Core Alternative YA Text-
Lester, Julius. Day of Tears. New York, NY. Hyperion Book. 2005
“Emma is the property of Pierce Butler...Now, to pay off mounting gambling debts, Pierce decides to cash in his "assets" and host the biggest slave auction in American history. At the price of his humanity, he reaps just over $300,000 as the skies weep nonstop on the proceedings below. For although Butler had promised Emma's parents not to sell her, money, desperation, and greed enable him to justify any misdeed. Through flashbacks and flash-forwards, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and place, and come to understand that every decision has consequences, and final judgment is handed down not by man, but by his maker” (Retrieved from Scholastic) Although it is not a diary, this YA blends history and fiction by providing the perspective of slaves, slave masters, and abolitionists. It breaks the silence of marginalized characters and it also displays how society perpetuates the silence of characters. Similarly to how in the Diary of Anne Frank, her diary gives her a way to break her silence that she feels from her family and even society.
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Alternative YA (4)-
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1. Ahmed, Samira. Internment. New York, NY. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2019
“Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the camp's Director and his guards...” (Retrieved from Good Reads)
This YA displays the importance of fighting complicit silence in today’s society and allows readers to question how to stand up for individuals. This novel is appropriate for all readers.
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2. Dogar, Sharon. Annexed. HMH Books for Young Readers. 2010.
This work is often viewed as a companion piece to The Diary of a Young Girl. Peter Van Pels is a young fifteen-year-old boy and a good friend to Anne Frank. Although this is a fictional piece, in this work readers are able to see Peter’s perspective on the horrifying events that unfold during the Holocaust. This work allows readers to witness the atrocities of war through the lens of a young boy who struggles with his identity and has crushes just like any other boy.
3. Forest. Bella. The Girl Who Dared to Think. Boulder, CO. Nightlight. 2017.
Set in a dystopian society, twenty-year-old Liana Castell must be careful of what she thinks because there is a device in her head that tracks her thoughts to produce a score. She is already at a four, which the lowest possible acceptable score. Eventually, her nightmare comes to pass when she drops to a three. What will she do to survive in a society where free thinking is not allowed? This young adult novel presents a world that shows ways in which a government explicitly controls the minds of its subjects. This work pushes readers to ask questions, such as “Are our thoughts being influenced by leaders of people in positions of power today? If so, how are they being influenced?”
4. McGinnis, Mindy. A Madness So Discreet. New York, NY. HarperCollins Publishers. 2015~ (High Achieving)
“Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.” (Retrieved from Amazon) This work discusses how societal norms can silence individuals, particularly women and how that silence can suppress a person. However, it also displays how one can break silence not only for themselves but for others as well.
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Music (3)-
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1. Public Enemy. “Fight the Power” (clean version). Do the Right Thing. Motown, 1989. (Risk for failure)
This somewhat militant song by hip-hop group, Public Enemy discusses the African American struggle for equality. Instead of following the status-quo, the song challenges its listeners to fight the power that is suppressing their voice.
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2. Mollenhauer, Heidi, “God Help the Outcasts.” Hunchback of Notre Dame (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack). 1996.
(ELL; Risk for Failure, High Achieving)
This Disney song is sung from the perspective of young Gypsy woman, Esmeralda. She prays for help for outcasts like herself who need mercy from the racism and discrimination faced in Paris. It allows listeners to question how people are considered outcasts, how society perpetuate silence, and how this singer tries to shine a light on injustices against her and other outcasts.
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3. Scott, Naomi. “Speechless.” Aladdin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Walt Disney, 2019. - Aladdin (ELL)
In this song, the singer refuses to be silenced by the men in her life and by societal expectations. Instead, she declares that she will not remain speechless. It compels listeners to consider how does society perpetuates the silence of others and how does the singer try to break this silence for herself. This song is appropriate for all learners.
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Informational/ Explanatory Texts (4)-
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1.“Interviews.” Centropa. Centropa. 2018. https://www.centropa.org/pictures-stories?donor=&biography_person=&title=&field_photo_city_value=&field_photo_country_now_n_tid=All
This database of interviews provides a plethora of informational text regarding life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Rather than provide one informational text, it felt essential to provide the entire database of interviews that students can look through to see the different voices of Jewish people who survived the Holocaust. Students will begin to see how various survivors were silenced or tried to break the silence of injustice during WWII. Some interviews also provide how some people stood up for Jewish people or either stood aside as bystanders.
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2. Sehgal, Parul. “From Ancients Myths to Modern Day, Women and the Struggle for Power. The NewYork Times. NY, New York. 2017.
