.Girl in the Blue Coat.

Hesse, M. (2016).Girl in the Blue Coat. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.New York.N.Y.

In order for Hanneke to survive War War II  in Amsterdam she would go sell in the black market to help her family survive. Hanneke is rebelling against the Nazi régime by supplying black market goods throughout her city. Hanneke likes to think of it as a small act against the regime after her boyfriends was killed in the Dutch front lines when the German army invaded the city. Hanneke carries the burden of guilt because she had convinced Sebastian to enlist. Because of the death of Sebastian, they plan to get married once he returns from the front lines, his death left her with a great emptiness. In one of her deliveries she is asked to look for a Jewish teenager, Mirjam, which an older woman, Mrs. Janssen was hiding went missing. She thinks it dangerous to do such thing to help a Jewish girl after what she and her family are going through but eventually she gives in. As she becomes part of the Resistance in looking for the girl in the blue coat she becomes obsessed to find out just what happened. In her discovery she goes from a child trying to survive such horrendous times to a young adult caring for the people around her. Germans initiated a Jewish Council, an organizational committee created to warrant that their demands were carried out among the Jewish people. While Dutch Jews believed this council would help ease relations between the Jews and the Nazi's, it actually made it easier for Nazi' to track them down for extradition. This is the context which Mirjam, Girl in the Blue Coat, goes missing.

This is a great novel to teach young adults of deep guilt that comes with choices and regret. War makes people go through struggles that forces us to do things we never thought we had the strength to do or be heroes to those who need us most.  

Two other book you might like is the following with similarities but all so great big differences. 

On Teachers pay Teachers website you can find the following lesson plans;

World War II Worksheets and Word Wall Bundle

Vocabulary, historical events, and concepts, can be a challenge for many students. Help them to remember, understand context, and use correct terminology, by posting this vibrant word wall during the unit. This attractive and visually appealing 28-page set, combines colorful graphics with photographs that I have carefully researched in historical archives. Print in color and laminate, and you will have a collection that provides a stunning display for your classroom that can be used for years. 

World War II: Predicting German Foreign Policy 1933-1939

World War II: Predicting German Foreign Policy 1933-1939

This is one of my favorite activities when teaching the causes of World War II. Students will pretend they are advisors to the German leaders prior to World War II. First, the teacher will review the goals of Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and then the students will be given different scenarios where they will have to guess what the best choice would be to keep in align with German goals. In the end, the correct answers are revealed. The students compare their answers with what actually happened. The events that are discussed include the German occupation of the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Your students will love this activity! Teacher created, student approved!

If you are interested in seeing my other products related to World War II follow the link: World War II