World War II
Literature Resources



 



             Novels           Picture Books            Biographies
      Professional Resources       Informational books       Traditional Literature

bar
 

Novels

Lily's Crossing

Reilly Giff, Patricia. Lily's Crossing.  N.p.: Bantam Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1999.
Lily's Crossing- Lily is the type of child that does not do well in school, and is not liked by many in school.  She goes to live with her grandma at their vacation house when her father goes off to fight, and her mother has passed away.  There she befriends a Hungarian refugee named Albert.
 
The Bracelet


Yoshiko, Uchida. The Bracelet. N.p.: Putnam Group, 1996.
The Bracelet- Emi is a Japanese American.  Her family is sent to a Japanese-American Internment camp.  Her friend Laurie gave her a gold bracelet before she left, which Emi brought with her.  Emi ends up losing the bracelet, but learns that she can still remember her friend even with out the bracelet.
 
 

The Art of Keeping Cool
Taylor Lisle, Janet. The Art of Keeping Cool. N.p.: Aladdin Paperback , 2002.
The Art of Keeping Cool- After Robert's dad leaves to fight in World War Two, Robert and his mother go to stay with his grandparents in Rhode Island.  The story examines the relationship that develops between Robert and his cousin, Elliot, and also between the boys and a German painter, who is thought to be a spy.  During that summer, the boys also discover some old family secrets.
 
 
A Different Kind of Courage
Howard, Ellen. A Different Kind of Courage. N.p.: Simon & Schuster Children's, 1996.
A Different Kind of Courage- This story describes the lives of two families.  Two French children, Bertrand and his sister, flee Paris with their mother.  At the same time, Zina and her family, who are Russian immigrants, cannot find work in Southern France. Betrand and Zina meet each other and become friends, when they journey to America.
 
 
Pearl Harbor is Burning!
Kudlinski, Kathleen V. Pearl Harbor Is Burning! A Story of World War Two. N.p.: Penguin Putnam USA Incorporated, 1993.
Pearl Harbor Is Burning! A Story of World War Two- Frank has just moved to Hawaii.  He is being treated like an outsider by everyone, except a boy named Kenji.  Kenji is a Japanese American that Frank befriends.  But when Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, how will their friendship be affected?
 
 
Hiroshima
Yep, Laurence. Hiroshima. N.p.: Scholastic, Inc., 1996.
Hiroshima- Sachi is a twelve-year-old girl living in Japan, when the Atomic Bomb is dropped.  The author describes the event through her eyes, bringing in a lot of emotion.  Years later, Sachi goes to America to have plastic surgery.  She goes back to Japan and reenters society.  The author also talks about how destructive nuclear war is, and what is being done to prevent it.
 
 
Snow Treasure
McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 1942.
Snow Treasure- Peter Lundstrom and his friends have to carry out a dangerous plan.  When the Nazis take over their village, they are the only ones that can sneak their country's riches out of Nazi hands.  This means sledding past the guards, carrying nine million dollars!  Will they succeed?
 
 

Picture Books


Rose Blanche
Gallaz, Christophe, and Roberto Innocenti. Rose Blanche. N.p.: Harcourt, 1996.
Rose Blanche- Rose Blanche is a young girl living in Germany, when Nazi soldiers invade her town.  Giving into her curiosity, she follows the soldiers and discovers a concentration camp, where there are children about her age.  She returns to the site often, and eventually witnesses a horrible event.
 
 
Anne Frank
 Zeldis McDonough, Yona . Anne Frank. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.
Anne Frank- Anne Frank's life is detailed in this picture book.  The author begins the story by describing life before Nazi rule, and continues through the family going into hiding, and eventually being discovered.  The book ends with commentary on Anne's famous diary.
 
 

Biographies


Winston Churchill-Biography
 Severance, John B. Winston Churchhill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist. N.p.: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996.
Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist- This book describes the life of Winston Churchhill, including his childhood, experiences during the Boer War, and his stuggles and truimphs in politics. The book focuses mostly on his contributions to World War Two, though.  There are  also many pictures and famous quotes said by Winston Churchhill.

Peifer, Charles. George Patton: Soldier of Destiny. N.p.: Silver Burdett P, 1988.
George Patton: Soldier of Destiny- This book gives a nice overview of General Patton's life, including his experinces in the U.S Army.

Professional Resources

Anne Frank House. Anne Frank House. 29 Nov. 2002 <http://www.annefrank.nl/ned/default2.html>.
    This is a wonderful site.  It is structured like virtual tour.  The site describes Anne Frank's life, and the experiences of those close to her.  This web site has many pictures, including some of the annex she lived in, and family photos.

World War II Web Museum. Pomperaug High School. 29 Nov. 2002 <http://www.pomperaug.com/socstud/stumuseum/web/mrchome.htm>.
    This site examines the influence of many great leaders during the time of the second world war.  It poses the question whether or not these men caused the war, or if the war would have taken place no matter what.  This site also provides links to other useful sites.
 
 

Informational Books
 

America Storms the Beaches

 Devaney, John. America Storms the Beaches, 1944: World War Two Series. N.p.: Walker & Company, 1993.
America Storms the Beaches- This book details the efforts of the Allie troops during 1944, including the influential battle of Normandy, and a discussion on military strategies used.  The book is full of pictures, maps, and biographies, as well.
 

Ambrose, Stephen. The Good Fight: How World War Two Was Won. N.p.: Simon & Schuster Children's, 2001.
The Good Fight: How World War Two Was Won- This book describes major battles, events, and the origins of World War Two.  Ambrose includes pictures, battle maps, campaign maps, and a glossary, as well.

Traditional Literature


Battle of the Bulge
Black, Wallace B., and Jean F. Blashfield. Battle of the Bulge. N.p.: Silver Burdett P, 1992.
Battle of the Bulge- This book details the German's last major attempt at defeating the Allies and switching the war's momentum.

Stein, Richard C. Story of the Battle of the Bulge. N.p.: Scholastic Library, 1977.
Story of the Battle of the Bulge- This book deals with the German's attempt to change the direction of the war.  The battle occurred in 1944.

Web Page last updated November 29th, 2002
 Thanks to the following for clipart:
http://www.elmhurst.edu/library/workshoppages/bars.html
http://www.barnesandnoble.com