There are several points to be made in answer to the question about
evaluating Holocaust literature for children posted on HaSafran:
1)AJL has several bibliographies of Holocaust literature for children
posted on its bibliography bank atwww.jewishlibraries.org.
2)The Jewish Valuesfinder database contains several hundred
recommended Holocaust titles for young people of all ages. Do a
search at www.ajljewishvalues.org.
3)Marcia Posner's specialty is Holocaust literature. Lisa
Silverman is also knowledgeable, especially in Holocaust picture
books. Do a database search for articles they have written.
4)Do Google and other database searches (EBSCO, for ex.);
there's a vast amount written about Holocaust literature.
5)Consult the various books that have been written about
Holocaust literature for children, especially those edited by Samuel
Totten. My new book, BEST JEWISH BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS, just
published by the Jewish Publication Society, has a chapter on
recommended books about the Holocaust and an introduction that gives
some historical background.
6)Holocaust literature is evaluated according to the same
criteria that all other Jewish books for children are evaluated,
including accuracy, age-appropriateness, authenticity, a
well-realized theme, compelling setting and characters, a believable
plot, and an integration of all of these elements into a coherent and
readable whole. In addition, extra attention is given to
age-appropriateness in content and illustrations (most Holocaust
educators recommend 5th grade as the time when children should be
introduced to the Holocaust), the provision of historical background
and context, a focus on the Jewish nature of the Holocaust, a
sensitivity to the need to balance specific horrendous details with
tact for children's emotional and intellectual readiness for such
details. For a discussion of evaluating books of Jewish content for
children and teens, see
http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/publications/excellence.pdf.
7)As with all literature for all ages, one size does not fit
all. There is no formula for evaluating books: each deserves to be
judged on its own by a competent reviewer. Since no one can read ALL
of the books written about the Holocaust for children, reliable
recommendations and bibliographies are very helpful.
8)Reviews in the AJL Newsletter reflect the criteria stated
above. Each reviewer writes his/her own evaluation; each review
indicates if the book is recommended or not recommended. Each reader
of the Newsletter makes her/his own decision on which books to buy.
Linda R. Silver
AJL Newsletter Reviews for Children and Teens
AJL Jewish Valuesfinder
Best Jewish Books for Children and Teens: A JPS Guide
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Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
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