Historical Fiction Children's Literature
Title: "I Survived the Nazi Invasion of 1944"
Author: Lauren Tarshis
Illustrator/Design: Tim Hall
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Copyright: 2014
Pages: 90
Max Rosen is a young boy living in a Polish ghetto. His family was forced to leave their home and move to a guarded community. The conditions were miserable and whole families were sharing a bedroom. German soldiers gave them rules to follow and if broken, they faced horrible punishment. Food was scarce and everyone's health deteriorated. After their father was taken by the Nazis, Mas and his little sister Zena had to take care of themselves. One day while trying to find food to eat, they were taken prisoner. A daring escape forced them into the forest. The story continues to facing the risk of being captured yet again and face harrowing consequences. This book will show you how Max and Zena fight to survive and find who they can trust to help them. With events building up to diminish all hope, will they make it to safety? Will they ever find their family again? The answer lies in the pages, you just have to find it.
Connection to the Classroom: Author Lauren Tarshis has written many books that tell of young children surviving historical events from all over the world. This series will engage young learners and motivate them to read more. Text features in a literature unit could be introduced. This text has maps, a timeline of the events of World War 2, and a section with common questions and facts. Those features can also accompany a Social Studies or History lesson.
Such a cool series for young readers to learn about historical events!My 2nd graders and my own 5th grade son loves this series! Great addition to 2nd-6th grade classroom libraries!
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great selection for a literature circle for students. Exposing children to stories of true hardship can open up a world of possibilities for discussions about their own hardships in life and how they might feel if faced with true hardships and worries. Great book recommendation!
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