School Library Journal STARRED Review (The Burning of the Books)

Historical details and a call to action today, this title, using Cubist/­Geometric influences for haunting illustrations, tells the history of books in Germany. Beginning with the revolutionary Gutenberg Bible, the book covers the culture of Germany that welcomed deep and wide reading for centuries. With the rise of Hitler, authors and titles were questioned for being contrary to the goals of the Third Reich. Titles were pulled from shelves of libraries and bookstores. On May 10, 1933, students from the Nazi ­German Student Association coordinated the burning of books across the country. By the end of World War II, it’s possible that over 100 ­million books were destroyed. The chilling story leads readers to the outcome of ­banning and its implications for our world ­today. ­VERDICT Clear text calling for an aware ­citizenry to protect the printed work paired with powerful illustrations, this title deserves to be read and discussed well into high school classrooms and beyond.

The Burning of the Books by Jonah Winter and Gary Kelley