Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of a Children's Holocaust Memorial

by Peter W. Schroeder, Dagmar Schroeder-Hildebrand

Describes the efforts of middle school students from the rural Tennessee town of Whitwell to create a Holocaust memorial based on a collection of millions of paper clips intended to represent all of the victims exterminated by the Nazis.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, History, World War II, Childrens, Middle Grade, Inspirational

64 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book--but don't stop there. This is just a tiny glimpse of an inspiring story about how two middle school teachers started a project that took on international dimensions. Whitwell is a small town in Tennessee with no ethnic diversity. As the teachers began teaching about the Holocaust, students could not grasp the idea of six million people being killed by Nazi Germany during WWII. So they began a project that lasted over several years to collect paper clips to represent those who lost their lives in the camps.

My husband and I were introduced to this story by the movie "Paper Clips," several years ago. It is the almost unbelievable story of what happened to the students and the entire town. It is a well-told and heartwarming story. We were so taken with the story that we planed a trip to Whitwell where the Holocaust Memorial is still teaching young students about hate and yet how love can triumph. In the new school there is an entire room and library that is a testimony of how widely these students influenced others. Get the video and prepare to be impressed and moved.

[Pat Black-Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book tells the story of a school in a rural Tennessee area whose principal and teachers wanted children to learn about diversity and tolerance. So they taught about the Holocaust. But they wanted children to understand the extent of the lives lost during that time. Someone suggested they collect a paperclip for each person who died. Norwegians wore these during the war to show their solidarity with the Jews and others killed during that time. Then the kids began collecting paper clips. That's only the beginning of the story. The book gives details and pictures of every step of this amazing project. After reading this, watch the documentary, or visit the amazing museum in Tennesee to see how the project developed. They give virtual tours as well.
Tolerance, diversity, understanding, solidarity... That's the message of this book and the teachers and students deliver it well.

[Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer read-aloud

[Lisa Skripps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of A Children’s Holocaust Museum is the touching story of goal setting, human emotion, and determination. Peter and Dagmar Schroeder wrote this book after the children of Whitwell Middle School completed a project in which they collected over six million paper clips from around the world in order to represent all of the lost souls that perished in the horrific nightmare of the Holocaust. The project began when the teachers in this poor farm town began to teach their students about an event in history they had never heard of: the Holocaust. As the children learned about the atrocities that went on, they began to wonder what six million looked like; and thus the project was born. The Schroeders worked with the children for a long time, helping them to collect paper clips, and eventually even finding a train car that had transported people to the camps to house their museum.

Having seen the movie, and used it in my classroom, I was very excited when I found this book. I was equally more excited that I had an opportunity and reason to actually pick it up and read it. This is a great book that can be used as an accompaniment to the movie, or for children to read in class. I can see my students this year, being inspired to take action and do something after reading this book. I may even read the book before showing them the movie! I was impressed with the Schroeder’s ability to invoke the same emotions in text and through pictures as I felt as I watched the documentary. What an inspiring group of children!

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so moved by this story. It is a detailed account of how the students at Whitwell Middle School in Witwell, Tennessee decided to create a Holocaust Memorial. I found the sequence of events fascinating, as I have heard of the Paperclip Project, but did not know many of the details. Whitwell Middle began learning about the Holocaust after a faculty member decided that it was time that the students learned about differences and tolerance. This is topic that I believe many communities need to undertake. The Paperclip Project is a great information book that can hopefully inspire many other to get involved in a project that just may make the world a better place. I recommend this book for grades 4 and up.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the inspiring and touching story of the teachers, students, and community of Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee, and their quest to understand and teach about the Holocaust. The authors, White House correspondents for a group of German newspapers, helped the school publicize the project to collect six million paper clips to show just how many people were murdered and obtained a German railcar to house them.

The book includes a lot of quotes and behind-the-scenes information. Footnotes help to define unfamiliar terms. The book is written in clear and concise language, with many color photographs, and an attractive layout. However, it’s beginning to look a bit dated mostly due to the photos of the students which were taken in 2001. There is no real remedy for this. In addition, there is no list for further reading or any website listed to visit for more information.

