List by Parmalee Taff
Really?! Stories about WWII for children? Yes, if/when they show interest.
If we would entertain hopes that a world without war can be attained, if not by us but by succeeding generations, let us enable our children to explore history. Let them learn that all manner of behaviors –kind, unselfish, heroic, disgusting and evil acts of men and women– exist. War tests mens’ and womens’ strength of character; let us choose to read what our children are reading and be there for questions and discussions.
We suggest that parents pre-read these books. Help your interested children select age-and-content-appropriate books.
If you’re a peace loving parent –as are we all, although in varying degrees– to the point that you don’t want to expose your children to anything to do with knowledge of war, consider the question: “How can we work to achieve peace if we don’t understand the peculiarities of its opposite?” Parmalee
This genre has engaged the interest of tweens and the genre is growing. The stories contain mystery, spying and intrigue with all the tragedies, joys, emotional ups and downs, failures and successes of living. Two of the children in my extended family have paused (not given up) their love of the dragons/fantasy genre and entered the history/historical fiction genre, currently a sub-genre, WWII stories. The number of quality childrens’ books in this genre is excellent. The youthful protagonists are faced with serious challenges and decisions. How they handle their lives is inspiring.
Here is the list from several sources:
A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus – A Place to Hang the Moon is a story about the importance of family: the one you’re given, and the one you choose. Filled with rich, sensory prose, allusions to classic children’s stories like A Little Princess, Mary Poppins, and The Story of Ferdinand, this cozy tale with a classic feel is sure to warm your heart. Don’t miss Kate Albus’s Nothing Else But Miracles which takes place in New York City during WWII and was described as “historical fiction at its finest” in a starred review from School Library Journal.
Agent Most Wanted by Sonia Purnell – A hunting accident in her youth left Virginia Hall with a lifelong disability, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a spy for the Allies during World War II. She used code names, picked locks, and hid film in various bodily cavities, all for the sake of her work. Her goal was to build a resistance network in France. She led a double life, helped facilitate numerous escapes, and always avoided capture herself. After the war, she received the Distinguished Service Cross and worked for the CIA.
Carrie’s War, by Nina Bawden – It is wartime and Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from their London home to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children feel alone and find little comfort with the family they are billeted with: Mr Evans, a bullying shopkeeper and Auntie Lou, his kind but timid sister. When Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, they are welcomed into Hepzibah Green’s warm kitchen. Hepzibah is rumoured to be a witch, but her cooking is delicious, her stories are enthralling and the children cannot keep away. With Albert, Hepzibah and Mister Johnny, they begin to settle into their new surroundings. But before long, their loyalties are tested: will they be persuaded to betray their new friends?
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth E. Wein – October 11th, 1943 — A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it’s barely begun. When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
Code talker, by Joseph Bruchac – This deeply affecting novel honors all the young men who dared to serve in World War II, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians. “Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find.”—Booklist, starred review. Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring.
Diary of Anne Frank – Discovered in the attic where she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, as Nazis occupied Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the secret upstairs rooms of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, Anne’s account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
Goodnight Mister Tom, by Michelle Magorian – London is poised on the brink of World War II. Eight-year-old Willie Beech is evacuated to the English countryside and lands on Thomas Oakley’s doorstep, timid and scarred from abuse. Mr. Tom, a gruff but kindly old man, is deeply moved for the boy, treating him with a gentleness he’s forgotten he’s even capable of. With Mr. Tom’s help, Willie leaves behind his hateful past and learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection and joy. But then a telegram comes, and Willie is ordered to return to London. When weeks pass without word from him, Mr. Tom sets out for London to once again rescue the boy he’s come to love as a son.
GREAT WORLD WAR II PROJECTS: YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF, by Sheri Ann Bell-Rehwoldt – From spy maps and victory banners to spotter planes and ration cakes, Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself brings one of the most defining periods of American and world history to life through hands-on building projects and activities. Detailed step-by-step instructions for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and trivia about the real-life models. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life at home and on the front lines during America’s war years.
