fiction and fictionalizing history. Strict adherence to historical accuracy can pose a problem if
“accuracy” involves brutal or immoral behavior because that can lead to writing a subdued
version of historic events. The dynamic nature of language also poses another problem of
accuracy. Vocabularies change from one historical period to another as new words slip into
common usage and others become archaic. The language must not only ring true to the character
speaking but it must also correspond to the vocabulary of the period (Brown).
It is not an easy task to teach historical fiction. The teacher can help their students
question the interpretations of the past offered by a single historical novel. With the students,
she/he can make connections between past and present issues to weigh the novel’s historical
perspective. Together they can discuss how a writer has represented a particular cultural or racial
group. They can also assess the story’s accuracy by reading more than one novel on the period or
researching history itself. These are just some of the possibilities when it comes to teaching
historical fiction in the classroom (Brown). It seems that due to all the possible flaws in the
genre, it would be better utilized as a supplementary work to nonfiction rather than a stand-alone
work when teaching about the Holocaust in a Secondary English Language Arts classroom.

~Graphic Novels~
When it comes to teaching the Holocaust using graphic novels, many teachers have
overlooked the potential for graphic novels to be used as historical narratives in the classroom.
The graphic novel is an extended comic book that treats nonfictional as well as fictional plots
and themes with depth and subtlety that people have come to expect of traditional novels and
 Holthus 13

extended nonfiction texts. The term graphic novel seems to have stuck despite the fact that
graphic novels are often compelling nonfictional works, such as biographies, autobiographies,
histories, reportage, and travelogues. The general format of graphic novels uses images and text
to create a narrative that is open for readers to interpret. The images and text are presented
through frames in both linear and non-linear narrative sequences. This format allows the
"dialogue and description, to change unpredictably in visual style and placement on the page,
and advance frame by frame like the verbal equivalent of a movie." In this way, graphic novels
develop background knowledge about historical actors and events, and this allows the actions of
historical agents to develop consciously as the climactic events of the story unfold (Clark).
When first glancing at Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus, the medium is associated with
the madcap, the childish, the trivial. By its very nature, it seems ill-equipped for the moral
seriousness and tonal restraint that has been demanded of Holocaust art. According to Thomas
Doherty, the medium is not the message, but in the case of Maus, the medium is bound up with
the message, with the ideology of Nazism and the artist’s critique of it. Spiegelman's artistic style
and animating purpose are shaped by the two graphic media whose images make up the visual
memory of the twelve-year Reich-cartoons and cinema. Both arts are intimately linked to the
aesthetic vision and his- historical legacy of Nazism. From this perspective, cartoons become not
just an appropriate medium to render the Holocaust but a peculiarly apt response to a genocidal
vision. Whereas a novel has this information spelled out by a narrator or through dialogue, a
graphic novel can convey this through visual signs. For instance, one way to work out “what is
going on within and between panels are the gazes of the characters. If characters look at
something, chances are it’s important” (Doherty, 71-72).
Teaching with graphic novels is also one alternative to traditional literacy pedagogy, which
has ignored the dynamic relationships of visual images to the written word. There has been
increasing interest in graphic novels to promote literacy, however, there is almost no mention of
how several multimodal texts can be used for both fostering students’ critical literacies and
addressing the needs of many English Language Learners present in today’s classroom.
Intellectually substantive graphic novels such as Maus can aid the language pedagogy and
learning as one way of implementing a multiliteracies approach that deepens reading
engagement. Using graphic novels in the classroom contextualizes the featured language in ways
that aid ELL students in learning how to use the language, or at least parts of it. The visual
narrative that accompanies the text in comic books “can provide clues that shed light on the
meaning of an unfamiliar word or grammatical structure. In addition to helping ELL students, it
can also increase engagement levels in students from marginalized communities who have little
access to resources that enable mainstream middle-class students to succeed academically, this
cultivation of interest in reading can level the playing field (Ch
Application
 Holthus 14

Historic Timeline:

Objectives:
● Create a timeline on which they chart significant historical events in the characters’
experiences. This activity will help students recognize the steady tightening of the Nazi
noose and bring major historical events into focus.
● By experiencing these events through the literature, students will process the facts as they
are held together by the sinews and lifeblood of real human beings and place them in a
meaningful context for learning.

