WORLD WAR II LIST Junior (4 – 6) Bawden, Nina Bilsom, Geoffrey Cooper, Susan Garrigue, Sheila Hautzig, Esther Heneghen, James Holt, Gerald Kacer, Kathy Kacer, Kathy Kerr, Judith Lowry,L. Magorian, Michelle Serraillier, Ian Trease, Geoffrey Junior-Intermediate (6 – 8) Matas, Carol Pearson, Kit Schmidt, Gary Walsh, Jill Paton Westall, Robert Wilson, Budge Yolen, Jane Yolen, Jane
Carrie's War Hockeybat Harris Dawn of Fear The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito The Endless Steppe Wish Me Luck Tails of Flame Clara’s War Gabi’s Dresser When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Number the Stars Goodnight Mr. Tom. The Silver Sword Tomorrow Is a Stranger
Jesper Lisa The War Guests Trilogy Mara’s Stories The Dolphin Crossing Blitzcat Thirteen Never Changes, Devil's Arithmetic Briar Rose (Grade 8)
Lorinda's Diary
Hana’s Suitcase (Non Fiction)
WORLD WAR II LIST Junior (4 – 6) Bawden, Nina Carrie's War Carrie and her young brother are evacuated to a remote village in Wales where they do not feel welcome in the Evans’ rigid household. It is in her new friend Hepzibah’s kitchen that Carrie can relax. Hepzibah and Johnny Gotobed, the harmless simpleton she looks after, are outsiders, regarded with suspicion in the small rural community. The Evans do not approve of Carrie’s relationship with them. Bilsom, Geoffrey Hockeybat Harris Tim looks forward to having a British wartime evacuee boy to stay with him, but when David arrives he compensates for his homesickness and insecurity by being as unpleasant and belligerent as possible! Although girls will enjoy this, its central characters and their dilemma will appeal particularly to boys. Cooper, Susan Dawn of Fear A young boy growing up with bomb shelters in the back gardens of his London neighbourhood learns that the war is not all excitement and shrapnel collections. He loses his best friend to a direct hit. Garrigue, Sheila The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito A novel which deals subtly and sensitively with racism in Canada. Its theme is the relationship of a young girl with the family’s Japanese Canadian gardener and her loyalty to him and to his memory during the Second World War. This should appeal to a serious reader who is interested in the emotional ties behind relationships and in the moral dilemmas of societies at war. Hautzig, Esther The Endless Steppe Based on her childhood memories Esther Hautzig re-constructs her years in a Siberian Concentration Camp. Stalin’s treatment of the Jews during the war is not often documented in children’s literature and this treatment is personal, moving, and beautifully written. A must for any girl who loves the diary of Ann Frank or who has tried to read it and “got bogged down.” Unlike the famous journal this was written in adulthood with young readers in mind. Heneghen, James Wish Me Luck Many British children were evacuated to Canada for safety at the start of the war until it became clear that the German u boats of the North Atlantic were more dangerous than the bombs which fell on London. The danger was only fully recognized when The City of Benares was torpedoed and sunk. It was carrying a cargo of child evacuees. This is the story of some of those children.
Holt, Gerald Tails of Flame A vivid re-creation of the experience of childhood in London under aerial bombardment. It is a fairly long, but highly readable novel for boys or girls interested in what it was like to be a child at such a time. While its protagonist is a boy, its appeal is general. Kacer, Kathy Clara’s War Deals poignantly with the Concentration Camp experience and the remarkable and true story of the opera Brundibar which was created and performed in Teresienstadt. Clara’s involvement and commitment to her role in the opera helps restore her spirit and will to survive. A clear message about the redeeming power of the creative arts. Kacer, Kathy Gabi’s Dresser Traces the scattering of the jewish community from Germany through the thirties, and a young girl’s loss of her friends and neighbours culminating in her own narrow escape from Nazi soldiers when she hides in the family dresser. Based on the true experience of Kacer’s grandmother. Kerr, Judith When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit An autobiographical novel depicting the constant upheavals in the life of the author’s when they fled Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. A sweet story of the adaptability of a loving family as it survives hardship. Lowry,L. Number the Stars During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Anne Marie and her family embark on the dangerous business of hiding her young Jewish friend and smuggling her to safety in Neutral Sweden. Girl protagonists, but a simple, suspenseful, and powerful story which will appeal to boys as well.