Inspired by a recently published book on women in Literature throughout history, this article discusses the different ways in which women have been silenced in Literature. This article alludes to everything from Ovid to Hillary Clinton. This work push students to think critically about the different ways in which women are oppressed in and through Literature. After reading this article, readers will be able to closely analyze the way in which women are portrayed in both texts and social media.
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3. The United States Holocaust Memoria.“Anti-Jewish Legistlation in Pre-war Germany.”2016. Commonlit. org.
This document provides students with the anti-Semitic laws that Hitler imposed on Jewish individuals. Through these laws, students will be able to understand how Hitler sought to isolate the Jewish people in order to move them easily into the concentration camps. This work will allow students to have a better understanding of the history of the Holocaust.
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4. Wiesel, Eli– Acceptance Speech. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Sun. 6 Oct 2019.
The author of Night was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. In his speech, he discussed neutrality and silence during tough situations. He wanted the audience to realize that when one is indifferent to the suffering of others that they too the cause of the suffering. Weisel’s speech makes readers consider how one can break the silence not only for oneself but for others. It will also allow readers to question whether silence makes one complicit in other’s suffering.
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Urban/ Street Literature (2)-
1. Grimes, Nikki. Bronx Masquerade (Risk for failure; ELL)
“When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class and reads it aloud, poetry-slam-style, he kicks off a revolution. Soon his classmates are clamoring to have weekly poetry sessions. One by one, eighteen students take on the risky challenge of self-revelation…”
This urban novel gives the characters a chance to find a way to express themselves through poetry about real issues that young adults go through. This novel will work well with students at risk for failure and ELL students because it is easy to read and deals with relatable issues of silencing young voices and about fighting injustice.
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2. Stone, Nic. Dear Martin. (Risk for failure)
“Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.” (Retrieved from Good Reads). This novel displays the importance of breaking the silence against injustice.
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Movies (2)-
1. Melfi, Theodore. Hidden Figures. 20th Century Fox, 2016. Film.
“HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)-brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.” (Retrieved Rotten Tomatoes)
The two innocent children in this film are caught in the crossfires of the Holocaust. This film will provide students with more insight regarding the Holocaust and have them ask what prevents people from intervening when witnesses injustices around them.
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2. Kochavi, Maya. “Eva. Stories.” Directed by Mati Kochavi. 2019. https://www.instagram.com/eva.stories/?hl=en
A series of 70 episodes presented through Instagram stories based on the diary kept by Eva Heyman in 1944. In the series, Young Eva uses her iphone in order to document her diary. Through her iPhone, readers see the young girl's happy existence in Hungary and the devastating events that followed once the Nazis invaded her hometown. The Instagram stories are a great way to communicate the horrors of the Holocaust to a society immersed in social media and technology. The series is great for all learners.
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Art (2)-
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1.​Bodek, Karl and Conrad, Kurt. Löw, One Spring. 1941. Yad Vashem Art Museum, Jerusalem
Holocaust victims Karl and Kurt created this watercolor, ink, and pencil art piece that displayed a beautiful butterfly on barbed wire at Gurs concentration camp. The butterfly’s sharp contrast against the camp shows some glimmer of hope despite its bleak background. This art piece is appropriate for all students, particularly high-achieving students when analyzing how this art piece ties with the theme of the unit.
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2. ​Dresner, Shmuel. Benjamin, 1982.
“Ghostly head and shoulder portrait of the artist's friend made up of collaged, burnt and torn pages from Yiddish and English books and newspapers. The artist describes how despite being held in a concentration camp for two years Benjamin maintained an elegant image, stylish and tough. He was always cheerful and optimistic and it was this optimism that helped Dresner cope with the death of his father in 1943. Shortly before the deportations began Benjamin and Dresner were called forward. Benjamin wanted to step up as he hoped that those called earlier would be transported by train. Without knowing why Dresner hid. Those who traveled by train, including Benjamin was shot in a clearing in Strzelnica.”This art piece is appropriate for all learners, particularly high achieving students when analyzing the different burnt and torn pages in the piece and comparing with the theme of silence in the unit.
Poetry (3)-
1. ​Frieddmann, Pavel. “The Butterfly.” I Never Saw Another Butterfly by Hana Volakova. Shocken. NY, New York. 1994.
This poem is part of art and poetry made by Jewish children who were surviving in the concentration camp named Theresienstadt. The works were created in a secret art classes taught by Austrian artist and educator Friedl Dicker-Brandies. The majority of Jewish artists, scholars, and artists were sent to this camp. This work is extremely powerful in that we are able to hear the voices of those who suffered the horrors of the Holocaust
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2. Kimel, Alexander.“The Action in the Ghetto of Rohatyn, March 1942”
Holocaust survivor, Alexander writes how he cannot forget the horrors of the ghettos during the Holocaust. Similarly to Elie Wiesel’s “Never Shall I Forget” students will begin to compare the two poems in regards of how if forgetting the Holocaust perpetuates the revictimzation of Holocaust victims.
