War in Children's Literature

War, while a harsh subject, is something that will inevitable come up in the classroom. As a teacher, you must be able to deal with questions that may arise and also be prepared to teach about the subject. This website is dedicated to children's books and authors who have addressed this difficult topic. These books would make an excellent addition to any lesson plan that is being made for children. The books alone should not be used to teach the students about war, instead, they should be used as a part in a greater whole about thes subject.
All of these books, while not necessarily about a specific war, address the issue in some way or another and help to add additional angles in teaching about the subject. Again, thank you to the authors and illustrators who have taken on such a daunting subject such as war.

Chapter Books

Beatty, Patricia. Charley Skedaddle. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1987.
A historical fiction story of a young boy, Charley Quinn, who enrolls in the army at the age of 12 to fight in the civil war. The horrors of his first battle are too much for him and he runs away into the mountains, where he is taken in by an elderly woman Granny Bent. Would be an excellent book for students to read for a first person perspective on war.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. New York: Tom Doherty Asssociates Book, 1977.
A science fiction book about Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a six year old genius in a futuristic society. Ender and human kind are engaged in a war against an alien race that threatens to destroy the planet. Shows a different side to war, one that is both futuristic and creative.

Jacques, Brian. Redwall. New York: Philomel Books, 1986.
Fictional tale of a young mouse, Mathias, who must rise and become a warrior and defend his home against an evil rat, Cluny the Scourge. While using mice, rats, and other woodland creatures, it has very detailed war fighting that incorporates both war strategies, and vivid images of battle.

Salisbury, Graham. Under The Blood Red Sun. New York, Delacorte Press, 1994.
Historical fiction that takes place during WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Tomikazu, a young Japanese-American boy, must face the hardships that came to follow many Japanese-Americans after the bombing at Pearl Harbor. An excellent choice for not only talking about WWII and Pearl Harbor, but racism as well.

Picture Books

Innocenti, Roberto. Rose Blanche. Mankato, MN: Creative Education INC, 1985.
Historical fiction picture book that deals with WWII in Europe through the eyes of a child, Rose Blanche. The story is from her point of view and shows the war from the eyes of a child. Another great book in revealing a child's perspective of war and what it can do to a society. Would be great warm up activity in dealing with WWII or the Holocaust.

O’Brien, Patrick. The Making Of A Knight. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 1998.
Tale of Sir James, a knight in the Medieval times who has come to fight for England. Gives a unique perspective of war, one that deals with how one must have trained for battle for the English in the Medieval times. While not normally considered a war topic, talking about how the knights prepared for war might indeed provide a unique and interesting book for a teacher to read. Would be a great resource if talking about European history.

Mochizuki, Ken. Heroes. New York: Lee & Low Books, 1995.
Story of a young boy, Donnie, who must overcome the stereotypes of his peers during the 1960’s. Donnie, a Japanese American, must always be the bad guy when the children play war because he looks like the bad guys. His father and uncle served in WWII and the Korean War, but the children will not listen to Donnie’s reasoning until one day, his Dad and his Uncle make a stand. Another great book that addresses racism and other topics of war.

Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books, 1994.
Historical fiction picture book about the Civil War. Follows two boys who are fighting in the civil war. Gives good detail and insight into what it must have been like to be in the war at this time. One of Polacco's best works, this book is historically accurate and provides the students with an enjoyable read.

Brownlie, Ali; Mason, Chris. Why do people fight wars? New York: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 2002.
Informational book that asks tough questions such as, “Why do people go to war, Is it ever right to kill another person, can we solve problems without fighting about them, and much more. Also provides information to kids in a very easy to read, friendly format.

Holmes, Richard. Battle. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.
Informational book that focuses on the materials that are involved in war. Gives a picture and a brief explanation of each item that is identified in the book. Could be a great resource for kids who need a quick informative explanation about a war item.

Gaines, Ann Graham. Ulysses S. Grant. Chanhassen, Minnesota: The Children’s World, 2002.
Biography on Ulysses S. Grant, the army general of the Union army in the Civil War, and the 18^th president of the United States of America. Easy format for kids to read and find out additional information about Grant.

Greene, Carol. Robert E. Lee. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1989.
Biography on Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Very easy reading, and is designed for primary children.

Harrison, Michael; Humphries, Tudor. The Doom of The Gods. New York: Oxford, 1985.
Myth about the Norse gods and goddesses, their many adventures, and their battles with their enemies and men. Shows a unique side to war that will be interesting to children.

Ingoglia, Gina. Disney’s Pocahontas. New York: Disney Press, 1995.
Disney’s story of Pocahontas. Gives insight into the war between white settlers and Native Americans. This story would be a great precursor to a thematic unit on the Native Americans.

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/healingus.html
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. War, Peace, and Terrorism in Children's Literature. 1998-2003.
Website that provides children with literary resources. Excellent source of information on multiple topics of war.

http://www.warchild.org
War Child: Helping the innocent victims of war.
Website that is dedicated to the children of war and the aftermath.