One Candle

One Candle by Eve Bunting and illustrated by K. Wendy Popp, was published in 2002 by Joanna Cotler Books. From the cover, endpapers, and front matter, we can tell this is a story about Judaism and Jewish holidays. The narrator is a young Jewish girl who is celebrating Hanukkah with her family. We see them all smiling, cooking, eating at the dinner table. Then Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose begin to tell their story from WWII and how they were taken from their families. The entire family is silent as they listen to their incredible story.

"'Well, it happened when we were young. We were separated from our families and put into a camp. it was called Buchenwald. That was in Germany. There was a war on at that time, and the Germans didn't like the Jews."

We find out that both women were 12-13 years old and worked in the kitchens making food for Nazi officers. One day Grandma stole a potato, two matches, and margarine after work. When they got back to the barracks, Grandma made a candle out of the potato to celebrate Hanukkah. Which is why the family still creates a candle from the potato today. "'That Hanukkah candle lifted us,' Grandma says, and there are tears in her eyes. 'It lifted us to the stars.'" The story ends with the young girl putting the potato candle on the windowsill next to the menorah and watching the glow from outside.

I am not Jewish and only know about Judaism and WWII from what I've learned in school, but this book seems to be very historically accurate to me. Eve Bunting is not Jewish either but she is known for her books about diverse, controversial topics. I really enjoyed Popp's illustrations for this story. They are muted colors and extremely realistic which fits the story perfectly. Most of the colors used are shades of brown, black, and maroon. The illustrations mimic photographs and have a dim, almost sad theme to them; although the story itself is uplifting. I especially love the pages where we see flashbacks of what the women experienced. The side by side comparison of the two times was absolutely fascinating. It gives the story a deeper meaning and impact for the reader.

This is a great story for teaching students about Judaism as another religion people celebrate as well as WWII. For older students, it would be a wonderful way to generate deep questions WWII and Nazi Germany.

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The Other Side

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis was published in 2001 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. The story takes place in a small town during the summer time. Our narrator explains that white people lived on the other side of their house fence. "And Mama said, 'Don't climb over that fence when you play.' She said it wasn't safe." This was definitely a historical fiction story about race. Our narrator, Clover, is outside one day when she sees a white girl sitting at the fence staring at her. She would sometimes see the girl out i public with her Mama too but the two girls were to allowed to talk to each other, though they really wanted to. One day, the girl's go up to the fence and introduce themselves as "Clover" and "Annie."

"'My mama says I shouldn't go on the other side,' I said.

'My mama says the same thing, But she never said nothing about sitting on it.'"

The girls quickly develop a friendship of fun and trust. They sit on the fence all summer and talk with one another. A group of girls stare at the two but do not participate at first. Then one day all of the girls decide to play together and have a great time. They had crossed to the other side of the fence and found friendship. My favorite part of the entire book is the last page for both text and illustration. The text reads,

"'Someday somebody's going to come along and knock this old fence down,' Annie said. And I nodded, 'Yeah,' I said. 'Someday.'" 

The fence divides the black people from the white people in town and is a metaphor for the old way of thinking that they should be separated. The girls were correct in their prediction that someday the old ways of dividing people up by race would be knocked down and instead children of all colors could play together. I also love this illustration so much because it shows the girls altogether and hanging off the fence in different ways in positions, showing their defiance to this old rule. I also love the sunset in the distance showing a new horizon is coming for these girls, and the world.

The illustrations are muted and dulled which gives them an extremely realistic feel. While reading, I felt like I was looking at real photographs. The illustrations and story seem very historically accurate. The author, Jacqueline Woodson, is an African-American woman in her 50's. She has been quoted saying, "I wanted to write about communities that were familiar to me and people that were familiar to me. I wanted to write about communities of color. I wanted to write about girls. I wanted to write about friendship and all of these things that I felt like were missing in a lot of books that I read as a child." Woodson writes about what she knows to be true, and I adore this about her. I would love to share this book with my second graders and I think students of all ages will adore this story of bravery and friendship.

