Holocaust Memorial Day: Children’s Reading List
Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January), marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is a time to remember the millions who suffered in the Holocaust, to honour the victims of other genocides throughout history, and to reflect on the importance of compassion, understanding and remembrance.
Books can provide a powerful starting point for children and young people to learn about this period in history. Through carefully chosen stories, young readers can begin to understand not only the historical facts, but also the human experiences behind them.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher or carer, the books below have been selected to help children engage thoughtfully with Holocaust Memorial Day.
Ages 9-10
Gentle introductions that focus on empathy, friendship and the impact of war.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
by John Boyne
A powerful story told through the eyes of nine-year-old Bruno, whose innocent friendship leads him to a fence he does not fully understand. This book encourages discussion around empathy, injustice and the devastating consequences of prejudice.
On the Move: Poems About Migration
by Michael Rosen
A beautifully illustrated poetry collection exploring migration, displacement and belonging. Drawing partly on Holocaust history, Michael Rosen’s poems open up thoughtful conversations in an accessible, reflective way.
Signs of Survival
by Joshua M. Greene and Renee Hartman
Meet Renee and Herta, two sisters who faced the unimaginable – together. This is their true story. As Jews living in 1940s Czechoslovakia, Renee, Herta and their parents were in immediate danger when the Holocaust came to their door. This gripping memoir is a reminder of how important it is to honour the past.
Ages 11-12
True stories and historical fiction offering deeper understanding.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years Anne describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such close quarters. This title presents her dairy that ends abruptly when, in August 1944, they were all betrayed. Her voice continues to resonate with young readers across generations.
The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die: A Graphic Memoir
by Peter Lantos (author) and Victoria Stebleva (illustrator)
A story of survival – and of enduring hope in the face of unspeakable hardship – on an extraordinary journey, made by Peter, a boy of five, through war-torn Europe in 1944 and 45. Peter soon realises that this new adventure is really a nightmare, watching bombs falling from the blue sky outside Vienna, and learning maths from his mother in Belsen.
Ages 12-13
More complex narratives exploring survival, trauma and memory.
Once
by Morris Gleitzman
Once there was a boy called Felix, who only believed in good things. Even when his parents were taken by the Nazis. Even when he hid for three years in a Polish orphanage high in the mountains. Then Felix set out to find his parents, and his whole world changed forever. Because however hopeless things are, we still have to follow our dreams, even just once… Once is an unforgettable and wholly unique depiction of the Nazi era from a child’s eye view, which perfectly captures a young boy’s hope and resilience in the face of absolute horror.
The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
The Pulitzer Prize-winning survivor story that retells the Holocaust in graphic art. It’s a game of cat and mouse. The Nazis are cats on the prowl. The Jews are mice, hiding in holes. From ghetto to Auschwitz to freedom in America, one young mouse named Vladek survives the terrible chase. Now his son, a cartoonist, tries to capture his story in this book: a daring and powerful true tale of the horrors of war…
Ages 13+
Slightly more challenging, mature texts for older readers.
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed forever when she picks up a single object, abandoned in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook. So begins Liesel’s love affair with books and words. But when Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, nothing will ever be the same again.
We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport
by Deborah Hopkinson
Through the moving and often heart-wrenching personal accounts of Kindertransport survivors, critically acclaimed and award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson paints the timely and devastating story of how the rise of Hitler and the Nazis tore apart the lives of so many families and what they were forced to give up in order to save these children.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (YA Edition)
by Heather Morris
When Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is dragged away to Auschwitz, he is given a number and a job: tattooing the other prisoners as they arrive. It’s not a choice, but it’s a stroke of luck; a rare stab at survival. As things turn out, it will not only save him from the gas chambers – but also give him a chance at true love. Lale keeps his mouth shut and his head down, trying to do his work and avoid the frightening guards. But on the day he spots Gita waiting in line for her tattoo, it’s love at first sight. Whatever happens, he must keep them both alive… This edition is suitable for older teens and contains mature themes that may require discussion and support.
More recommendations for Holocaust Memorial Day
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The Book Thief
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £6.99
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £6.99
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Felix and Zelda #1: Once
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £7.20
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7books
Morris Gleitzman Once/Now/Then/After 7 Book Set (Books 1-7)- gbp prices
- Offer price: £26.99
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The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die: A Graphic Memoir
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £6.99
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The Tattooist of Auschwitz (YA Edition)
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.99
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When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank, Before the Diary
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £5.99
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Little People, Big Dreams: Anne Frank
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £5.40
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Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £5.99
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The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £5.99
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Anne Frank's Story
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
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Signs of Survival
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £5.99
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Poems from the Second World War
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.99
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Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Abridged)
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £8.10
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6copies
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (6 Copies)- gbp prices
- Offer price: £47.50
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30copies
Once (30 Copies)- gbp prices
- Offer price: £191.00
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The Complete Maus
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £15.30
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6copies
Once (6 Copies)- gbp prices
- Offer price: £43.15
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Courage to Dream
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £3.99
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We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.99
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4books
This Boy Reads: Non-Fiction Books for 11-12 Year Olds- gbp prices
- Offer price: £21.99
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30copies
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (30 Copies)Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £229.20
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5books
Key Stage 3 & 4: Stories of the Holocaust Book Set (5 Books)- gbp prices
- Offer price: £35.20
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6copies
The Complete Maus (6 Copies)Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £91.75
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30copies
The Complete Maus (30 Copies)Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £407.00
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