Night by Elie Wiesel

Wiesel, Elie. (1960). Night. New York: Bantam Books.

Night is a book by author Elie Wiesel, winner of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize. This book is currently only in a print version. The genre of Night is somewhat contradictory, some arguing that is is historical fiction while others argue that it is semi-autobiographical. Wiesel wrote this book, along with two sequels, Dawn and Day, to recollect on his memories of the Holocaust. Wiesel tells the story of his familys trip to Aushwitz and other concentration camps during World War II. This book is not for the faint hearted. Wiesel describes his events in great detail and does not sugar coat his experience. This book is still appropriate for youth, however, it is intended for students at least at the middle school level. Comprehension would not be a problem for most young readers, but it takes maturer students to truly grasp the seriousness and tone of the book. This is an excellent book for Social Studies teachers to use in fullfilling their reading across the curriculum requirement. I personally think that this is the kind of book that merits a unit over the Holocaust when reading as a whole class.