Two books that tell the story of history are The War Outside by Monica Hesse and Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill. Both of these books tell the stories of young people who lived through the internment camps in America during WWII. It's hard to understand how fear could cause you to turn on your friends, but just as fear ruled Germany, fear took hold in America. The Japanese living in America in the 1940s may have been just as American as their neighbor, but when fear takes hold, rational thinking does not always win.
The War Outside by Monica Hesse follows the story of two young girls who befriend each other in an internment camp. Their lives are totally different, but they have a common need for love, understanding, and stability.
Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill deals with interracial relationships as well as the fear of Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. 1941 does not seem that long ago, but when you think about relationships and attitudes, our country is not the same place. But, history has a way of repeating itself.
The third book that I want to mention is not based on history, but it could be. It tells the story of what can happen if we let fear control us. Internment by Samira Ahmed is set in the future. It speculates about a world where a group is moved into encampments just because of who they are. It seems like a far-fetched story line, but we know that it can happen, because history can repeat itself.