Who's in the Cellar?

The Butterfly

Written & Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco

Puffin Books, 2009

48 pages

Historical Fiction Book

Monique is a young girl living in the time of the Holocaust. One night she discovers that her mother has been helping a Jewish family hide from the Nazis by letting them 

 one night Sevrine is seen by a neighbor through the window so they have to move on. 

Will the Sevrine's family find a new safe hiding place? Will Monique ever hear from Sevrine again?

The illustrations are beautiful watercolor and ink drawings that capture the emotions of the story throughout the book. They show the harsh reality of what life was like during that time period while the Nazis were in power. 

I would teach this as Social Studies in fifth grade as a history lesson on the Holocaust. 

I would lead a discussion on how they would feel if it was them having to hide to stay alive or out of the camps. It’s a very emotional subject for some so I would evaluate to see how much time to stay on this topic before moving on to a happier discussion.