Stories of Righteous Upstanders: Holocaust Heroes

The two titles featured today offer profiles of very different young men, neither of whom were  Jewish, but both recognized the rightness and the necessity of taking actions in the face of threatening and overwhelming power.  

Quill Tree Publishing, 2021

BARTALI'S BICYCLE: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy's Secret Hero is written by Megan Hoyt and Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. I wrote  a trilogy involving the Holocaust years, taught this topic throughout my career, and now serve as a volunteer Holocaust Outreach Educator. What has always astonished me is the seemingly infinite stories of heroism during that horrific era that are little known. Despite my relatively deep background in the subject, this picture book featured someone entirely new to my information about the subject. 

Gino Bartali was a lifelong biker on his hometown cobbled streets of Florence, Italy when he decided to launch into training as a competitive cyclist. His progress was impressive and in 1938 he won the TOUR de FRANCE. When he lauded as a hero, he protested,"Heroes are those who have suffered. I am just a cyclist."

That year, 1938, marked the shift in political tyranny in Germany and Italy from carefully orchestrated and oppressive laws against Jewish people to outright attacks, invasions, and concentration/work camps, leading to the death camps and intentional murders of more than six million Jews and millions of others, too. The story of his heroic, risk-taking efforts to save lives of Jewish friends and strangers in the following years involved using his bike-riding identity and skill to deliver secret documents, exchange messages, communicate information needed for escapes, and even hide Jewish friends in his own home. 

Once the war ended, he avoided attention to his role, saying, "Good is something you do, not something you talk about." Over time, though, his heroic and humane choices were revealed and now his story is available to young readers. The vibrant and action-packed illustrations make a dramatic story even more compelling, with tension rising throughout. A timeline on back pages indicates other markers before and after his resistance life as well as some highlight dates/events during the war years. I'll be using this book in my outreach work and have recommended it to many others, adults and kids alike. 

Norton Young Readers, 2021

NICKY and VERA: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued is written and illustrated by Peter Sis. In this case the author/illustrator is world-renowned, and the featured Holocaust hero has gained considerable attention in recent decades. After his war efforts, he, like Bartali, never spoke of his rescue efforts. Only as the children he saved grew to adulthood and shared their individual stories did some investigative efforts reveal the man at the center of saving so many lives. 

The long view, from present time, is breathtaking and inspiring. But this picture book takes young readers right back to the start of his story. Nicky grew up in schools and with a family that encouraged curiosity, exploration, and travel. As a young man from England Nicky toured many European countries and learned about cultures and history along the way, becoming  fluent in many languages and an Olympic fencer.  In the same pivotal year as Bartoli's Tour De France, Nicky was invited to Prague, Czechoslovakia, in the heart of Europe where German Nazi forces were intent on conquering the world and establishing White/Aryan Supremacy. That growing threat would attempt to eliminate every Jewish person in the process, and followed through on their orchestrated effort that destroyed uncounted lives. 

That same year, Vera (from the title) was just ten years old, living a contented life in a village near Prague. When Nicky noted the advance of German troops, the malicious threats and assaults on innocent people, he returned to England to hatch a plan that might assist young people in escaping the assault. At that time, children under seventeen could receive visas to live their country. Before departing, he launched his own mission, to collect photos, names, and passports for as many children as possible, taking those details with him to England. 

At first, he worked alone and then found others to support his work, advertising for sponsoring families and safe homes, leading to trainloads of refugees on the KINDERTRANSPORT, 1938-1940.  Thousands eventually escaped and survived, but Nicky is personally credited with 669 children saved. Vera was among them.

It is important to acknowledge the bravery of Vera and her family and all of those others who left or were left behind. They had to separate from the ones they loved the most, knowing they might never see each other again, knowing that a choice was made from desperation and love, knowing that being courageous in departure would ease the pain of the others. 

When the iron grip of German forces ended the efforts, Nicky returned to England and spent his very long life doing good, quietly, but not sharing his story with others. He, like Bartali, believed that doing good is a choice, an action, not a ticket to fame. By pairing and paralleling the lives of 

Nicky and Vera, with informative but childlike illustrations, side text, and back matter, the lives of a young man and a child feel immediate and present in our lives.

