Explore History with Books on the Holocaust at the Warren Township Library

International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is an international memorial day on January 27 commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. Explore history with these books available at the Warren Township Library and other branches of the Somerset County Library system.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - In October 1942, 17-year-old Helmuth Hubener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people. (Middle School Readers)

We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust edited by Jacob Boas - Diary entries written by five Holocaust victims document the ordeals suffered in Nazi-occupied Lithuania, Hungary, Belgium and Holland. (High School Readers; Middle School Readers)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable by John Boyne - Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wife fence. (High School Readers; Middle School Readers; also available as an e-book)

Once by Morris Gleitzman - After living in a Catholic orphanage for nearly four years, a naive Jewish boy runs away and embarks on a journey across Nazi-occupied Poland to find his parents. (Middle School Readers)

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz - Based on the life of Jack Gruener, this book relates his story of survival from the Nazi occupation of Krakow, when he was 11, through a succession of concentration camps, to the final liberation of Dachau. (Middle School Readers; also available as an e-book)

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene - Sheltering an escaped German prisoner of war is the beginning of some shattering experiences for a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Arkansas. (Middle School Readers)

Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs - In an attempt to save his daughter's life, Eva's father sends her from Poland to a labor camp in Czechoslovakia, where she and her sister, Rachel, are forced to make blankets and uniforms for the German army. (Middle School Readers)

Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli - After being taken by German soldiers from a local movie theater along with other Italian boys including his Jewish friend, Roberto is forced to work in Germany. He escapes into the Ukrainian winter before desperately trying to make his way back home to Venice. (Middle School Readers)

Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus - In Nazi-occupied Norway, 14-year-old Espen joins the resistance movement, graduating from deliverer of illegal newspapers to courier and spy. (Middle School Readers)

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - In 1941, 15-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. (High School Readers; also available as an e-book)

Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow - In 1936 Berlin, 14-year-old Karl Stern, considered Jewish despite a non-religious upbringing, learns to box from the legendary Max Scheming while struggling with the realities of the Holocaust. (High School Readers; Middle School Readers)

Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman - Spiegelman, the child of Holocaust survivors and a well-known cartoonist, addresses his family's plight in the frames of a comic strip in this dark and unusual work for more mature readers. (High School Readers)

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli - Set in Nazi-occupied Poland just before the Warsaw ghetto uprising, Spinelli's first historical novel tells a tale of heartbreak, hope and survival through the eyes of a young orphan. (Middle School Readers; also available as an e-book)

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen - Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland. (Middle School Readers; also available as an e-book)

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel, a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. (High School Readers;  also available as an e-book)

Check out other Suggested Reading lists here, including Teen Reads, High School books and Middle School books.

If You Like John Green, Try These Books at Warren Township Library

If you like John Green, then high school readers will enjoy these books available at the Warren Township Library.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia. (Also available as an e-book)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing 13 cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death. (Also available as an e-book)

Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts - The last person Zac expects in the room next door is a girl like Mia, angry and feisty with questionable taste in music. In the real world, he wouldn't be friends with her but in the hospital different rules apply. And what begins as a knock on the wall leads to a friendship neither of them sees coming. (Also available as an e-book)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - A series of letters to an unknown correspondent reveals the life of Charlie, a freshman in high school, and the uncharted world of first dates, family dramas and new friends. (Also available as an e-book)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - Nick O'Leary meets Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart. (Also available as an e-book)

Before I Die by Jenny Downham - A terminally ill teenage girl makes and carries out a list of things to do before she dies. (Also available as an e-book)

This Star Won't Go Out: The life and Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl - A collection of journals, fiction, letters and sketches of Esther Grace Earl, a young cancer patient who passed away at 16 and was an inspiration for A Fault in Our Stars.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - When Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship. (Also available as an e-book)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. (Also available as an e-book)

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider - Star athlete Ezra Faulkner's life is transformed by a tragic accident and the arrival of eccentric new girl Cassidy Thorpe.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - A humorous account of a New York City teenager's battle with depression and his time spent in a  psychiatric hospital. (Also available as an e-book)

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder - Having spent several years in and out of hospitals for a life-threatening illness, pragmatic 16-year-old Cam is relocated by her miracle-seeking mother to a town in Maine known for its mystical healing qualities.

Other recommended authors include:
Deb Caletti
Susane Colasanti
Gayle Forman
Maureen Johnson
A.S. King
David Levithan
E. Lockhart
Matthew Quick
Jordan Sonnenblick
Sara Zarr

For more Teen Reads, visit here. Visit this page for other recommended reading lists.