Assignment Guidelines:
This timeline should depict the most important events of Hitler’s rise to power, the main events
of the Holocaust, and where a character’s life of the student’s choosing falls in line with these
events:

Characters to choose from:

● Anne Frank
● Liesel Meminger
● Bruno
● Shmuel
● Max Vandenburg
Modes include:
● On paper (poster)
● Internet timeline creator (send the URL)
○ Prezi, Sutori, Free Timeline
Example of the timeline using Elie Wiesel as an example:
https://prezi.com/view/ahIpVdFOTBDSA5GwYtaF/
 Holthus 15

Journal Entry Analysis:

Objective:
● Students will develop research skills as well as critical thinking skills by comparing and
contrasting historical fiction narratives based on fictional experiences during the Jewish
Holocaust and nonfiction accounts.
● Students will apply information from nonfiction in their literary analysis of fictional
material.

Assignment Guidelines:
● Read a journal entry that has been written as historical fiction and one that was actually
written as an autobiography.
● Compare and contrast the two journal entries
● Complete discussion questions about the authenticity and validity of historical fiction.

Historical Fiction:

11/10/38

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, while I was babysitting Joseph, my 6-year-old neighbor, we heard lots of noise in the
street. I told him to go to his room until it was over. I looked through the window shades and saw
a riot in the street. Some people were smashing the windows of the tavern Pa goes to. The riot
had already passed the store, or what was left of it. The riot had ripped down the doors and
burned part of the second floor. Upstairs, Joseph whimpered, and I rushed upstairs. Riots had
broken into our synagogues and businesses all over Munich. I learned this by simply looking out
his window. This went on until Joseph’s parents came home. They paid me and I went home. I
asked Pa where Cristian and Jonathon were. He said, “Look upstairs.”Jonathon had his arm
around Ana, his girlfriend, and they were looking out the window. When I opened the door and
asked where Cristian was, he kind of jumped and gave me a look that said, “Get out of my
 Holthus 16

room!”I walked over to my seven-year-old brother’s room. He was playing with toy soldiers,
talking to his hamster, Fuzzy, and once in a while looking over the window pane. He didn’t feel
like talking, so I went to my room. That was all yesterday. Pa told me that last night’s riots were
government-organized acts. I was shocked and mortified. He went on to tell me about this
“Kristallnacht.”

Nonfiction:

Diary Entry of Moshe Flinker, a Young Jewish Refugee in Belgium - December 8, 1942

December 8, Night

Shortly after we came to Brussels and found an apartment, my mother began to question my
father about my future. I was spending my days idly. At times I read Hebrew, but my mother
considered that this would lead nowhere. The first time she expressed her views, I laughed, and
even my father paid little attention to them. I wondered how she could worry about a happy
future when we were faced with the problem of life or death. My father gave her a similar
answer whenever she broached the subject to him.

During the last few days when my mother raised the question of my future, my reaction was
again one of laughter, but when I was alone, I too began to ponder this matter. What indeed is to
become of me? It is obvious that the present situation will not last forever – perhaps another year
or two – but what will happen then? One day I will have to earn my own living. At first, I wanted
to drive such thoughts away but they kept coming back. So I started thinking seriously about the
 Holthus 17

problem. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to become… a statesman. Not any sort of
statesman, but a Jewish statesman in the Land of Israel. Even though it would take a miracle to
free us now, the rest of my idea – living in our land – isn’t so far-fetched. Then perhaps, the rest
of the world might slightly change its attitude towards us. The relations between other nations
may also alter a bit. But our people are so exiled-minded that many generations would have to
pass before we became free people physically and mentally (the latter is the main thing). That is
why we will need leaders to guide us on the road to true spiritual freedom.