I Am David, by Anne Holm – In this gripping story, a twelve-year-old boy struggles to cope with an entirely strange world as he flees northward to freedom in Denmark, after escaping from the eastern European prison camp where he spent most of his life. David’s entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. He knows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it. With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world, where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and some vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive? David’s extraordinary odyssey is dramatically chronicled in Anne Holm’s classic about the meaning of freedom and the power of hope.
I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 (I Survived #18) by Lauren Tarshis – Eleven-year-old Paul’s French village has been under Nazi control for years. His Jewish best friend has disappeared. Food is scarce. And there doesn’t seem to be anything Paul can do to make things better. Then Paul finds an American paratrooper in a tree near his home. The soldier says the Allies have a plan to crush the Nazis once and for all. But the soldier needs Paul’s help. This is Paul’s chance to make a difference. Soon he finds himself in the midst of the largest invasion in history. Can he do his part to turn horror into hope? New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tells the story of the battle that became the foundation for the Allied victory in World War II. Includes a section of nonfiction backmatter with more facts about the real-life event.
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz – Max, like other war children, is evacuated to the outskirts of London. During his train journey, two spirits only he can see accompany him, one on each shoulder. A pro at anything involving radios, Max gets pulled into the daring world of espionage, hoping to reunite with his family and contribute to the war effort. Readers will be pleasantly surprised by the humor that abounds in this book, which makes it an excellent read-aloud option.
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry – As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war. A modern classic of historical fiction, Number the Stars has won generations of fans and continues to speak to today’s readers. Jessica Grose wrote in a November 2022 New York Times essay entitled “This Perfect Mother-Daughter Read Holds a Powerful Lesson for Fighting Antisemitism”: “Number the Stars is particularly relevant to our family, and to this moment.” As School Library Journal put it: “Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie’s experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II, by Alan Gratz – Award-winning, critically acclaimed author Alan Gratz (Prisoner B-3087) returns with another gripping World War II story, this time about a spy in the Hitler Youth. Infiltrate. Befriend. Sabotage. World War II is raging. Michael O’Shaunessey, originally from Ireland, now lives in Nazi Germany with his parents. Like the other boys in his school, Michael is a member of the Hitler Youth. But Michael has a secret. He and his parents are spies. Michael despises everything the Nazis stand for. But he joins in the Hitler Youth’s horrific games and book burnings, playing the part so he can gain insider knowledge. When Michael learns about Projekt 1065, a secret Nazi war mission, things get even more complicated. He must prove his loyalty to the Hitler Youth at all costs — even if it means risking everything he cares about. Including… his own life.
Rescue, by Jennifer A. Nielsen – Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon’s father left their home in France to fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the last time Meg saw him. Recently, she heard he was being held prisoner by the Nazis, a terrible sentence from which Meg fears he’ll never return. All she has left of him are the codes he placed in a jar for her to decipher, an affectionate game the two of them shared. But the codes are running low, and soon there’ll be nothing left of Papa for Meg to hold on to at all. Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg’s lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother’s barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg’s father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission — perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she’s received yet. As the Nazis flood Meg’s village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father’s code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?
Resist: One Girl’s Fight Back Against the Nazis, by Tom Palmer – Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on life under wartime occupation, in a beautifully told story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn. As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat and the population lives under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement. After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back against their oppressors. But what can a teenage girl do and how much risk is she willing to take?
Rose Blanche, by Christophe Gallaz, Roberto Innocenti – A young German girl watches as the streets of her town fill with soldiers and tanks. Then, one day, she follows a truck into the woods and discovers a terrible secret.
Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan – In the bleak winter of 1940, Nazi troops parachuted into Peter Lundstrom’s tiny Norwegian village and held it captive. Nobody thought the Nazis could be defeated—until Uncle Victor told Peter how the children could fool the enemy. It was a dangerous plan. They had to slip past Nazi guards with nine million dollars in gold hidden on their sleds. It meant risking their country’s treasure—and their lives. This classic story of how a group of children outwitted the Nazis and sent the treasure to America has captivated generations of readers.
Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki – On the night of the lantern festival, a stranger asks Nozomi an unusual question. She hardly knows what to make of it except to think that the woman was looking for someone lost during the bombing of Hiroshima 25 years earlier. As Nozomi learns the stories of friends and neighbors who lost loved ones during the bombing, she and her classmates work on an art project that will honor and remember the victims. Thousands of innocent people vanished from Hiroshima on that fateful day but remain in the hearts and minds of those left behind. As the book’s ending notes, “The lanterns have come to be both a memorial and a peace message.”
Twenty and Ten, by Claire Huchet Bishop – A powerful look at an unforgettable era in history, “If we take these children, we can never betray them, no matter what the Nazis do.” During the German occupation of France, twenty French children were brought to a refuge in the mountains. One day a young man came to their school with a request: Could they take in, and hide, ten Jewish refugee children? Sister Gabriel spoke up. “The Nazis are looking for those children. If we take them we must never let on they are here. Do you understand?” Of course the children understood—but how would they hide them if the Nazis came? World War II Book Set 2: Twenty and Ten, Behind the Bedroom Wall, Katarina, Torn Thread, Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak – It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman – Spiegelman’s depiction of Jewish prisoners as mice and their German captors as cats expertly represents the demonic cat-and-mouse game invented by the Third Reich. As Spiegelman interviews his Holocaust-surviving father for the book, the details of transport and concentration camp life haunt him. Being multilingual and using his ingenuity (reaching through the train window and melting snow in his mouth for water) helped his father survive. But that didn’t stop him from harboring prejudices after the war, especially towards Black people. Award-winning and frequently banned, this gut-wrenching graphic novel will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The Hiding Place, by Cory Ten Boom – Cornelia “Corrie” ten Boom (15 April 1892 – 15 April 1983) was a Dutch Christian who, along with her father and other family members, helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. She was imprisoned for her actions. Her most famous book, The Hiding Place, describes the ordeal.
The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – Miriam and her neighbor’s toddler, Nora, escape the roundup of her Jewish neighborhood in 1942 France. They travel south but get separated before nuns hide Miriam (now Miri) in a Catholic boarding school near the Chateau de Chenonceau. Plagued with worry about her parents’ survival and concealing her identity, Miri helps evacuees across the Vishy border and befriends a strange woman who roams the castle grounds. When the opportunity arises, will Miri reunite with Nora and escape to Switzerland for freedom? This gripping historical fiction is a page-turner from start to finish.
The Silver Sword, by Ian Serraillier – In 1946 his first children’s novel was published. It was followed by several more adventure stories of treasure and spies. His best known work, The Silver Sword, was published in 1956 and has become a classic, bringing to life the story of four refugee children and their search for their parents in the chaos of Europe immediately after World War II.
The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – Back in London, Ada and Jamie learn their mother died during the wartime bombings. Grief and healing continue as Ada gets surgery to fix her club foot. Back in the country, Susan and the two children move into a cottage with two other people: the wealthy woman who financed Ada’s surgery and a Jewish German teen studying for university and awaiting the war’s end. Tensions surge between the household members and become even more dire when Susan becomes seriously ill. With compassion and care, Ada’s internal war reaches a satisfying and heartfelt conclusion. Both books would work well as classroom read-alouds.
The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – Because Ada was born with a club foot, her mother isolated her from the outside world and treated her cruelly. When war threatens London, Ada and her brother Jamie are sent to the countryside for safety. Susan, a single woman who owns a pony, becomes the siblings’ temporary caregiver. She teaches the children new words and ideas and exposes them to wonders they had never experienced while living in poverty. With Susan’s care and Ada’s determination to learn to ride the straw-colored pony, readers feel a palpable relaxation as Ada heals. Don’t miss the poignant follow-up to this novel, The War I Finally Won.