Are Holocaust stories still needed today? Yes! Remarkably, very few young people know about the Holocaust since history has taken a back seat in school curriculums. It’s been over 70 years since World War II ended, and there are very few survivors left to tell their stories. Artifacts too are scarce, and when the group managed to obtain a German railway car from the time period, that may have been used to carry prisoners to camps, I actually got goose bumps.

Whitehill, TN has 1,600 residents who are all alike - “white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Kudos to them for wanting to teach their community about diversity with this awesome project.
Best for grades 4 and up.
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[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this book out of our library for my granddaughter but started reading it while getting my second covid vaccine. I’ve just borrowed it back from her to finish reading it. I am sitting here with tears running down my face, tears prompted by the incredible hearts, imagination and will of middle schools students to understand how hatred and intolerance could lead to the extermination of six million Jews, between one and two million of them children, and five million more other Holocaust victims: political opponents, Socialists, Communists, handicapped people, Jehovah’s witnesses, homosexuals, migrant “gypsies” and others who didn’t meet their ideals of a master race. These children could not image how many six million was. One student discovered that Norwegians wore paperclips in sympathy when Hitler required Jews to wear Yellow stars. A Norwegian invented the paper clip. The students decided to collect six million paperclips. The Whitwell Tennessee middle school project attracted local, then national and international attention and snowballed into creating The Children’s Holocaust Museum - Holocaust-Mahnmal Dee Kinder in this small US town determined to promote tolerance. Middle school students have power and a powerful message to share with us all. Come see what 11 million paperclips looks like!

[Kelly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This "book" is barely more than a magazine article that can be read in about half an hour but it is one of the most positive, uplifting stories ever told. I first learned of the Children's Holocaust Memorial project in Whitwell, TN when the synagogue in town aired the documentary "Paper Clips" as part of a Holocaust remembrance series a few years ago. I was blown away! I immediately ordered a DVD copy of my own and have watched it numerous times, always crying the whole way through. Finally I got my hands on the printed version and the results were the same; tears throughout. I have often wondered what has become of the memorial in the ensuing 20+ years. I know that one of the students went on to achieve a PhD in Holocaust studies and at least one has returned to the very same school to teach the subject. But is it still the pride of the town as it was when it was created or has it fallen into the realm of those things that we see everyday but don't really acknowledge? The lessons of what this small rural WASP town accomplished with this project were recognized worldwide at the time; I hope that continues to be the case.

[Tracy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book about a small school in Tennessee, working through how to teach students the feeling of the 6 million jews exterminated during the holocaust. These young students worked to collect 6 million paper clips to represent people. The were able to establish a following where after a number of “nos” they were able to locate, transport and ship an actual car from the time period that was used to take families to camps.

The coming together for a small community to jump in and help the children set up the Children’s Holocaust Museum, at the school. They contined to collect another 5 million to represent the other individuals; disabled, suffering from mental health, injured, etc…who the Nazis also executed.

The story is a 5 and makes me have an interest to go see their museum. Unfortunately the story is short and some photos were limiting. It is a quick and very worthwhile read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've heard of this story but it took a visit to the Dallas Holocaust Museum for me to finally seek it out. I think I heard it in the news. As I looked over the timeline of the story, I realized that part of the reason I wasn't super-familiar with the story is because it broke when I was on my honeymoon.

