The Harmonica - Tony Johnston & Illustrated by Ron Mazellan

'The Harmonica' starts with a poignant sentence.  
"I cannot remember my father's face, 
or my mother's, 
but I remember their love, 
warm and enfolding
as a song."

The story is Henry's.  Henry was a jew living in Poland during WWII.  When the Nazi's invade the family finds itself split ​- Henry in one concentration camp and his parents in another. 

Henry though has his prized possession with him, a harmonica which his father taught him to play.  He plays this in the darkness, he 'played it to keep from losing hope.'

​

Henry plays Schubert as his heart is breaking, by some 'terrible miracle' he is heard playing by the camp commandment who each night after making him play tosses him some meagre food.  This makes Henry feel guilty, guilty that he is playing beautiful music for such a monster but also because he is 'getting bread while others starved to death.'  He feels sick to his stomach with guilt until one night the other prisoners thank him for bringing the beauty of the music into their sad existence. 

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Alternative children's books with similar themes. 

Picture Books

• Star of fear, star of hope by Jo Hoestlandt
• Rose Blanche by Ian McEwan
• Erika's Story by Ruth Vander See
• Hidden (graphic novel) Loic Dauvillier
• Anne Frank by Josephine Poole
• The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren
• Benno and the Night of Broken Glass by Meg Wiviott. 

Young person novels

• The Silver Sword by Ian Serallier
• Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig 
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
• Once, Then and Now by Morris Gleitzman
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by Jon Boyne
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Obviously not an exhaustive list - please add any other recommendations in the comments.