Based on a number of things, I'm thinking of watching The Imitation Game with DS. I'm screening it, and the very beginning shows English children being evacuated before WWII. To lay some groundwork - I'd like to read some books with DS about this evacuation. I've got the Potato Peel Pie Society book, and of course Narni. Does anybody know of others? I'd love on that was more directly told from a kid's view.
Thanks for any ideas,
Sue
Not books, but if you want to follow up on this theme, I highly recommend Foyle's War, which includes at least one episode with a child sent from London to the country (depending on your DS's age -- as I recall, the first episode or so is rather gruesome wrt the murder, but after that, the murder mysteries become almost secondary to the characterization and historical stuff); and Enemy at the Door, a BBC series from the late '70's about the occupation of Guernsey. And a little further afield, not about England, there's a book called "Twenty and Ten" (later abridged and retitled "The Secret Cave") by Claire Hutchet Bishop, about children at a school in Nazi occupied France.
Some of the lesser-known books by Noel Streatfeild deal with this theme. For example, you might try "When the Sirens Wailed" "Saplings" also deals with this theme but is a more mature book intended for an adult audience.
I second When the Sirens Wailed.
A variety of experiences woven into historical fiction,
True Brit: Beatrice 1940 tells the story of a girl's adventures while displaced following
evacuation, in a way which may be appropriate for children.
Good Night Mister Tom and Back Home, by Michelle Magorian.
Just wanted to mention that evacuation was DURING the war in Great Britain not before the war. But this is a minor point. I don't really know of any good books but it seems others have. There are a lot of books that refer to it like C.S. Lewis's 'The Lion the Wardrobe' and many others. The wikapedia page has a long list of books that were inspired by the evacuations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuations_of_civilians_in_Britain_during_World_War_IIIf you want to introduce your child to information about Turing keep in mind that the "The Imitation Game" is a very good movie but not completely historically accurate. (
http://goo.gl/asMPkB) Not said to discourage you from seeing the movie just keep this in mind. I really like this comic by the same name (
http://goo.gl/bQOAXQ) This is an online comic intended for teens & adults so read it yourself to see if it's appropriate to show your son as the later chapters do have to do with his homosexuality.
I Go By Sea, I Go By Land by P.L. Travers.
The Guests of War series by Pearson.
There was also one I remember reading as a child. Little girl sent from England to America to live with family and there were many mishaps with language. The little girl was amazed to have the same curtains in her new bedroom as there were in her old one in England. Can't. remember. title. making. me. crazy.
Thanks all for the excellent pointers re books, articles and historical accuracy! Having finally watched the movie myself, I think I will hold off on letting DS7 see it. Some things in it are too intense for him at this point. But I WILL be giving/reading with him some of the titles you suggest. I think it would be eye-opening to him to see the impacts of war on people, and this is one that would be easy for him to relate to.
He's a little too "into" the idea of battles, weapons, strategy , war, etc.... I know this isn't unusual for youngsters. But, based on his extreme sensitivity, we've been pretty protective about not having him see nightly news, newspapers and other grim reality stuff. So he doesn't have much context to understand the horrors that come with the "exciting" stuff.
Thanks as always to you all,
Sue