Another reason for my deciding to become a leader of our people if other arts require a great deal
of study. Statesmanship, as opposed to science, does not demand systematic study, an activity
which is impossible for me these days. Rather, everything one knows is useful, and most useful
of all is knowing, of course, as a “religious” Jew, I hope that the Lord will help me when my
own intelligence is inadequate. Therefore, from today on, everything I do will be directed
towards this aim. Of course, I will continue to study the Bible, because only according to its
spirit can Israel survive. In addition, I will learn as much as I can about Judaism and about my
people.
 Holthus 18

Compare and Contrast

Historical Fiction Nonfiction

Both
 Holthus 19

Discussion Questions:
1. Write out your definitions of historical fiction and nonfiction.
2. What attributes are more important to you when designating a novel ‘successful historical
fiction’?
3. In your opinion, what aspects prevent a novel from being designated successful
historical fiction?
4. What role does research play in successful historical fiction?
5. Based on the Holocaust historical fiction novels that we have read this semester, which
author (s) do you think most accurately described the time period? Explain.
6. Pick a book we have read this semester about the Holocaust:What made you want to read
it? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?
7. Why do you suppose works of historical fiction are so popular with readers? What
appeals to you the most about these types of books?
 Holthus 20

Rationale List

Nonfiction:

1. Night by Elie Wiesel

a. Night is a historical journey that moves chronologically through Wiesel’s young
life from his time in Auschwitz to his liberation upon the death of his father. It
raises issues of resistance and flight and shows some of the intergenerational
conflicts over questions of how to behave. It creates a human connection to
events, personalizes the impersonal historical data, creates a sense of response
from the reader, and reduces the students' tendencies to dismiss information and
events as generally meaningless because they have no significant context in which
to place--and process--the data. Students' questions, as they read the account, can
lend direction to the discussions. By experiencing these events through the
literature, students can process the facts as they are held together by the sinews
and lifeblood of real human beings and place them in a meaningful context for
learning. I will definitely be using it in my future classroom for these reasons and
more.

2. The Diary of Anne Frank

a. This book depicts not only Anne Frank’s youth, but it brings to life the true terrors
that faced the families in hiding. Any audible noise could mean certain death for
nine people. The tension is palpable. The work is authentic and students will get a
real look into what it was like for a girl about their age to be trapped in a world
that wanted her people exterminated. It should humble them and get them to
ponder their place in society.
b. I would use this book, with an edition of images, excerpts from people who knew
her, and possibly a documentary about her life and her time in Bergen-Belsen.
 Holthus 21

Historical Fiction:
1. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
a. The perspective this novel is told from is especially interesting to discuss,
because it was written from the perspective of an innocent nine-year-old boy who
did not understand what was happening literally right across the fence (i.e., the
grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence), nor could he fully
comprehend the magnitude of the events. Which should lead to a discussion about
how much “normal” German citizens actually knew about what was happening
inside their own country. This might be historical fiction, but it cuts across
historical boundaries straight to the corruption of human nature. Anyone could be
Bruno in this case-walking into something completely unaware of its negative
consequences.

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

a. This novel brings together multiple different perspectives: the German citizen
(both for and against Germany), youth, the Jews, soldiers, and even Death,
himself. This is something that makes this book pretty unique for historical
fiction. It might not be nonfiction, but Zusak attempts to share the whole story
from multiple perspectives, allowing for numerous learning opportunities.

3. Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs

a. While this story is considered nonfiction, it is based on a true story. It is rich in
detail and symbolism that can deeply move readers of all ages. It tells the story of
a Jewish girl whose father voluntarily sends her to a work camp so she can escape
certain death at Auschwitz-her sister is imprisoned at the same work camp. This
novel really emphasizes the importance of family-to which students need to learn
about especially as they are getting ready to leave their parents for college.