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The Wall

The Wall by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler was published in 1990 by Clarion Books. The story follows a little boy and his father who have come to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington D.C. The story is narrated by the boy and he says, "This is the wall, my grandfather's wall. On it are the names of those killed in a war, long ago."They have traveled far and begin searching for his grandfather's name on the wall. While they are searching, the boy notices a few different people. A veteran with no legs in his uniform, an elderly couple crying, a boy with his Grandpa, a class of young, noisy girls. He also notices all the gifts left behind alongside the wall. His father finds the name and uses a paper and pencil to get a rubbing of it. Then he switches out the paper for a picture of the boy from his wallet. The boy leaves his picture under his grandfather's name as a gift and the two walk away.

The illustrations are beautifully realistic with shades of gray, blue, and brown mostly. The wall is always depicted as very vast and almost in a dream like state to help portray the seriousness of the topic. I love the use of shadowing in the illustrations which make the text feel very sad and almost spooky. All of the illustrations are full bleed as we are thrown into the story to experience the deep sadness and pride of this family.

This historical fiction text is extremely touching. The final page is a note from Bunting in which she explains the meaning of the wall to young readers. This is a text that I would love to share with young readers if they are reading for it. Bunting does a beautiful job portraying the impact the Vietnam War has had on the world and their families.

My favorite part of the text is the very end. The father is being positive and saying he's proud that grandfather's name is on this wall and the boy agrees. But then the boy gets very honest and remembers the boy and his grandfather he saw earlier. "But I'd rather have my grandpa here, taking me to the river, telling me to button my jacket because it's cold. I'd rather have him here." I love this part because Bunting exhibits truth in spite of tragedy. Yes, of course they are proud of Grandfather and his greatest sacrifice for our country. But at the end of the day, they still would rather have him here. Wouldn't we all?

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The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is truly amazing. It was published in 2005 by Knopf and is a historical fiction text about WWII and the holocaust.  It is narrated by Death who has been personified and recounts the life of the book thief, Liesel Meminger, a young and poor girl in Nazi Germany.

I have a bad habit of recounting every single thing that happens in a story and ruining the endings so, I will try not to do that here! Liesel is forced to move in with foster parents after the death of her brother and her mother being taken away. At her brother's funeral, one of the grave diggers dropped a copy of A Grave Digger's Handbook and she stole it. She was hooked on books ever since.

Her new parents are Rosa, a small and boisterous woman and Hans, the tall, kind, artist. Liesel encounters many new people in her new town including her best friend Rudy and other neighbors on Himmel Street. Death explains in great detail all of Liesel's adventures including soccer with Rudy and friends, stealing books and apples, and learning to read with Hans. Her family even ends up taking in a "Jew" named Max and hiding him in their basement. Every character is explained in great detail and you become a part of Himmel Street yourself.

Through Death's narration of Liesel's life we fall in love with her, her friends, and her family. Death also explains a great deal about Hitler, WWII, and the Nazi treatment of the Jews. I think that this novel is very historically accurate and would be an excellent novel for high school children to study. It is eye-opening and beautifully written. I absoutely loved Death as a narrator because he spoke the truth and was unbiased. He gave us a perspective that we otherwise would not have heard and added great meaning to the story. I especially enjoyed all of his asterisk notes that let us know insider information. For example, near the end of the story when he told us what the last few words were of Liesel's book she was writing entitled The Book Thief, "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right," (528). We would not have found out this information if not for Death's telling us behind the scenes. Overall, I believe that Death as a narrator was the perfect decision for this brave book. The Holocaust in Nazi Germany was a nightmare and only Death himself could tell that difficult story. He is the only one who saw everything that happened, everywhere.

