Reader’s Theater:
Yom HaShoah Edition
Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 27, 2022
Reader’s Theater scripts are are based on A BOOK by ME series, books created by kids for kids. Reader’s Theater is a great strategy for developing reading fluency and are designed for use in classrooms. Actors do not need to memorize their parts but they should reread it several times, thus developing their fluency skills
These free teaching resources help communities honor the World War II generation.
This selection of titles is ideal for Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day for the Jewish. In 2022, Yom HaShoah is commemorated on April 27 as the community honors the 6 million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Ceremonies include the lighting of candles for Holocaust victims, and listening to the stories of survivors.
My Guardian Angel: The Story of a Refugee during World War II
Reader’s Theater script based on the book by Mia Freyermuth & Ella Douglas
Hungarian Eva Apathy and her husband were in Nazi Germany where he served as a doctor. Her greatest fear was losing their papers which proved they were not Jewish and being sent to a concentration camp. After the war, they came to America as refugees. Eva’s story touches the hearts of young readers, especially those who have struggled themselves.
Never Lose Hope: The Story of Marion Blumenthal-Lazan
Reader’s Theater script based on the book by John & Christine Mattern
Marion Blumenthal-Lazan was a Jewish girl whose family survived a concentration camp. She played a game in camp, pretending that if she found four perfect pebbles her family would live. They did survive, but her father died later, leaving his widow to immigrate to America with their two children. Marion is a speaker on the subject of the Holocaust and is known world-wide.
The Boy in the Grave
Reader’s Theater script based on the book by Chaz Walk
Harold was a young boy whose wise Jewish parents knew they must hide to survive the war. They made arrangements with a farmer for their family of five to hide under the floor of their barn until the war ended. They called their hiding place the “grub,” which means grave in Yiddish. Over nineteen months later they learned the war was coming to an end and it was safe to come out. They hadn’t used their legs for so long that Harold couldn’t walk and his mom could only crawl away.
Understanding Works NFP is grant writing to increase readership and distribute book sets to teachers in all 50 states. Please sign up below to receive a set if you’re interested. Note: Some grants are specific for rural schools so please specify in remarks if you’re in a rural area.
One of your students may be the next young author or artist! Sign up for booksets here
A BOOK by ME, a book series developed by Deb Bowen, empowers students to preserve history by telling the story of unsung heroes in our communities. For the young participants, it’s a guided cross-curricular project that gathers stories of people who do amazing things but have received little or no recognition. Students learn how to publish a picture book that is a primary source document with photographs and a biography.
Since 2003, Deb Bowen has been arranging meetings between students and individuals from the WWII generation. This intergenerational storytelling results in unique storybooks written and illustrated by kids for kids in the A BOOK by ME series. More about Deb Bowen >