Graphic Novels:
1. Maus by Art Spiegelman
a. After reading this graphic novel, I have determined that it is definitely not the
best representation of the Holocaust. Spiegelman definitely makes aspects of his
graphic novel sound more like an adventure than a fight for life. It simplifies an
event that was one of the most inhumane in history and it should not be sugar
coated. The pictures are also not very descriptive or detailed, which in a way
waters down one of the most violent episodes in human history.
Yet unlike what one of my previous teachers suggested about being offended
by the visuals of the Nazis being cats and the Jews being mice, I think this has
some very interesting symbolization that is not found in other genres because it is
 Holthus 22

found in the visuals rather than just the words. I actually really like this idea, but it
is hard to get to the root of the event in something like this.
If I would use this book, I would use selections of it as a supplement rather than
the main book. I think it is useful perspective wise, but not as the main event, or if
I would ever teach a class with ELL students it would be very beneficial because
it can help them with language and historic facts of the time.

Annotated Bibliography

Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Random House Children’s Books, 2006. Print.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a standard text in many Middle and Secondary
classrooms used to teach about the Holocaust. It is an excellent example of a classic
fable, that is ultimately used to teach an important lesson about the Holocaust and the
naivety of young children. Boyne wrote it from the perspective of an innocent
nine-year-old boy who did not understand what was happening literally right across the
fence (i.e., the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence), nor could he
fully comprehend the magnitude of the events. This might be historical fiction, but it
cuts across historical boundaries straight to the corruption of human nature. Anyone
could be Bruno in this case-walking into something completely unaware of its negative
consequences.

Brown, Joanne. “ Historical Fiction or Fictionalized History? Problems for Writers of Historical
Novels for Young Adults.” The ALAN Review, vol. 26, no. 1, Fall 1998.
This work questions the authenticity of YA Historical Fiction emphasizing the problems
in historical fiction. Brown states that these problems associated with writing historical
fiction are also the problems teachers face when they teach historical fiction because they
affect how the teachers and their students respond to and interpret these novels.

Chun, Christian W. “Critical Literacies and Graphic Novels for English-Language Learners:
Teaching Maus.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, vol. 53, no. 2, October 2009,
pp. 144-153. Graphic novels can be used in the secondary school classroom as part of a
multiliteracies approach to help develop critical literacies of English-language learner
(ELL) students. One particular graphic novel, Maus, is discussed as a possible teaching
resource. Intellectually substantive graphic novels that foreground racism and immigrant
otherness often resonate with ELL students. For ELL students, their increased
 Holthus 23

engagement via graphic novels can facilitate their entry and apprenticeship into important
social networks that amplify opportunities for academic success in mainstream classes.

Clark, J. Spencer. “Encounters with Historical Agency: the Value of Nonfiction Graphic Novels
in the Classroom.” The History Teacher, vol. 46, no. 4, Aug. 2013, pg. 489-508.
Clark emphasizes and describes the value of using nonfiction graphic novels, such as Art
Spiegelman’s Maus, in the classroom by describing how a graphic novel is different from
Regular novel and how despite its mode, it can effectively teach students about the events
of the Holocaust.

Danks, Carol. “Using the Literature of Elie Wiesel and selected poetry to teach the Holocaust in
the Secondary School History Classroom.” Social Studies, vol. 87, Issue 3, p.101.
Danks emphasizes that learning about the Holocaust from the literature of survivors
provides students with empathy and understanding is very important in the classroom.
She recommends using these nonfictional novels prior to studying the specifics of the
Holocaust in depth. She describes the value of using Elie Wiesel’s Night in the classroom
describing the kind of discussion points that need to be addressed and what the students
should glean from the themes of the novel.

