Boy at War is the series you're talking about maybe? My DS read it last year and said the father got killed at Pearl Harbor I think. We found the other books in the series at scholastic and I just bought them for him. He really enjoyed this book too.

He did tell me about The Homework Machine but I don't remember exactly what he said. I will have to get it and discuss it with him.

I'm going to have to look into your other recommendations, they sound great too!