It is imperative to discuss how important words are in this book. Liesel Meminger was infatuated with books and words since she found her first book even though she was illiterate. "Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain," (80). Liesel was taught to read by her foster father and she used her words for good like reading stories to Max and the townspeople in the bomb shelter. Zusak made the comparison of using words for good like Liesel, to using them for evil like Hitler. He was able to manipulate the masses into murdering the Jews with just his words. Words are powerful and they always have been, always will.

Let me say that this book is not considered light reading! It is very long and on top of that the content is very heavy. I recommend reading this book in parts and then revisiting it after reflection. Honestly, it took me until around page 300 to get really interested in the book. At the time, I felt that Zusak was explaining a bit too much about the characters and story even though in retrospect I now understand why he did that. I bawled crying at the end of this book. I cried so much that my dog had to come check on me. But why? It was because Zusak had took his time introducing me to the story that I felt so attached to and so connected to. So although it may be a slow start, it is worth it!

Death said many lines in this book that really made me think about mortality, about death, about our time on Earth. He discussed collecting the souls of people who had died and how he saw so many colors when he did, "So many humans. So many colors. they keep triggering inside me. They harass my memory. I see them tall in their heaps, all mounted on top of each other. there is air like plastic, a horizon like setting glue. They are skies manufactured by people, punctured and leaking, and there are soft, coal-colored clouds, beating like black hearts. And then. There is death," (309). Most people do not think of death in this way and it really helped me visualize the process of death and its effect on the world. Another line I particularly liked was how Death described war. He said, "**A SMALL BUT NOTEWORTHY NOTE*** I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They're running at me," (174-175). It is so morbid and sad to think about but it is so true, especially in WWII.

Lastly, I have a significant personal connection to this story. In 2005, I visited Dachau concentration camp in Germany with my family. Reading about the Jewish prisoners marching to Dachau gave me chills knowing I have been there. I still remember the eerie and depressing feeling while walking around the camp and seeing the showers, the bunks, the yards. After reading The Book Thief, I have an even deeper understanding of WWII and Nazi Germany that I hope people all over the country can experience as well.

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The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis was published in 1995 by Delacorte Press. It has won many awards including the Coretta Scott King award, the Newberry Honor, and the Golden Kite Award. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this novel because I am not normally a historical fiction fan. This story follows the Watson family through their daily life in Flint, Michigan. I really grew to love this family and I believe that was what Curtis intended. I was surprised how far into the book I was before any segregation/racial inequality themes were brought up. But Curtis wanted to ensure that we fell in love with the family first. 

Ten year old Kenneth or “Kenny” Watson is our narrator. He is very smart and has a lazy eye which makes him the target of much bullying at school. We are introduced to his family as they are shivering at home trying to stay warm by huddling together one cold, Michigan winter. They live in Flint, Michigan, although Momma is from warm Alabama. Sweet, younger sister Joetta or “Joey” is in Kindergarten and very impressionable while older brother Byron or “By” is the tough guy of the school and family. Momma and Daddy seem to still be very much in love and act as normally as any married couple I know today.

We watch as Kenny encounters school bullies, classes, new country friends, and old toy-stealing friends. Byron is the family rebel and is constantly getting in trouble and pushing his parent’s buttons. From skipping school to lighting fires to starting fights, Byron seems to do the opposite of everything he is supposed to do. He is a complicated young man going through a lot of changes. He is emotional and conflicted yet always watches out for his younger siblings. But one day Byron upsets his parents for the last time by getting a “conk” hair cut which apparently was the popular style in the 1960’s. I’m not ashamed to admit I had to Google search what a “conk” looked like. Anyway, his parents decide it’s time for Byron to go live with their Grandma Sands in Birmingham, AL for the summer of ’63. Mr. Watson suits up the “Brown Bomber” car and the family endures a three day road trip to Alabama to drop of Byron. When they arrive, it seems that Byron is actually happier being in Birmingham while Kenny and Joey are absolutely miserable with the never-ending heat.  Kenny is actually the first one to disobey parental orders this time by going swimming in the whirlpool (or Wool Pooh as they called it) at Collier’s Landing. The three children had been warned not to and Byron and Joey listened but Kenny did not. He almost drowned in that whirl pool but thankfully his siblings got him out. Poor, Kenny, The one time he doesn't obey the rules he almost gets killed for it!

