I believe there’s a fine line to be walked with sharing with children the truth of what happens in the world and letting them maintain the innocence of childhood.

Over the course of my life I’ve seen both extremes. On the one hand, children can become so sheltered that the real world is a shock once they’re fully exposed to it. On the other, children can be exposed to the harsh realities of life on such a personal level that they may never fully recover.

Here in the U.S., while we have our problems, kids are much more sheltered from the horrors of the world and its history than not. Which is why I believe it’s important to expose them in a gentle way to things like the Holocaust without crushing them with some of its horrifying realities

Thankfully today, we have many books that let kids experience life in another time, all while being kid-friendly and age-appropriate.

Ultimately a parent is the best judge of what their child is ready for. So, while I have books I love to recommend for kids on many topics, the best person to make that decision is the child’s parent.

This is by no means a complete list, just some titles I would recommend based on their relevance to introducing children to an important topic. I may add more in another post in the future, but this is my list for now.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I ran across this book in my childhood library when I was about ten years old. There was a poster with a list of Newbery Medal winning books taped to the end of a shelf, and the cover of Number the Stars stood out. As a child, I’d been intensely interested in stories about WWII in Europe, especially relating to the Holocaust, so I immediately searched to see if our library had it. Thankfully they did, so I added to my pile.

Since then, it’s been one of my favorite childhood books. I loved the story of Annemarie and her sisters, and her determination to help her friend Ellen. To this day, whenever I think of the country of Denmark during the Second World War, I always think of this book.

This is definitely a very “gentle” rendering of the fringes of the Holocaust, so if your child hasn’t read anything at all about the topic and is middle grade school age, I would definitely start with this one. Even though the story is entirely fictional, it’s based on what really happened, plus is entertaining without being graphic. I firmly believe that fictional stories, especially novels, have always been a wonderful way to introduce children to history, one of those subjects that ranks with math as one of the most hated.

2. Journey to America by Sonia Levitin

This is another fiction book, with two sequels. I didn’t care for the sequels, but I received this book one year as a gift and read it multiple times. This story chronicles the escape of a Jewish family from Germany in the late 1930s, before World War II really got started. The family has three daughters, and the primary perspective is from the middle daughter, Lisa.

There’s nothing in this story that is graphic or too intense, but you still get a good grasp on the state of things in Germany at the time, and what it took not only to leave the country, but also to survive.

The author, Sonia Levitin, escaped from Germany in the 1930’s so it’s safe to assume that the book is based on real life events as seen through her eyes as a child. I imagine that this book was her way of sharing her experience so other children could know what happened in a way that was relatable to them.

3. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

I was given this book one year, probably for Christmas. Somehow over the years it got misplaced or given away, and I finally came across it again in a Goodwill not long ago.

I know I read it at least once, but when I read it again recently, I realized I didn’t remember a thing about the story line. But that was okay because I got to enjoy the story as if I was reading it for the first time.

Based on the real life experiences of author Judith Kerr, it follows the story of Anna and her family as they flee Germany in the early years of the 1930’s and strive to make their home as Jewish refugees living various places in Europe.

The one thing I do remember as a kid was that the pink rabbit didn’t feature as prominently as I thought it would. Instead, the pink rabbit is a symbol of all the things that Anna and her family lost as a result of fleeing Germany.

When Anna realizes that many of the things that were supposed to be forwarded to them in their new home had been taken by the Nazi’s, she regrets that she didn’t take her pink rabbit, and realizes that it was a choice that she will never be able to do over again. In a way, it’s the first step toward Anna growing up and beginning to realize some of the realities of her new life as a refugee. This was somewhat confusing me when I was younger so if your child read the book and asks you about it, that’s the symbolism of the title.

4. A Place to Hide by Jayne Pettit

I hesitated including this one in this post because I believe it’s out of print. I’m assuming this because Amazon isn’t selling any new copies as of this writing, but you can still pick up used copies pretty cheaply.

This was one of the first books I ever read on the Holocaust, and it’s still one of my favorites. The book is divided into chapters highlighting the stories of different Holocaust rescuers.

While there are definitely sobering elements, it’s very tastefully written for children without being traumatizing. It covers people like Meip Gies, who helped to hide Anne Frank’s family, and Oskar Schindler, of Schindler’s List fame, all while keeping the account very kid-friendly.

I remember being most moved by the story of Anne Frank, and it’s still my favorite chapter in the entire book. This was my first introduction to her story, which gave me the basis for the characters when I later read her diary.

5. Always Remember Me by Marisabina Russo

I was fortunate enough to run across this one in my library’s system while I was researching this post. It’s a beautiful picture book that chronicles the story of Marisabina Russo’s family, namely, her mother, aunts, and grandmother and how they survived the Holocaust during World War II. It’s truly a remarkable story, and one that I hope to include someday in my family’s collection. The sketches are well-done and when I first looked at it, I had to go through and check out all the pictures before I went back and read the text.

I think one of the important things to introduce children to when referencing the Holocaust are the happy stories of those who survived. While the tone of the book is still somber in places, the overall focus and ending are happy. This would definitely be a book to introduce to very young children. The recommended age on the inside cover says it’s intended for children ages 6 and up.

6. Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine

This was another gem that I ran into while researching books for this post. While the story of Hana and her family has a heartbreaking ending, the beauty of this story is what happens years after World War II ended.

Karen Levine brings out how Hana’s identity is discovered via a suitcase that ended up in Japan with Fumiko Ishioka, director of the Tokyo Holocaust Center. Fumiko goes on a journey to discover who Hana was, and is ultimately successful.

The book is written with chapters alternating between Hana’s story during World War II and Fumiko’s story over fifty years later as she attempts to track down Hana’s identity.

If you’ve not read the story yet, I don’t want to spoil it for you, so all I will say is that as a children’s book, it does end in a very satisfying way.

7. The Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen

I almost didn’t read this one before I had to return it to the library, but I’m so glad I did.

It’s the story of Lisa Jura, a Jewish girl from Vienna, who was sent to England on the Kindertransport, a system set up to evacuate children from Europe to England just before England declared war on Germany. What makes this story unique is not just that it’s told by Lisa’s daughter, but that Lisa was a musical prodigy.

The story starts just before Lisa is given the opportunity to leave Vienna, and chronicles her life during her stay at 243 Willesden Lane in London, a hostel for refugee children. While there, Lisa makes friends and forms bonds with the other children, and helps to bring hope to her fellow refugees through her talent for music.

This book read like a novel, which was one reason I was able to breeze through it so quickly. While it’s not specifically written for children, it’s written in a style that would be enjoyable to a younger readership. I would definitely recommend this book for older elementary to early teens.

8. Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop

I think my mom must have bought this book for my brother because it always sat on his shelf when we were kids. I always found the cover to be intriguing so I guess I picked it up at some point and it’s been a favorite ever since.

A lot of Word War II Holocaust stories are geared for girls. I’m not sure why, but this is one that could be read and enjoyed by both girls and boys because it’s about a group of school children at a school in France who are faced with what to do when they are joined by some Jewish children who are trying to hide from Nazi soldiers. At one point in the story they are forced to deal with a scenario without an adult which only adds to the suspense.

My dad also read this story at some point and found out there was a film that was made based on the book in 1985 called Miracle at Moureaux. It deviates from the book to a large extent but is a great film for children if you ever find it.

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Books to Introduce Your Children to the Holocaust Without Scaring Them

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry