Read Around the Subject Y8 World War 2 and the Holocaust Recommended Reading List Burning Mountain by LJ Adlington Britain today, WWII Italy two stories collide. For Denise and Craig war only happens to other people in far off places, even though their older brother is a paratrooper in Afghanistan. But then their enigmatic neighbour starts them on a quest. “At the end of it all you have to come back,” she says. “What is taken must be returned ...” What does she mean? Only four clues: a soldier's badge, a gold coin, volcanic rock, a piece of shrapnel. Time, she says, is running out. But which time? When? TWO WARS: Then ... and Now ... ONE CHANCE: To do the right thing. Denise and Craig are about to find out that life can explode when you least expect it. Noor-un-nissa Inayat Khan by Sufiya Ahmed My Story: Noor-un-Nissa Inayat Khan is the thrilling story of British-Indian World War Two heroine, Noor-un-Nissa Inayat Khan. It's 1940 and hundreds of families are being forced to flee Nazi-occupied France. Noor refuses to stand by while Nazi forces invade her home and terrorise her people, so she travels to England and signs up to join the war efforts despite her mother's wishes. It isn't long before her talents are noticed, and she is chosen by Winston Churchill to sneak back into France as an undercover agent. Noor returns home but this time, as a secret agent. Can Noor keep her true identity a secret, report her findings back to London and help the Allies win the war? School for Skylarks by Sam Angus It is 1939. When Lyla is evacuated from her home in London to her great-aunt’s enormous house in the West Country, she expects to be lonely. She has never been to school nor had any friends, and her parents have been at the centre of a scandal. But with the house being used to accommodate an entire school of evacuated schoolgirls, there's no time to think about her old life. Soon there is a horse in a first-floor bedroom and a ferret in Lyla’s sock drawer, hordes of schoolgirls have overrun the house, and Lyla finds out that friends come in all shapes and sizes Ronnie's War by Bernard Ashley It is 1940, and Ronnie Warren is a street-smart 11-year-old living with his mum in south London while his father is away fighting with the army. Ronnie's story starts during the Blitz, when he climbs bravely through bomb rubble to rescue his mother and his aunt. Evacuated to Lancashire, he stands up to a sadistic teacher and embarks on a pre-teen romance. Back in London, his mum hears that her husband is missing, presumed killed. Ronnie believes she has fallen for a GI and makes a fool of himself - but patches things up. VE Day brings joy mixed with grief for Ronnie, knowing that his dad is dead - but a surprise telegram brings unbelievable news. Sophie's Secret War by Jill Atkins In 1939 at the start of the war, Sophie becomes a messenger for a resistance group in Northern France. But as the German invaders overwhelm the British forces on the French coast, she finds herself more deeply involved with the Resistance - in a dangerous plan to save a young Scottish soldier. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden Albert, Carrie and young Nick are war-time evacuees whose lives get so tangled up with the people they've come to live among that the war and their real families seem to belong to another world. Carrie and Nick are billeted in Wales with old Mr Evans, who is so mean and cold, and his timid mouse of a sister, Lou, who suddenly starts having secrets. Carrie revisits Wales as an adult and tells the story to her own children. Bomber Boys by Thomas Bloor Johnny says he's a lucky charm for any crew he flies with, but Len's not so sure. On a mission to Berlin, he finds out the truth. This is a powerful WWII story. Barrington Stoke specialises in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne Berlin 1942 When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll A body washed up on the beach... Evacuation to an old house with forbidden rooms and dark secrets... An animal rescue service... In these short stories set in World War Two, Emma Carroll explores the resilience, resourcefulness and inventiveness of children when their lives fall to pieces. Introducing some compelling new characters, as well as revisiting some familiar settings, these adventures are sure to win over new readers, as well as fans of old favourites such as Letters from the Lighthouse and Frost Hollow Hall. Postcards from No Man's Land (14+) by Aidan Chambers Jacob Todd is abroad on his own for the first time, visiting his grandfather's grave at the annual commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem in Amsterdam. There, he meets Geertrui, an ill old lady, who tells a story of love and betrayal, which overturns Jacob's view of himself and his country, and leads him to question his place in the world. William At War by Richmal Crompton William is always ready to offer his services to his country. But why is it that his enthusiastic contribution is so seldom appreciated? William is determined to do his bit, but unfortunately no one else thinks he'd make a hero. In these 10 wonderful wartime stories, William proves himself just as dangerous, unpredictable, and downright troublesome as the Enemy! There is only one William. This tousle-headed, snub-nosed, hearty, loveable imp of mischief has been harassing his unfortunate family and delighting his hundreds of thousands of admirers since 1922. Going Solo by Roald Dahl One of a series of literature titles for schools, this is Roald Dahl's second volume of autobiography. It offers an account of his youth in Africa during World War II, encounters with the Hun and with deadly snakes, and his escape from a plane crash whilst in the RAF Anne Frank by Susanna Davidson This book tells the life story of Anne Frank, who hid from the Nazis with her parents for years in a secret apartment and wrote a diary that became famous after her death. Captain Corelli's Mandolin (14+) by Louis de Bernieres It is 1941 and Captain Antonio Corelli, a young Italian officer, is posted to the Greek island of Cephalonia as part of the occupying forces. At first, he is ostracised by the locals, but as a conscientious but far from fanatical soldier, whose main aim is to have a peaceful war, he proves in time to be civilised, humorous - and a consummate musician. When the local doctor's daughter's letters to her fiancé go unanswered, the working of the eternal triangle seems inevitable. But can this fragile love survive as a war of bestial savagery gets closer and the lines are drawn between invader and defender? Woeful Second World War by Terry Deary Woeful Second World War' presents the dire details of a war that affected almost everyone - from old men joining Dad's Army to the 12-year-olds defending Berlin to the bitter end Harry's Battle of Britain by Andrew Donkin Set in war-torn Britain, this adventure story features Harry Ryder, a ten-year- old city dweller who is evacuated to the countryside in 1939 during World War II. Harry faces a very personal battle when the locals view the evacuees as 'invaders'. Ausländer by Paul Dowswell When Peter's parents are killed, he is sent to an orphanage in Warsaw, Poland. But Peter is Volksdeutscher-of German blood. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he looks just like the boy on the Hitler Youth poster.