Audiobooks Available at Warren Library

Too busy to read? Try an audiobook! There are a variety of genres and authors available including:

A Country Road, A Tree
by Jo Baker; narrated by David Rintoul 

Adult Fiction. In 1939, struggling writer Samuel Beckett leaves his family's home in Ireland for Paris, where he befriends James Joyce, begins a relationship with future wife Suzanne Dechevaux-Dumesnil, and -- after the Nazis occupy the city -- becomes involved with the French Resistance. In spare, evocative language, this biographical novel by the author of Longbourn examines how Beckett's life shaped his unique style and body of work. In this audio version, David Rintoul clearly distinguishes the different characters through his thoughtfully paced narration.

The After Party
by Anton DiSclafani; narrated by Dorothy Dillingham Blue

Adult Fiction. In the posh suburb of River Oaks, the socialites of 1950s Houston, Texas drown their sorrows with the many luxuries oil money affords. Against an atmospheric backdrop of debutante balls, cocktail parties, and garden-club luncheons, The After Party explores the complicated bond between rebellious glamour girl Joan Fortier and Cece Buchnan, her inseparable friend since childhood -- though as they grow older Joan's increasingly alarming behavior pulls the two apart. Narrator Dorothy Dillingham Blue effectively renders Cece's voice as she relates this vividly detailed story of a flawed reality lurking just below the socially respectable surface.

The Second Life of Nick Mason
by Steve Hamilton; narrated by Ray Porter

Adult Fiction. Rumors abound that this intriguing novel is a series debut; fans of brooding anti-heroes are likely to hope the rumors are true. Imprisoned for a murder he didn't actually commit, Nick Mason has accepted a dubious offer: get out 20 years early and live a life of comfort...if he agrees to follow the orders of an incarcerated crime boss without question. As the demands placed on him get ever more unconscionable (and more dangerous), Nick is increasingly ready to go straight. But of course it's not that easy. Narrator Ray Porter clearly differentiates among the voices of distinct characters in this Chicago-set novel.

A Buccaneer at Heart
by Stephanie Laurens; narrated by Steve West

Adult Fiction. After a decade of service to the Crown, Captain Robert Frobisher decides it's time to marry and start a family. But before he can take a wife, he must complete one last covert mission: investigate rumors of a slavers' camp in the Freetown Colony of West Africa (Sierra Leone). There, Robert meets Miss Aileen Hopkins, who's searching for her missing brother, a young naval officer. Since Aileen won't be dissuaded from seeking out danger, Robert agrees to assist her in her quest. A Buccaneer at Heart is the 2nd installment of the Adventurers Quartet, which follows the seafaring Frobisher family.

Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul
by James McBride; narrated by Dominic Hoffman

Adult Nonfiction. Prompted by a comment from James Brown's grandson, author James McBride decided to look into the complex life and legacy of the Godfather of Soul. With input from Brown's friends, family members, and colleagues, McBride paints a picture not just of the founder of funk but of the world that made him; musings on race, identity, influence, and the American South abound. While there are other, more traditional biographies of James Brown available, this one is unique as it adds cultural history, context, and a personal perspective. In the audiobook, narrator Dominic Hoffman's "determined to get it right" (Publishers Weekly) as he recreates Brown's maxims and slogans. 

Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor
by Clinton Romesha; narrated by Will Damron

Adult Nonfiction. In 2009, the U.S. military decided to close a vulnerable string of outposts in Afghanistan that were meant to deter Taliban insurgents from free movement across the Pakistan border. Just as the closures were beginning, the Taliban launched a deadly, all-out assault at one location, Command Outpost Keating. In Red Platoon, Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha recounts the firefight, preceding the account with a description of his own training, his troops' capabilities, and the conditions that exacerbated Keating's vulnerability. His riveting description of the battle itself provides vivid and sobering detail. Military history buffs and readers concerned about the war in Afghanistan will appreciate this book, clearly voiced by 2015 Voice Arts Award Winner Will Damron.

The Last Painting of Sara De Vos
by Dominic Smith; narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Adult Fiction. Parallel narratives unfold and eventually converge in this multi-layered novel, which explores the legacy of fictional 17th-century Dutch painter Sara de Vos, whose creation of her masterpiece At the Edge of a Wood provides one thread of the story. The other threads connect the 1957 theft of de Vos' masterpiece, its most recent owner, and the thief. In the audio version Edoardo Ballerini weaves the storylines together while skillfully imparting a "thrill of foreboding" (Publishers Weekly) as secrets are gradually revealed.