Odette's Secrets

posted Dec 10, 2014, 9:03 AM by scole@kisd.org

Odette's Secrets is a very good book.  If you are interested in learning more about the Holocaust, this would be a great book to read.  It is different from other Holocaust novels because it is written in verse (poetry) form.  It is based on a true story and has a lot of interesting notes/stories in the back of the book. For more information about this book please check out the web resources below:

Readers Theater Script – Odette’s Secrets (PDF)

RELATED ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES

Official Book Trailer:
http://youtu.be/ryZF-nsnEbI

The author’s website:
http://www.maryannmacdonald.com/

Author’s notebook, an interview with the author of Odette’s Secrets: http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/authors-notebook-maryann-macdonald-odettes-secrets/

Hidden Children in the Holocaust:

Background information for the teacher:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hidden.html

Photo “Jews are not welcome here”:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/unwelcome.html

The Psychological Aftermath, Bloeme Evers-Emden:
http://jcpa.org/article/hiding-jewish-children-during-world-war-ii-the-psychological-aftermath/

Life in Shadows: Hidden Children in the Holocaust: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (virtual tour – study guide available):
http://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/hidden-children/index/

Hidden in Plain Sight – Anagrams:
This can be used as a worksheet or a more kinesthetic activity by making letters of the alphabet from poster board and have children hold them as the audience directs their movement to try to find the hidden word.      

And now the news…:
Make a TV screen from a large cardboard box and use it to “broadcast” news of the war. Children can write news announcements using the timeline in the back of the book.
Directions to make a TV set.

References from the book:

Rodin’s Thinker:
http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/about/thinker

Recipe and instructions for homemade playdough:
Students will enjoy sculpting figures after observing the Rodin information. They could also use the dough to fashion medals of the saints, after hearing the following stories.                                     http://www.myasdiary.com/2013/12/10/homemade-play-doh-picture-tutorial/


The above link is a child’s pictorial tutorial. If blogs are blocked for you, use this link:
http://www.thefabulousmomsguide.com/2012/05/how-to-make-play-dough-play-doh-3/

The legend of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers:
http://www.st-christopher-medal.com/

The legend of St. George, the patron saint of soldiers:
http://www.st-george-medal.com/

The legend of St. Michael, the Archangel:                                                              http://www.saintmichaelusa.org/smstory.php

Star of David suncatcher:
Construct this and hang it as a remembrance of the Jewish children who were hidden and survived to be reunited with their families, the children who survived as orphans, and the children who were killed in the Holocaust. Their only crime was being born Jewish. 


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