Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Good books on WWI and WWII

Hi - My son is just 10 and very interested in WWI and, particularly WWII. He's an advanced reader, and can handle lengthy texts, as well as mature texts; however he's still 10. :-)

I did a quick search on here to see if any book suggestions popped up and didn't see any (please excuse me if I missed an obvious thread on this!!). I did notice, however, that the themes and interest are common, and I caught a note about gifted kids being very interested in and concerned by the justice aspect of the holocaust. I am not entirely sure what he's most interested in about WWII, I'm guessing the justice/holocaust is the primary angle.

What I'm looking for are a couple of good non-fiction resources that give a quality overview of the issues and timeline, then some things that delve deeper (or if all that exists in one book, even better!). I'd also love to provide him with some additional reading, historical fiction or things like Anne Frank's diary (although I just noticed another post about the fact that it goes into detail about things like getting her period - not that he's not "up to that" or ok with that, just more that it might cause him to lose interest and decide its not for him; which makes me think it might be better to hold off on that one? opinions welcome!). One book I'd looked at that I thought he'd like was Code Talker. Thoughts on that one? (I haven't read it, but would like to!)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I like "Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Eighties" by Paul Johnson, which covers world history from the 1920s to the 1980s, with much coverage of the World War II and the events leading up to it.

When I was about your son's age I read "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by Shirer, a classic.

Truce, Jim Murphy (nonfiction WWI)
War Games, Audrey Couloumbis & Akila Couloumbis (WWII historical fiction based on Akila Couloumbis' experiences)

I liked "Code Talkers" personally. I got it for my 12 year old son (who hasn't yet read it), but honestly, it is a book that could be read in one sitting by an advanced reader of that age (ie, not a difficult book). It is light on factual information about the war, but rich in insights into the Navaho culture and their role in the war, how they were treated, how they preserved their traditions in a hostile environment, etc- so there is certainly an angle of social justice, just not the typical one.

Other relevant books our kids have enjoyed include "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," "Number the Stars" and "The Book Thief". I'm sure there are several others, I will add them if they come to mind.

Our family loved "The Green Glass Sea," historical fiction related to WWII but particularly about the Manhattan Project, from the perspective of a 12 yo living in Los Alamos at the time. It focuses on the scientists, and on the ethical conflicts that arose as the 'project' progressed.

Cricket3 beat me to The Book Thief and Number the Stars, but have you considered Schindler's List? Even if you think it might be too mature, you could look it up at Amazon and see what else pops up related.

There is a ton of material, the writing is at a post-collegiate level, and it can be somewhat technical at times, but as a single resource, it would be hard to do better than Winston Churchill's books on the subject. In particular, his first book on WWII, The Gathering Storm, is quite valuable. He describes a huge range of worldwide factors that led from one war to the next, and does so rather fairly and honestly, handing out blame to all parties. Since he was somewhat of a British Cassandra from the rise of Nazism all the way up to the invasion of Czechoslovakia, he's an outstanding source on this subject.

Comments on a couple of the suggestions so far:
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry - excellent choice.
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak - outstanding book, though in my opinion, possibly a bit intense for a ten-year-old (not in any particular aspect/scene, but rather overall tone, and the powerful impact from how well-written it is), but judge for your own kid. And the movie was good too.
The Green Glass Sea -- fascinating, compelling book; be aware that: (a) the level of drinking and smoking (cigarettes) by the adults involved in the high pressure Manhattan Project is undoubtedly historically accurate but may be a bit jarring to a kid today, and (b) the
(girl) protagonist is perhaps gender dysphoric, though that may go right past a boy reader.
Speaking of Shindler's List, you might consider The Boy on the Wooden Box, Leon Leyson, which is Leyson's memoir of surviving the war (age ten at the start), being saved by Schindler. (I am uncertain how well this book will work for those not already at least somewhat familiar with the Schindler story; if anyone has tried having a kid read it as a starting point, I'd be curious to hear.)
Additional suggestions:
Hero on a Bicycle, Shirley Hughes (historical fiction, Italian resistance, WWII)
Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer, Trina Robbins (biography in comic book form)
My Family for the War, Anne Voorhoeve (historical fiction on Kindertransport; really good but may speak more to girls)
Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust, Ruth Thomson (nonfiction, outstanding); and accompany it with:
Brundibar, Tony Kushner & Maurice Sendak
Resistance, Defiance, Victory trilogy of graphic books by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis (French resistance, interesting though probably better at around age 12 or so as some material, such as parents getting killed, may be much for a ten-year-old)

Good night mr. Tom, about evacuees in WWII, and another one by the same author whose name escapes me. He might be a little old for When Hitler stole pink rabbit. I haven't looked at the Mouse comics about the holocaust recently, not sure whether they'd be appropriate. Sebastian Hafner is a non fiction author to look into.

While I am sure your son can handle more advanced texts my DS (a science nut) very much enjoyed this book... Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Newbery Honor Book).

I am David
The Silver Sword
A series by Morris Gleitzman which starts with "Once" followed by "Then", "Now" and "After".

These are easy books to read but the themes are complex and can be quite sad.
Really interesting selection on this Good Reads list.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/17000.Best_Children_s_Books_about_World_War_II_1939_1945_