Magorian, Michelle Goodnight Mr. Tom. Young Willy Beech is billeted on Tom Oakley in this charming May / December story set during the evacuation of London children after the Blitz. Though the war is an ever-present backdrop as well as player in the story, the main theme is the redemption for the frail child and the solitary old man. Long, but accessible due to the episodic structure in which each chapter can be enjoyed on its own. This is a poignant and rewarding novel which draws on deep emotions and young readers get very involved. Serraillier, Ian The Silver Sword A classic for boys and girls, Serraillier skillfully and suspensefully weaves together the separate stories of escape and survival of a Polish family split by war. Heroic, humorous and passionate, this has great appeal for a wide range of readers.
Trease, Geoffrey Tomorrow Is a Stranger, Schoolchildren in the British Channel Islands experienced a different kind of war. Mysterious disappearances, the secret resistance movement and the daily suspense of Nazi occupation make this an intriguing and compelling read.
WORLD WAR II LIST Junior-Intermediate (6 – 8) Matas, Carol Jesper Lisa Jesper and Lisa are involved in the terrifying and dangerous job of Resistance Fighting under the Nazi occupation of Denmark. These two popular books are related, dealing with the same cast of characters. Readers who loved Number the Stars in Grade 4 will find that these stories take them further along the same road in Grade 6 or 7. Pearson, Kit The War Guests Trilogy Nora and Gavin reluctantly set sail for the safety of Canada where they are to live with strangers. These two working class young Britons find themselves housed with the ladies of Rosedale and a very different and, for Nora particularly, a very difficult style of life. New friends and new experiences help both of them come to terms with life in Canada. Schmidt, Gary Mara’s Stories These are the stories that resonated through the Concentration Camps raising the spirits of the occupants. Some are original, some are drawn from folklore and adapted to the circumstances of the Holocaust. They stand as a lasting memorial to the spirits of those who told them. Beautiful and often witty, this is an inspiring collection recommended for adults and older children Walsh, Jill Paton The Dolphin Crossing Set in England this novel comes to a climax at the great rescue from the beaches of Dunkirk. With the older men in their families away at war two young boys find that a man’s role is thrust upon them and the consequences are both tragic and triumphant. Westall, Robert Blitzcat Anyone with grandparents who remember the war in Britain will enjoy sharing this book with them. Lord Gort is the cat who has been boarded with friends while his master is away fighting. The cat is determined to find its way home. In the tradition of The Incredible Journey he makes friends and finds welcomes in many homes, but never stays long anywhere. Many of the significant events of the war are woven into the narrative and any child who has made a study of the war will appreciate the historical detail. Wilson, Budge Thirteen Never Changes Lorinda inherits her grandmother’s diary written during the second world war. She finds that though times may change, being thirteen does not. At this awkward age Lorinda takes comfort in finding that she and her Grandmother have much in common.
Yolen, Jane Devil's Arithmetic Hannah finds herself transported from her family seder at the end of the Twentieth century into a wartime concentration camp where she is greeted as Chaya. Who is Chaya and what is her connection with Hannah? This powerful story, by an excellent writer, appeals to boys and girls who feel the need to come to terms with the holocaust experience. Yolen, Jane Briar Rose A young woman feels compelled to search for the truth after the death of a mysterious, but beloved grandmother who used to enchant her granddaughters with her own unique version of the Sleeping Beauty – Briar Rose. The seemingly innocent fairytale takes on a sinister new meaning as she travel to the site of a former concentration camp and unravels the mystery.