Blog written by the Ent, the Hobbit, and the Unicorn on 4/13/2020.
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It’s always really interesting to read about how people responded during the stress of war. The global war that is closest to us in memory is the Second World War, and it has been the setting for a number of excellent books for young adults and teens. As we are currently seeing a stressful setting in our lives, these great World War 2 books are excellent tools to open discussion with your kids about the challenges we are facing, the importance of sacrifice and maybe give some perspective to our current circumstances.
World War 2 Books to
Experience with your Teen
**SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*
Book: White Bird
Author: R. J. Palacio
Illustrator: R. J. Palacio
Age Suggestion: 11+
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Published: 2019
Stars: 4 out of 5
Themes: World War II, bravery, friendship
Warnings: death, language
Quick Summary: White Bird is about Julian’s grandmère’s moving and powerful tale of surviving World War II, hidden from the Nazis in occupied France.
White Bird Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think it’s important to know about World War II?
- Is it ok that Julien’s parents lied to the Nazis? Why or why not?
- How would you feel if you were in Sara’s situation?
White Bird Book Review
White Bird is an excellent example of telling many people’s stories at once without relying on one story. Since it is a fictional retelling of Sara Blum’s story – as she never actually existed – it has the capability to share several people’s stories at once. Though Sara’s story is tragic, it is important that we never repeat the horrors of World War II. Her love with Julian reminds us that even in the darkest times, there is still opportunity for hope and joy, even though she ultimately loses him.
Book: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Age Suggestion: 13+
Publisher: Penguin
Published:: 2011
Awards/Honors: #1 on New York Times bestseller list
Stars: 4 out of 5
Themes: Suffering, family, perseverance, sacrifice
Warnings: Although not graphic the book touches on a number of hard subjects, including a number of deaths
Quick Summary: Lina is a normal 15 year old girl in 1941 Lithuania – until the NKVD, the Russian secret police, arrest her family and deport them to Siberia. While we are all familiar with the Holocaust, this book opens up the massive deportations from the Baltic states and its effects.
Between Shades of Grey Discussion Questions
- In our country most of us think that it is impossible to be arrested for political reasons. This is not true in all countries even today. In this book you see this happening and people react in different ways. How do you think you would you react if this happened to you?
- Lina’s drawings and her prior study of art help her to persevere. Is there something like this in your life – a love of a particular subject or activity? Why are these so important?
- How do the people in the book sacrifice for each other? When have you sacrificed for someone else? What does it feel like?
Between Shades of Grey Review:
Between Shades of Gray takes us to the evils under Stalin and the Russian seizure of the Baltic States. In 1941 the Soviet NKVD (later the KGB) arrested and deported about 17,000 Lithuanians. Almost half, an estimated 8,000, were dead by the end of the war.
All of the characters are fictitious but are drawn from stories the author was told. Lina is a young Lithuanian artist who lives with her mother, father, and brother Jonas. She, her mother, and brother are arrested and shipped in cattle cars to two labor camps, eventually ending up north of the Arctic Circle in Siberia. The book is written from Lina’s point of view and does not shy away from the inhumanity she saw and her suffering and the suffering of those around her, and the sacrifices made to stay alive. Even in all of this, Lina, her family, and those around her are able to find moments of hope, to persevere, and to to bring some joy to those around them. Lina has love blossom in the midst of the pain. Just as many Lithuanians did die, many of the characters in the novel perish by the end.
The book is a stark reminder that people are capable of great good and of great evil. The book is written in short chapters. Some contain a great deal of heavy emotional content. The tine frame generally is straightforward, although many of the early to mid chapters contain flashbacks to show us Lina’s life before she was arrested. The action and plot are easy to follow. The author has provided a map at the beginning of the book to explain the vast distances traveled, which was very helpful.
Book: How Languages Saved Me
Author: Tadeusz Haska, Stefanie Naumann
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Length: 3 hrs. 51 mins.
Author: Tadeusz Haska, Stefanie Naumann
Age Suggestion: 12+
Published:: 2019
Stars: 4 out of 5
Themes: Suffering, perseverance, personal development, sacrifice
Warnings: This book deals intensively with the heavy topics of World War 2 in Poland. There is nothing too graphic, but the topics can be difficult.
Quick Summary: Tad was living in Poland during World. Orphaned at the age of 13, Tad and his brother must navigate adulthood, education, and many other perils while trying to not let anyone know of their parent’s death. The story tells of Tad’s full journey through World War 2. He started the book in his adulthood, but passed away prior to finishing. His granddaughter, Stefanie Naumann, was able to complete the book for him. We recommend this book for anyone interested in World War 2, linguistics, or just good stories.
How Languages Saved Me Discussion Questions:
- Which story stuck out to you the most out of this book? How did you relate to his portion of the story?
- Tadeusz goes through an intense amount of pain and tragedy in his early life. How do you react to sadness and tragedy in your life?
- Linguistics (the study of languages) plays a huge role in this book. Have you ever thought about seriously learning another language? How do you think that would help you interact with other people in the world?
How Languages Saved Me Review
Out of all the all the World War 2 books I’ve read, this book has a unique feel about it because this book is written/finished by a family member. Tadeusz Haska started writing his book later in life and was, unfortunately, unable to finish it. The book was then finished by his granddaughter, Stefanie. This automatically creates an emotional attachment to the story (This is told to the reader in the prologue). The emotional roller coaster is just about to begin. Tadeusz has a very difficult childhood. But, with his little brother, he manages to get through high school.
As Tadeusz enters adulthood, World War 2 begins. This brings his formal college education to a halt and he must use what he has learned through high school and life experience to maneuver his way through Nazi-raided Poland. This book is inspirational in many ways. First, it shows the true definition of the American dream. Second, it shows that personal development, in this case the learning of languages, can be imperative. We highly recommend this book!
What to check out next:
-Ruta Sepetys has another book that follows Lina’s cousin Joanna in the later stages of World War 2, Salt to the Sea.
-There are a ton of wonderful movies about World War 2 to watch with your teen. Here are five of our top suggestions.
1) The Great Escape is a true story about a POW camp.
2) Life is Beautiful is about finding joy in a concentration camp.
3) The Book Thief gives you a perspective from living inside of an occupied state.
4) Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront is for younger kids from a US perspective.
5) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is about rebuilding after the way with a sweet romance.
-Looking for other books to read on World War 2? Here’s some more you might not have heard of that we recommend.
1) Heroes of the Holocaust: True Stories of Rescues by Teens. Short, impactful and true stories.
*One of the Elf’s top ten favorite books!*
2) Number the Stars is a beautiful chapter book for younger kids on living in an occupied city.
3) I Have Lived a Thousand Years is from the perspective of a 13 year old surviving the holocaust.
4) Women Heroes of World War II is a book about heroic true war stories.
5) The Faithful Spy is a story revolving around Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the pastor and spy.
7) When the Emporer Was Divine gives perspective from inside of American internment camps.
Also make sure to check out our other educational book posts!
-Inspiring true autobiography stories
–Boxers and Saints (Boxers rebellion in China)
–The Inquisitors Tale (Follow children in medieval times)
–The Bridge (The building of the Brooklyn bridge)
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this World War 2 Books post uses affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.
I have this strange fascination with WWII. I don’t know what it is that draws me in but I have always been so interested in that time period. I’m reading The Book Thief right now and it’s very interesting to see Nazi Germany from a German who is a Jewish sympathizer… I’ll have to check these ones out too! Thanks for sharing!
We all love the Book Thief book and movie!
Thanks for stopping by! I really hope you enjoy these books!