Doherty, Thomas. “Art Spiegelman’s Maus: Graphic Art and the Holocaust.” American
Literature, vol. 68, no. 1, Mar. 1996, pp. 69-84. Doherty urges people not to disqualify
Spiegelman’s Maus based upon “ the madcap, the childish, and the trivial” associated
with its medium. He goes on to describe how the medium is not important, the message,
the themes, and the symbolism is what gives Spiegelman’s work validity and value.
Doherty’s main argument is that Spiegelma’s artistic style and animating purpose are
shaped by the two graphic media whose images make up the visual memory of the
twelve-year Reich-cartoons and cinema.

Flinker, Moshe. “ Diary of Moshe Flinker, a Young Jewish Refugee in Belgium: ‘What is to
Become of Me?” Shoah Resource Center, pp. 1-2. This is a diary entry by a young
Jewish
man written in December of 1942 when he was a refugee in Belgium. This is a great
example of a nonfictional account of a teenage boy ultimately coming face to face with
the threat of death, not just for himself but for his whole family. Two years after writing
this account Moshe was killed in Bergen-Belen by the Nazis.

Frank, Anne. The Diary of Anne Frank: The Revised Critical Edition. New York: Doubleday,
2003. While this book is used predominantly with middle-level students, it still has
significant value to be taught to Secondary Students as well. This girl is about their age
and had to worry about every sound she made, so she and her family wouldn’t be killed
 Holthus 24

by the Nazis. It really brings to life what it was like to live in hiding because it really
happened. This is the real diary of a young Jewish girl living in the Nazi-occupied
Netherlands

“Holocaust Diaries by Students: The Stories are Fictional, the Learning is Not.” Remember.org.
Edited by Michael Dunn. These diary entries were submitted by a group of students.
They were not trying to recreate what was, but in their writing, they were trying to grasp
the events of the Holocaust. No one really knows what it was like to be a Jew during the
Holocaust, but what was important is the effort that these students were making. One of
these entries was used for the application.

Isaacs, Anne. Torn Thread. Scholastic, Inc., 2003.

In this riveting account based on a true story, two teenagers strive to create a
home and family for each other amidst inhumanity and chaos. What emerges is a deeply
moving story, rich in detail and symbolism, where heartbreak and hope have been spun
into a single, exquisite thread.

Rodwell, Grant. Whose History? Engaging History Students through Historical Fiction.
South Australia, University of Adelaide Press, 2013, pp. 17-19, e-book.
This book aims to illustrate how historical novels and their related genres may be
used as an engaging teacher/learning strategy for student teachers in pre-service
teacher education courses. On pages 17-19, Rodwell greatly explain the advantages of
using historical fiction in the classroom, by citing real experiences by teachers in
Australia.

Spiegelman, Art. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began. First edition. New
York: Pantheon Books, 1991.Print. Art recounts the story his father tells him about his
time in Auschwitz by drawing them as cartoons. This graphic novel provides plenty of
information, symbols, and themes that can be used to teach students in an English
classroom.

Tod, M.K. “Successful Historical Fiction-Questions for Readers and Bloggers.” A Writer of
History, Mar. 21, 2017. M. K. Tod, an author of historical fiction, describes some
essential discussion questions that can be used in both a classroom and a book club.
These questions are meant to get readers to use their critical thinking skills to pick apart
what makes a historical fiction novel successful in terms of both the actual history and
the relatability of the characters to the readers.
 Holthus 25

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Trans. Marion Wiesel. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.
Night is a memoir Wiesel wrote about his young life and his time in Auschwitz. It is
equally descriptive and completely heartbreaking. It is a chronological book relating
everything from Hitler’s rise to power, to the Wiesel family’s time in a ghetto, to their
time in Auschwitz, and finally the liberation of the camp by U.S. soldiers in April 1945.

Zusak, Marcus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
This is a powerful portrayal of life under the Third Reich and the challenges faced by
German citizens, young children, the Jews, all the while personifying death as a person.
It provides multiple perspectives that cannot be found in all nonfiction novels, making it
a possible key fixture in a Holocaust unit for secondary students.