Looking for a way to bring history to life with fictional stories or real-world accounts of significant events? Consider adding a Holocaust novel or story set during World War II to your lesson plans to coincide with National Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Each of our novel and book studies includes articles, videos, and lesson ideas to help students build background knowledge and make connections to themselves, the world, and other media.

1. “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak
2. “The Devil’s Arithmetic” by Jane Yolen
3. “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank
4. “I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944” by Lauren Tarshis and Scott Dawson
5. “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” by Art Spiegelman
6. “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli
7. “Night” by Elie Wiesel
8. “Number the Stars” by Lois Lowry
9. “Prisoner B-3807” by Alan Gratz

[1. “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak](id-thief)

In Zusak’s novel, a young girl named Liesel lives in Nazi Germany and steals books so she can learn to read and escape her reality.  Students can build background knowledge on the Holocaust using resources like:

• A deep dive into Germany’s geography, government, and culture.
• An article about how a jacket at a thrift sale led to uncovering a Holocaust survivor’s story.
• A video that explores the significance of the Holocaust during World War II.

[2. “The Devil’s Arithmetic” by Jane Yolen](id-devil)

In “The Devil’s Arithmetic,” a Jewish American girl named Hannah time travels back to World War II and must confront the horrors of the Holocaust and her identity. Students can explore more about Jewish culture and life in Germany during World War II with resources like:

• A video that explains how World War II included fights over resources.
• An article that explains what the Nuremberg Laws were and how they stripped Jewish people of their rights in Nazi Germany.
• An explainer article that lists the history and significance of Passover, a Jewish holiday.

[3. “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank](id-diary)

Anne Frank’s memoir documents her time in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam. Students can learn more about her life outside of her diary by using resources like:

• A biography of author Anne Frank.
• An article that explains how reading and writing can be therapeutic in tough times.
• A news story about how today’s Syrian refugees face experiences similar to those of Anne Frank during the Holocaust. 

[4. “I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944” by Lauren Tarshis and Scott Dawson](id-survive)

In this historical fiction novel, Max and Zena have to fight to survive in a Nazi-occupied ghetto in Poland by hiding and escaping from the German soldiers. Students can better understand what life was like in Nazi Germany by exploring resources like: 

• A video about Virginia Hall, an American resistance officer during World War II.
• An article about Jewish life in Poland before World War II.
• An article about how Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and the Warsaw ghetto uprising that followed in 1943.

[5. “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” by Art Spiegelman](id-maus)

In this graphic novel, Spiegelman interviews his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and how he survived the Holocaust. Students can hear more survivor stories by exploring articles on topics like:

• How graphic novels can help teens learn about social justice.
• How the documentary “Final Account” retells the horrors of the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
• Why Holocaust advocates are getting creative in sharing survivors’ stories with the younger generations.

[6. “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli](id-milkweed)

In Spinelli’s novel, a nameless young boy must survive living in Warsaw, Poland, during World War II while trying to find his identity. Students can explore more about what it means to establish self-identity with resources like:

• A video of Sam Solasz’s Holocaust survivor story.
• An article that explains what trauma is and how it affects us.
• A video that explores the last remaining relics of the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland.

[7. “Night” by Elie Wiesel](id-night)

Wiesel’s “Night” is a memoir of his personal experience during the Holocaust, including family loss and time in Nazi concentration camps. Students can learn more about Wiesel and other survivors by exploring content like:

• The full text of Elie Wiesel’s 1999 speech, “The Perils of Indifference.”
• An obituary for author Elie Wiesel.
• How Samuel Willenberg’s death in 2016 marked the passing of the last known Holocaust survivor from the Treblinka concentration camp.

[8. “Number the Stars” by Lois Lowry“](id-stars)

In “Number the Stars,” a Danish girl named Annemarie must help her Jewish best friend escape Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II. Students can build background knowledge of the themes in this novel with resources like:

• An article about how the Danish people helped protect their Jewish population from Nazi deportation during World War II.
• An article about how survivor Leon Prochnik used his experiences to teach students about the Holocaust.
• A video biography of author Lois Lowry.

[9. Prisoner B-3807” by Alan Gratz](id-prisoner)

In Gratz’s World War II novel, a Jewish boy named Yanek must survive 10 different Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Students can learn more about what life was like in these concentration camps with resources like:

• A video about how Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert also survived the COVID-19 pandemic.
• An article that explores the moral and historical implications of why Allied forces didn’t destroy the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.
• An article about America’s response to the Holocaust before and after entering World War II.

Build background knowledge of more novels with Newsela ELA

Even the most reluctant history learner can find an era that interests them with the right engaging novel or book. 

Newsela ELA’s Novel and Book Studies collection can help your students build background knowledge on tough-to-teach topics, practice in-context literacy skills, and explore diverse perspectives when reading a whole-class novel or when they’re exploring books for fun.

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