4 Books Set In WWII

Assalamu Alaikum!

Hanifah here and this week I'm doing another book recommendations post. I have always been interested in the events of WWII and have watched many documentaries about it and read lots of books set during wartime. Today I've selected four books I enjoyed that were set in WWII.

1. Number The Stars

by: Lois Lowry

Set in 1943 Denmark, this story focuses on the friendship between Annamarie Johansen and her Jewish friend Ellen Rosen. When the German troops begin "relocating" all the Jews of Denmark, the Johansens take in Ellen and pretend she is part of their family. Through 10-year-old Annamarie's eyes we witness the struggles of day-to-day life in Nazi-occupied Denmark, and of course the dangerous risk her family has taken in order to protect her best friend.

The book is an easy read and feels fresh and light-hearted while still managing to remain serious and realistic enough to be believable. Did you know that nearly seven thousand Danish Jews were smuggled across the sea to Sweden by the Danes? Thanks to their courage almost the entire Jewish population was saved.

I believe this book is suitable for children of all ages as it is quite simple and straightforward. It would also make a good read-aloud storybook.

2. Carrie's War

by: Nina Bawden

Carrie did, or at least believes she did, a dreadful deed in her youth that has always haunted her. She returns to the place where she and her brother Nick were evacuated as children during the war and memories come flooding back. They had been sent to Wales and ended up living with mean old Mr. Evans and his timid sister Miss Evans (or Auntie Lou). Carrie tries making the best of things and eventually they both adjust and settle in. They even make a few friends: Albert Sandwich (another evacuee) and the interesting people he is staying with at Druid's Bottom. However, Carrie still faces constant challenges from grumpy Mr. Evans to her younger brother's mischief.

Parental Guidance: a boy gives Carrie a kiss on her birthday. It is pretty innocent and not mentioned again in the book. If you're are reading the book aloud it could be skipped and would not make a difference to the story. I thought it worth pointing out though, just in case. I think this book is suitable for children ages 12+.

3. Waiting For Anya

by: Michael Morpurgo

Of course I could not resist including a Michael Morpurgo book in my selection! He truly is a master storyteller, and is definitely my favourite modern author. This book is about a 12-year-old goatherd named Jo and is set in the village of Lescun in France. Jo learns that old Widow Horcada is helping to smuggle Jewish children over the mountains to Spain. She needs his help and soon comes to rely on him to bring her supplies and assist her. His job becomes dangerous, however, when German soldiers start patrolling the mountains.

Waiting For Anya is an easy read and a bittersweet story that I could not put down until I had finished. It is also a short book around 190 pages and I believe it is suitable for children ages 10+.

4. Goodnight Mister Tom

by: Michelle Magorian

This book is about a young boy named Willie Beech who is evacuated to the Welsh countryside and sent to live with old Tom Oakley. Willie is a sad, deprived child and Mister Tom is a man who has shut himself off from everyone after the death of his wife. Both find comfort and healing in each other in this heart-touching story.

I cannot put into words how beautiful this novel is - especially given that it was the author's first one! This is the only book that I have ever read that actually made me cry and cry. You don't even have to be interested in WWII to enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I think it is suitable for everyone but would be best appreciated by teens and adults, mostly because younger children won't understand the deeper, darker issues the book deals with.

Well, that is all for this week. I hope you enjoyed the post and that you take a look at some of these books. Leave a comment and let me know if you do; I would be interested to know what you think of them.

Take care and Wassalam,

Hanifah