Telling Lies by Tricia Glensor. Pub. HarperCollins, 2012.
A well written short novel about a New Zealand airman who is shot down over France in World war 2 and is sheltered by a French farmer and his family.
Based on some true incidents experienced by her father this novel exposes the cruelty, the fear and the untrustworthiness that existed in France under the nazis. No-one was safe, the walls had ears and informers were everywhere. “Show me your papers” was the greeting custom of the day.
fifteen year old Simone who has artistic skills and her brother Bernard find a wounded airman after his plane crashes near their farm. They shelter him under immense pressure and when things go wrong escort him to Paris to help him get out of the country. Will they do it without getting caught or shot?
A good first book for Intermediate and high school students. Adds a human dimension to the history of World War 2.
The Wrong Boy by Suzy Zail. Pub. Black Dog Books, 2012.
Novels about the Holocaust are powerful stories and this one opens with a majestic quote from Nelson Mandela “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love“
It is the story of Hungarian sisters Hanna and Erika who with their parents are trucked to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1944.
Hanna because her ability playing the piano is selected to play for the Kommandant while her sister and mother work in the quarry. They are starved and go through all the atrocities and indignities that the nazis inflicted on the Jews.
Horrifying but essential to know about. Holocaust fiction should be read by everyone in the hope that it will never happen again. Knowledge is power is it not?
Hanna and Erika’s story is heart warming and uplifting amongst the horror. So what makes it different? Well Hanna falls in love with the son of the Kommandant. Realistic? Yes indeed.
The ending is a revelation. For Intermediate and high school students. A good follow up to John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
A Time for War by M. Zachary Sherman. Illus. Fritz Casas. Pub. Stone Arch Books, 2011.
This is one of four stories about different wars involving the Donovan family. This family does not exist but the stories are based on real experience.
In this story Mike Donovan is a Parachute Infantryman in Dog Company who are charged with going before the main D Day Landing to secure the French town of Carentan. He is blown off course and lands near a German patrol with guns and ammunition. He has to hide out.
His actions disappoint him and he thinks he maybe is a coward. Later when he rejoins his platoon he has cause to redeem himself.
Simple story about a real battle and things that happen to soldiers in battle.
Between the action there are Debriefing sections about the history of World War 2, and the weapons and equipment used by both sides.
Pages inbetween the story depict the action in classic graphic novel style by Fritz Casas and coloured by Marlon Ilagan.
Has strong visual appeal for reluctant boy readers with easy dialogue.
Ronnie’s War by Bernard Ashley. Pub. Francis Lincoln Books, 2010.
This is the story of Ronnie Warren, who hates to be called “bunnie”, and who grew up in England during World War 2.
It starts with “The Blitz” as German bombers tried to blast Britain into submission and how Ronnie, who was 11 years old at the time, and his mother survived. It wasn’t easy and Ronnie is evacuated up north where the locals give Ronnie a hard time. They survived until news of Ronnie’s father going “missing presumed dead” changes everything.
Ronnie’s mum takes a job at an Airbase with the Americans and Ronnie meets the lovely Evie who makes him fizz. Back to London for V.E. Day and hopefully a better life.
Bernard Ashley clearly has some affection for home life in World War 2 and his descriptions of the bombings, of life at school and of the social and economic life of the times is told in almost glowing terms. People struggled with adversity and by sticking together came through it. It is a life long gone but never to be forgotten.
An easy read and a very good one. You will not get a better potrayal of home life World War 2 than this one. Ronnie is also a strong character, he looks after his mum, thinks about others and knows how to handle himself. A good role model for boys and that matters.
Written for middle and Intermediate age children.