Nicholas Winton is a widely recognized name in Holocaust history now, and you can learn more by viewing a 60 Minutes segment on Youtube, HERE (bring tissues).Watching it may be the best fifteen minutes you'll spend this year. You can see that he, too, was a young man at the time, barely ten to fifteen years older than the children whose lives he saved. 

Here's an image of Nicky with some of his rescued "children".

These two heroes are important subjects across time and at any time of year, but it is thrilling to share them here, together, among other outstanding nonfiction elementary nominees for this year's CYBILS AWARDS. I hope you will make time to read these, to learn more about their stories, and to stay tuned for reviews of even more wonderful nominees as nonfiction November ticks away.

Profiles in Kindness: Biographies of Everyday Heroes

As I've been reading and examining picture book biographies, I've noted the challenge to portray famous adult lives and their accomplishments while not losing touch with the children from whom they grew.Two recent books do that particularly well. 

Abrams Books for Young Readers

YOU ARE MY FRIEND: The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood uses words by Aimee Reid and pictures by Matt Phelan to reveal the deep roots of Fred Rogers- as a child. 
With gentle, minimal text and images, the well-known adult Fred Rogers comes to life on the page first  as a sickly, timid, lonely little boy. Everyday experiences reveal his gradually developed ability to entertain himself with imagination (and puppets), to listen intently to those he trusted, and to absorb and apply their wise words in his own life. 
He finally developed the confidence to consider running along a stone wall. When he dared to ask permission, the gathered adults told him no. But Grandpa McFeely said yes, and then affirmed Fred's courage when the boy came back with a skinned knee.
Unlike some biographic picture books, this one successfully keeps the focus on Fred as a child long enough for readers to identify with him as a child. They are able to see him as an ordinary boy, one who could be in their classroom or neighborhood. 
Only then do they see him move ahead to become an observant, curious adult with a keen eye for making the world better. In one important case, a pivotal event, he imagined how making the new world of children's television could make the whole world a better place for... children.
Of all the ways he opened the world to young viewers, Fred Rogers never lost sight of those childhood messages: Look for the helpers, I believe in you, and you are wonderful just the way you are. The ways in which this ordinary hero changed lives is immeasurable.  This picture book biography plants the seed of truth: anyone can be a hero. Everyone IS a hero when they live up to their best selves.
Added back matter and resources are accessible and add valuable details and insights.

Clarion Press

The second biography that impressed me is LITTLE LIBRARIES, BIG HEROES, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by John Parra. The narrative begins with another small boy whose struggle had to do with reading. That was a particular pain for a boy whose mother was a reading teacher and loved books. 
We quickly learn that she saw beyond her son's struggles and did not measure his worth by fluency. Instead she instilled a magical message in her son, Todd Bol, a seemingly ordinary boy. She shared her belief that he was gifted, that he could change the world, that he could do anything.
He never forgot that.
This book is as much a biography of the message as it is of Todd or any of the other cameo heroes included. Each had special gifts, ways of becoming heroes. 
This is the story behind the global movement that resulted in Little Free Libraries being built, registered, filled, and stewarded by people who love books and reading as much as Todd's mother did.
It is the story of Todd's search, as an adult, for a way to move beyond sadness when his mother died. To honor her, he decided to build and fill and steward a streetside little free library in her memory. 
This is also the story of Todd never giving up, believing his mother's message about making a difference. He moved his effort into nearby towns in Wisconsin with the help of a big-thinking buddy and volunteers, then on into public awareness, then on into communities around the country and around the world as his message spread.
It also offers anecdotes of  just a few everyday people who took on the role of Little Free Library stewards in their own communities, celebrating individuals for bringing the love of books and reading to their neighbors. Some of those stewards launched their efforts as  young as six years old.
In this book, too, the added details and resources in back matter elevate an inspiring story to nonfiction excellence and mentor writing. Content includes added details, but also notes links to learn more about this global effort. The nonprofit organization website allows you to explore a world map of active locations, find more individual stories, and learn how to become a steward in your own neighborhood.

How we define our heroes probably defines us.  

We sometimes urge kids to look beyond media-enhanced superheroes to recognize admirable folks in their midst, the ones who make a daily effort to live up to and exceed the responsibilities of life. 
Not often enough, I'm afraid.
With kids, that effort often yields a more fully developed understanding of role models, of leaders, of  admirable human qualities. Young people may interview and write about those close-at hand heroes, too.

