From: April Henry <aprilhenrymysteries>
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:56:07 -0700 (PDT)

I speak here as the mother of a 10-year-old. I am reading Anne Frank's diary to her every night before we go to bed. She asks lots of questions, such as,
"Why did people hate the Jews?" and "Why did people follow Hitler?" On her own, she is also reading
"Survivors, True Stories of Children in the Holocaust." And we have a copy of Hitler Youth, but I'm not sure she is going to read it yet - it seems pitched to an older level.

Earlier in the year, when she was away from the classroom, her teacher showed a film about the Holocaust. Unbeknownst to the teacher, the film contained images of bodies stacked up like cordwood. My daughter's class reacted with horror, crying out and screaming. The teacher quickly stopped the film and apologized. I remember seeing a similar film in 6th grade. I have no remembrance of any context, just the searing images.

 As she has grown up, we have talked about other genocides. Our old neighbors were Cambodian. Still, the whys are questions we struggle with as adults.

April

Author of the young-adult thriller Shock Point, as well as five other mysteries and thrillers. www.AprilHenryMysteries.com, http://aprilhenry.livejournal.com, http://www.myspace.com/aprilhenrymysteries
Received on Fri 21 Apr 2006 07:56:07 AM CDT