They Called Us Enemy: Expanded Edition by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker – Bang! Bang! Bang! Soldiers awaken George Takei and his younger brother. In 1942, thousands of Japanese-American citizens were forcibly removed from their homes and businesses and relocated to camps along the West Coast (and Arkansas). This graphic novel follows young George through his childhood in the camps. We see his mother’s courage in smuggling in a sewing machine and his father’s patriotism and desire to organize, even under extreme duress. Near the war’s end, those held in detention camps were strongly advised or forced to renounce their American citizenship and return to Japan. This powerful read offers yet another perspective of the devastation WWII caused across the globe.
Twenty and Ten, by Claire Huchet Bishop – A powerful look at an unforgettable era in history, “If we take these children, we can never betray them, no matter what the Nazis do.” During the German occupation of France, twenty French children were brought to a refuge in the mountains. One day a young man came to their school with a request: Could they take in, and hide, ten Jewish refugee children? Sister Gabriel spoke up. “The Nazis are looking for those children. If we take them we must never let on they are here. Do you understand?” Of course the children understood—but how would they hide them if the Nazis came?
What the Night Sings, by Vesper Stamper – After being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Gerta is nursed in the sick ward, where she meets a kind boy named Lev. Before the war, Gerta was a musician, training to debut as a vocalist and playing her father’s viola. Now, Gerta arrives at a camp for displaced persons. All around her, young people (still mostly in their teens) are marrying — trying to find hope and a brighter future together. Lev is also in the camp and writes Gerta beautiful letters. Meanwhile, Michah, another survivor, rallies people to exit the camp and begin anew in Palestine. Rich in emotional detail, themes of rebirth through music and human connection make this story worth savoring.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by Judith Kerr – Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn’t understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them? Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind as her family embarks on a journey that extends over several years and over the borders of many countries.
White Bird: A Wonder Story (graphic novel) by R. J. Palacio – For a school assignment, Julian asks his Grandmère Sara about her life as a young girl in France during World War II. What starts as a fairy tale upbringing quickly turns life-threatening when Nazi soldiers raid her school and force the Jewish children into an army truck. Watching from the bell tower, Sara cowers. Julian, a classmate who limps from his bout with Polio, discovers her and keeps her hidden. For over a year, Julian’s family risks their lives by hiding Sara, bringing her food, and providing company through the endless turmoil of war. Although fiction, this graphic novel features a helpful glossary referencing the historical events and people upon which it is based.
Woeful Second World War by Tom Deary – All the foul facts about the Woeful Second World War are ready to uncover, including: why the blitzed Brits ate chicken-fruit, sinkers and nutty, what really happened in Dad’s Army, and how to make a rude noise with a gas mask. It’s fully illustrated throughout and packed with horrible stories – with all the horribly hilarious bits included; a fresh take on the classic Horrible Histories style, perfect for fans old and new; the perfect series for anyone looking for a fun and informative read. Horrible Histories has been entertaining children and families for generations with books, TV, stage show, magazines, games and 2019’s brilliantly funny Horrible Histories: the Movie – Rotten Romans.
The descriptions and images are from Amazon. Books included are from various lists by several historians. Some of the books are the first of a series.
N.B. I confess to lacking knowledge of the Horrible Histories series by Tom Deary, but in looking at the titles, I wonder if this series would appeal to those of us holding onto a remnant of 7th grade humor.
Horrible Histories Savage Collection 8 Books Set By Terry Deary:
Titles In This Set:
Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians
Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans
Horrible Histories: Vicious Vikings
Horrible Histories: Measly Middle Ages
Horrible Histories: Terrifying Tudors
Horrible Histories: Vile Victorians
Horrible Histories: Frightful First World War
Horrible Histories: Woeful Second World War
