Life During World War II
This article originally appeared in SLJ's Extra Helping. Sign up now!
-- School Library Journal, 11/4/2009 10:29:00 AM
Though textbooks are full of facts about World War II, historical fiction often offers up more teachable moments. By the time students get to middle or high school, many have been introduced to World War II and the Holocaust through The Diary of Anne Frank. Expand their knowledge of this global conflict and tragedy with these titles that look at the war from a variety of perspectives.
ADLER, David A. Don't Talk to Me About the War. Viking. 2008. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-670-06307-9; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-14-241372-2.
Gr 5-7–Instead of being able to focus on his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, 13-year-old Tommy Duncan gets distracted by happenings in Europe. The year is 1940, and his friend Beth makes it a point to keep him informed about the war. Their Jewish classmate Sarah is getting increasingly anxious about family members who have not been able to get out of Germany. To top it off, Tommy is also faced with his mother’s declining health. Part historical fiction, part coming-of-age novel.
GUIBERT, Emmanuel. Alan's War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope. tr. from French by Kathryn Pulver. illus. by author. Roaring Brook/First Second. 2008. pap. $24. ISBN 978-1-59643-096-9.
Gr 10 Up–This knockout graphic novel follows a young American soldier in Europe in the early part of World War II. Guibert and Cope's affectionate friendship really comes out in the text and simple black-and-white drawings. During the time he served, Cope endured violence and gunfire, an attempted rape, and much loss of life around him, so reserve this one for mature teens.
LEZOTTE, Ann Clare. T4: A Novel in Verse. Houghton. 2008. Tr $14. ISBN 978-0-547-04684-6.
Gr 4-9–T4 stands for Tiergartenstrasse 4, the headquarters of the Nazi directive to kill all disabled or mentally ill people. This is a frightening time for 13-year-old Paula Becker, who is deaf, and her family, who now must go into hiding to save her life. This free verse novel touches on a topic rarely found in YA literature, Hitler’s policy on "racial hygiene." Paula’s account is heartrending and suspenseful, and will make an impact on young readers.
WISEMAN, Eva. Kanada. Tundra. 2006. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-729-6.
Gr 6-11–Jutka’s life is quite ordinary until World War II spills into Hungary. Her father and brother are moved to a forced labor camp, and eventually she is sent to Auschwitz with her mother and grandmother. Between beatings, Jutka’s job is to sort through the confiscated belongings of other prisoners in a storehouse nicknamed Kanada. She sustains herself by thinking about life beyond the war with her only surviving relatives.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors at NoveList, the leader in readers' advisory electronic resources. For more information, visit NoveList.