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​ 3. Radnóti, Miklos.“First They Came for the Jews”
This short poem displays the effect of not speaking out against injustice. It is a confession from a German Protestant pastor who expressed how bystanders were also complicit in the Holocaust due to silence. It allows readers to ask what prevents people from speaking out and how society can perpetuate silence against injustices.
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4. Shakur, Tupac. “Liberty Needs Glasses” ~ Tupac (Risk for Failure)
In this poem, the rapper writes about how liberty is not truly for everyone, particularly in America. Liberty and justice is not equal in the world. This poem ties asks students to ask why justice seems limited and how society perpetuates silence.
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​ 5. Wiesel, Elie. “Never Shall I Forget” Elie Wiesel
This poem is an excerpt from Night describing how the author cannot forget the horrors of the Holocaust. It will allow a discussion with students that if society begins to forget the Holocaust is it the same as silencing the victims of the Holocaust.
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Short Stories (3)-
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1. Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” The New Yorker. NY, New York. 1948.
This short story takes place is a fictional small town which observed annual tradition called “the lottery.” The purpose of this tradition is to a human sacrifice to be stoned to death by the community to continue the community’s good fortune. The short story shows students the consequences of not questioning our society’s traditions and thinking for themselves.
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2. Hill, Lawrence. “So What Are You Anyway”
This short story tells the story of a young child on a plane trip. However, she is criticized about her skin complexion to the point of tears by a couple, taking away her innocent view of the world. This story will ask readers to discuss prejudices in themselves and in society. This is appropriate for all learners.
3. Orzick, Cynthia. The Shawl. The New Yorker. NY, New York. 1980.
The work tells the story of the three characters: Rosa, Magda, and Stella on their march to a Nazi concentration camp during mid-Winter. While in the camp, Rosa hides her baby Magda in her shaw which keeps her quiet.However, while in the camp, Stella takes the shawl for herself, causing Magda to cry. The crying causes her to be discovered by the soldiers and killed. This story highlights the horrors of the Holocaust and the conflicts that affected the Jewish people while inside the concentration camps.
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Play or Graphic Novel (1)
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1. The Search - Eric Heuvel, Ruud van der Rol, Lies Schippers (Risk for failure; ELL)
“The Search' showcases World War II and the Holocaust as a time when defining good and evil and right and wrong is a constant struggle and when every decision is an attempt to choose between the lesser of two evils. As the story unfolds the protagonists find that not everything is as black and white as they had expected.” (Retrieved from Google Books)The graphic novel will allow students to discuss how the consequences“helpers” and bystanders actions or lack of actions. This graphic novel will work well for students at risk for failure and ELL students because of the graphics.
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2. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon Books. 2000 (High achieving, ELL)
“Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.” (Retrieved from Google Books)
The novel provides various discussions of how the characters are silenced by society and how they try to break the silence in their lives. This graphic novel will work well with ELL students and students at risk for failure because of the graphics and engaging content. High achieving students will also be engaged with the content especially since it deals with issues from another country.
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3. Spiegelman, Art. Maus (Risk for Failure; High achieving, ELL)
“Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust” (Retrieved from Good Reads)
The graphic novel gives a different perspective of the Holocaust. This story will work well for ELL students because of the graphics which will help detail the narrative. It is also engaging for all learners, particularly ELL and students at risk, because it uses animals instead of people to discuss the Holocaust.
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Picture Books (2)-
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1. Deedy, Agra. The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark. Peachtree Publishing Company. Atlanta, GA. 2000. (ELL)
During World War II, the Star of David was used to segregate and terrorize the Jewish people. However, in this story that takes place in Denmark, King Christian X committed to keeping his people safe and wore the Star of David with pride and encouraged all his subjects to do the same. This story is fiction in that although Denmark did rescue Jewish individuals, none were forced to wear the yellow star; however, the work begs the question “What if people had resisted in this way? And why didn’t they?” “Why do you think the author used this creative license to change the story?” The story will work as a transition piece to help readers begin to ask those important questions. This story is perfect for all readers.
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2. Yousafzai, Malala. Malala’s Magical Pencil. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. NY, New York. 2017. (ELL, Risk for failure)
As a young girl in Pakistan, Malala wished for a magical pencil. She would use this pencil to create change and bring happiness to those around her. As she grows older, she realizes that she can fix the world without a magical pencil. Through hard work and determination, she could be a positive influence to the world around her. This story shows the power that one girl’s voice can have on those around her as well as promotes equal rights for both men and women. This work disrupts the silence of women around the world. This work is perfect for Enlgish Language learners and for those at risk for failure.