The importance of reading in school





Judith Kerr

Author and illustrator of the much-loved English children's picture books "The Tiger Who Came to Tea"  Judith Kerr discusses her drawing life, the genesis of "The Tiger Who Came to Tea" and the Mog stories, the anniversary of her childhood memoir, "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" - and her new book, a "jolly" take on widowhood


 The Tiger Who Came to Tea/ Judith Kerr 

Photograph:Kerr-Kneale Productions

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit", Judith will be appearing for an interview at The New End Theatre in Hampstead, on 26 January 2011. The interview will begin at 6pm and will be followed by a book signing at 7pm. 



Description:
Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn't understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them? Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind. 

All profits from tickets sales will go to the Holocaust Educational Trust to help mark "Holocaust Memorial Day" on 27th January 2011


Education:

If you teach near Hampstead, don't miss the opportunity to go there with your  students. Let them speak with an author that they certainly know well from the books they have read. 


Students are very curious about autobiographical books and they love to hear by the author the real story about his life and his books.

To motivate your students, listen here Judith Kerr reading some pages of "When Hitler stole the Pink Rabbitt" and talking about her childhood, the favourite toy she left in Germany and her work as author and illustrator.



Ilse Losa (1903-2006)

If you want to go further in children's literature, after the conversation with Judith Kerr,  or the preview of the video, (if you don't teach near Hampstead), ask your students, after the preview in classroom, to compare Judith Kerr and the Portuguese children's book novelist Ilse Losa, in an interesting study of European children's literature about the Holocaust.

Ilse Lieblich Losa was born in Bauer, near Hanover, Germany March 20th 1913. She left her country with her parents in 1934. They were refugees and they came to Portugal. Later, she became a Portuguese citizen.


Editors: Afrontamento

She is well known by Portuguese students for her children's books, She wrote "O Mundo em que Vivi", an autobiographical  book similar to Judith Kerr's book "When Hitler stole Pink Rabitt". 
You can access here a few excerpts from the book by Ilse Losa (Portuguese language).


Two books based on the gripping real-life stories of two authors, those poignant backlists staple gets a brandnew look for a new generation of readers just in time for Holocaust Remembrance Month.


Recommended Reading Level:  sudents aged 9-15 


The students can do a research about History on the website of The United States "Holocaust Memorial Museum" here. There are some resources for educators too.


Educators and students can complete this research visiting the "Rembrance and Beyond" UN website here.

For younger students (primary school) they can preview the video below, telling the story "The Tiger who came to tea", and educators will introduce in a soft way Judith Kerr story and the "International Holocaust Rembrance Day" on 27th January 2011.




"Denying historical facts, especially on such an important subject as the Holocaust, is just not acceptable.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Press Conference SG/2120, 14 December 2006

 
 G-Souto
26.01.2011
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®


References:


Pauli, Michelle; Fernando, Shehani, Judith Kerr 'I was enchanted by the strangeness of cats', The Guardian, 20 January 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk

Holocaust Rembrance Day UN
http://www.un.org


Labels: , , , , , , ,