I want to use this book for next year's nonfiction/Holocaust unit. It's only 64 pages long but it's well-illustrated and clearly written. I'm not ashamed that I cried. I want my students to realize they, too, can make a difference in the world and they don't have to wait until they grow up to make that difference.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at my local Goodwill store as I was buying books for a Little Free Library and I knew I wanted to read this before I put it into the library. I have a read a lot about the Holocaust but I had never heard of this story of how a small middle school in Tennessee managed to not only teach about the Holocaust but also to actually show kids what a number like 6 million really represented as they heard that that many Jews had been killed by Adolf Hitler and his regime. Written in 2005, this is a book which needs to be used now, 18 years later, in this time of book banning and not trusting teachers and librarians to do their jobs.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schroeder takes readers through how the Whitwell, Tennessee Children's Holocaust Memorial came to be. It started with offering a class to teach about the Holocaust and grew from a desire to visualize six million. They collected paper clips and broadened their campaign to have people send them paper clips. From here, they decided to build a memorial to show others how many people were killed by the Nazis. Powerful message told at a level for children to read and relate.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring story of one small town's quest for knowledge and understanding. It is a tragedy that young people today do not know history. This admirable and life-changing project rippled across the ocean and touched the lives of all who participated. I have added Whitwell, Tennessee to my travel list.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book tells the fascinating story of a middle school, with the help of their community, two German writers, and people from all over the world collected 11 million paper clips and built a Holocaust memorial in Tennessee.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a moving story. Everyone should try to read this account if how a small middle school tried to understand how many people died at the hands of the Nazis. The roadblocks and challenges these students faced kept coming and coming, but they preserved because it was important.

[Lindsey Roath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super informative and quick read about the Tennessee children's project to collect one paperclip for each of the people killed during the Holocaust. Students at the middle school researched and brought this project to life in order to fully understand the impact of those 11 million deaths.

[Cheryl Lykowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children’s Holocaust Memorial

What makes this book so good is that comes from the children. Middle school students that wanted to know more about a world before their time, researched and built a memorial to show the world the amount of lives lost during the Holocaust.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting and important story about how one town taught it's kids the reality of the holocaust. At times it was a bit didactic, but overall a good story with a good message. We can never forget that the Nazis murdered six million Jews and five million other 'undesirable' people.

[Danielle Lentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story about a local school that created a Children's Holocaust Memorial. Definitely will be incorporating parts of this inspiring tale in my teaching of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Thanks for the recommendation, Nicole!!!

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and watched the companion DVD about fifteen years ago. As I remembered, the story is a moving account of a middle school's journey to learn more about the Holocaust and the resulting inspiration to create a children's memorial.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Doug Heishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to stir your emotions and build empathy for others.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing look into a small town school's decision to build a memorial to the Holocaust victims

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely cannot wait to incorporate this book’s teachings into my classroom!

[Amber]

Yes!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. I think it would make an easy introduction to the holocaust for school aged children.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving account of how education can lead to change and how Witwell Middle School created a Children's Holocaust Memorial.

[Amber Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Amazing what a group of students accomplished. Proof that when you tell kids they can do anything, it is true.

[Chrysti Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, commited students can change the world - one class at a time.
- From the Children's Holocaust Memorial Sign 🦋

[Alana B.]

For my non-fiction book, I read Six Million Paper Clips by Peter and Dagmar Schroeder. It is about a group of kids from Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee who are in an after-school class and started a world wide project to collect paper clips. They wanted to see what the number six million looked like because that was how many Jews died in the holocaust and they chose to collect paper clips because a paper clip was a symbol used by the Norwegians to show solidarity with their Jewish neighbors and friends during World War II. In each chapter, it is a different part of the process. How they got the paper clips to where they stored all them when they started to pile up. German journalists, Peter and Dagmar Schroeder caught everyone's attention when they became involved. They wrote nine articles in German Newspapers telling about this project. They later went to Germany to find a rail car used in World War II to store all the paper clips. They went through some trouble, but eventually the rail car got to Whitwell and made it a beautiful memorial. There are a few pictures of the rail car in the book. Some are of it is getting shipped from Germany 5,000 miles over the Atlantic and some of them putting all the paper clips inside it. The book is well organized with the order of what parts in the book come first and where all the pictures and quotes get placed. There was a lot of information, but it was all so detailed and intriguing, it was hard to put the book down. This book is great and I recommend it to anyone in middle school, high school, and adults who would like to know more about the Holocaust and if they want to know more about the project they could read this book or also see the documentary film called "Paper Clips." Peter and Dagmar Schroeder did an amazing job writing this book and using quotes, pictures, and detailed information. The quotes used in this book were said by the students of Whitwell Middle School, Principle Linda M. Hooper, Peter and Dagmar, and many others. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I hope who ever decides to read this book enjoys it as much as I did.