As we pause in gratitude for all that we have, as we gather today and throughout the upcoming holidays, I urge you to share stories of the personal heroes you found in your own lives, especially when you were very young. Share some stories of how Mr. Rogers was a part of your life.

After a full meal, gather up some gently loved books to exchange and take a walk to a Little Free Library near you. (Check the map!) If there is none near you, why not open a conversation about becoming an steward in your own front yard. 

And remember, before stumbling into heated or hurtful conversations, that the young ones gathered round are watching, listening, and absorbing what you say and do. What they see and hear, directly and indirectly, will shape who they one day become. 

As Fred's Grandpa McFeely told him, what he always remembered and grew up to share, "You are wonderful just the way you are."

Happy Thanksgiving.

Who Do You Trust: Sports Heroes?

This has been a tough week for Major League Baseball, and even more so for its loyal fans. Sadly, the abuse of steroids and the rationale that players must "cheat to compete" has tainted every player with suspicion in much the same way that Lance Armstrong's eventual admissions did with cycling competitors.
I've written previous posts about the need to offer young readers legitimate and significant role models beyond pop culture icons. During the Summer Olympics last year I featured biographies of  remarkable athletes whose accomplishments involved overcoming extraordinary hardships to even compete in their respective sports.
Which brings me to the question of how to approach discussions of tarnished  heroes with children. The title of this post harkens back to  Who Do You Trust, a popular 1950's game show originally emceed by Johnny Carson. Now that was a time before corruption and deceit were so pervasive (it's kind of tricky to type with my tongue lodged in my cheek). 
It's a tough question: Who DO you trust?
Perhaps some of the best advice to give kids is to avoid going "all in" when hero-worshiping current stars, saving their highest admiration for those they know the best. In many cases that means those who play a direct role in their lives, "up close and personally", to twist a familiar sports phrase into something real.
Another bit of good advice is to look back in time to those who have completed their careers, those whose lives have been scrutinized and evaluated through the lens of history. "Old school" heroes, if you will.
Picture books offer that view with an irresistible blend of immediacy, engagement, and a healthy dose of authenticated content.

Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2000

SATCHEL PAIGE, by Lesa Cline-Ransome with paintings by James E. Ransome, is one such book. It seemed particularly ironic to me that the announcement of baseball suspensions began immediately following the weekend designated to honor the Negro League teams. Leroy (that's his given name) was born with an abundance of natural gifts, as are so many sports and entertainment idols, but he devoted himself to developing those gifts through practice. He threw rocks instead of baseballs, but he also collected bottles for pennies and toted bags at the train station for tips to help his large family survive.
He swung a stick over his shoulders and hauled several satchels at once to increase his income (not to mention his strength) until his friends said he looked like a satchel tree.The name stuck. 

Perhaps his family's desperate economic conditions convinced him that some indiscretion was justified- he was caught stealing. That landed him in a reform school. There he had three meals a day, a pair of shoes, and a baseball team with an actual coach. It was a blessing in disguise.

The mystique of Satchel Paige's many baseball accomplishments is not based on hype, social media, or even statistics alone. His remarkable willingness to take what has been dealt to him (or what he may have dealt himself) and play that hand to the best of his ability is the quality that makes him a universally admired figure who transcends the realm of baseball. 
He trusted his talent to speak for itself.

Carolrhoda Books, 2013

Ransome makes the point that after decades of being excluded from Major League baseball because the color of his skin, "Satch" had little respect for the rules and rituals of the league, including pregame exercises and taking signals from the catcher. What he did respect was his own talent, and he NEVER saw a need to "cheat to compete".

I've written about this topic in earlier posts, including the 2013 release, SOMETHING TO PROVE: The Great Satchel Paige vs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio, by Robert Skead and Rob Skead, illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

Any young baseball fans who are disillusioned by the lies and rule-breaking of their current heroes need to look no further than non-fiction picture books like these and others to find role models that have already stood the test of time.  These names are remembered for their contributions to their professions and to their communities, not for flamboyance, or, worse yet, for inflicting damage on themselves, their fans, and their chosen careers.

Earlier this week Anna M. Lewis had a post on the  I.N.K. Blog(Interesting Nonfiction for Kids) with some related titles you should also check out:

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro LeagueBaseball by Kadir Nelson

King of the Mound - My Summer with SatchelPaige by Wes Tooke