Then one Sunday morning, the neighbors and Joetta went to church. Not too long afterward they all heard a giant boom sound. It turned out that it was the 16^th Avenue Baptist Church bombing that we all know too well. When the family ran to see if Joetta was hurt, Kenny followed, and actually went inside the church. It was there that he was traumatized by seeing three dead little girls and he assumed one of them was Joey. He ran home traumatized and upset. Thankfully, Joey was not hurt, but many other people were. She had actually left the church early because she was too hot and thought she saw Kenny waving to her across the street. The rest of the book explains how traumatized Kenny was by seeing those deceased girls and thinking one of them was his sister. In the end, Byron ends up pulling Kenny out of his depression and showing him that he saved Joey. I really enjoyed how the book wrapped up all strings for the Watson family. But I can’t help but feel sadness for the lives lost in the 16^th Avenue Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama as well as all other people affected by racial prejudice.

On a more positive note, I laughed a lot while reading this book! The interactions within the family were hilarious. Byron and Kenny reminded me so much of my brother and I except reversed. I am older but a rule follower like Kenny and my younger brother is the Byron of the family. All of their antics together including the arguments, name calling, and even sticking up for each other, made me laugh out loud and reminisce of my childhood in Illinois. I couldn't help but feel a connection to these characters that I didn't expect to feel. My father is from St. Louis but moved to Birmingham, Michigan in the mid-1960's which is about 50 miles south of Flint. 

          Two scenes had a particularly strong effect on me. The first was when the neighbor Mrs. Davidson gave Joey an angel that was white with blue eyes, dimples, and rosy pink cheeks. Joey hid the angel in her sock drawer because she didn’t think the angel looked like her. Her mother came upstairs and the exchange went like this:

Momma: “Sweetheart, I can see how it reminds her of you. Look at that dimple.”

Joey: “But Mommy, it’s white.”

Momma: “Well, honey, I can’t say it isn’t, but an angel’s an angel, what do you think?”

Joey: “Maybe, but I know that angel’s name isn’t Joetta Watson,” (Curtis 128-129).

I was conflicted with this scene in the story because I couldn’t decide how I should feel. Should I feel sadness that Joey already is well aware of her race or should I be happy that she is and wants to stay true to her identity? I did enjoy Momma’s attempt at making Joey appreciate the angel and indirect notion that people are people no matter the color. But I do wish Curtis took this scene a bit deeper and led Momma and Joey into a conversation about race and equality. Yes, Joey is only a Kindergartener, but clearly she is well aware of race and could handle said conversation. 

The second scene that really got to me was the church bombing, respectively. I actually had to reread this section a few times to fully comprehend the events that transpired. I was shocked to come to terms with these events in the story let alone realizing they were REAL. Although racism is still alive in the world it has definitely toned down since the 1960’s. I have never lived in a world of segregated bathrooms, schools, and drinking fountains and it always seemed like the civil rights movement happened so long ago. But in reality, it really wasn’t very long ago, was it? 

Interestingly enough, in the "About the Author" section at the back of the book we learn that Curtis was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. This gave the book a whole new level of validity that I did not have before. He does mention in the Epilogue that the characters and events in the story are fictional. After some research on Curtis I learned that he was born in 1953 which would have made him ten years old when the story took place; the same age as Kenny and in the same town. Interesting. 

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham perfectly illustrates life in the 1960’s for an African-American family and it is sure to leave a mark in children’s hearts forever. The Epilogue does a fantastic job giving factual information on the civil rights movement and inspiration for the book. I definitely recommend it as a young adult novel for studying historical fiction, the civil rights movement, and equality. 

Check out a copy from your local library!

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