Non
fiction
Foreman, Michael (1991) War Boy: a country
childhood Puffin: London. Reminiscences of growing up in a seaside
town.
Frank, Anne (2002) The Diary of a Young Girl: definitive edition
Puffin: London.
Levy, Pat (2003) The Home Front in World War Two Hodder Wayland:
London. Covers range of countries.
Parsons, Martin (1999) Britain at War: rationing Wayland Publishers:
Hove.
Robins, Phil (2004) Under Fire Scholastic: London. Personal recollections
of children who lived through World War Two.
Stephen, Margaret (1998) Britain in World War Two: evacuation
Hodder Wayland: London.
The following are not specifically written for children but are about
evacuees and may be of interest:
Brown, Mike (2000) Evacuees: evacuation in wartime Britain 1939-1945
Sutton: Stroud.
Wicks, Ben (1989) The Day They Took the Children (1989) Bloomsbury:
London.
The Learning
and Access section of the Imperial War Museum website has on-line
resources on World War Two including downloadable worksheets, a section
called What
was it Like for Children? and a crossword
about evacuees.
PCET
has produced wallcharts and teachers’ notes on topics relevant to
the study of World War Two including evacuees (Primary History), how we
used to live: 1939-1945 (Secondary History) and Anne Frank (Secondary
History).
BBC Schools website has a Children
of World War 2 section, which includes information about evacuees
and printable worksheets.
Blake, Jon (1997) The Sandbag Secret Franklin Watts: London. A tale about the blitz with background notes.
Jungman, Ann (2002) Resistance Barrington Stoke Ltd: Edinburgh. Story of Dutch boy ashamed by his father’s collaboration with the Germans.
Kacer, Kathy (1999) The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser Second Story Press: Toronto Inspired by the experience of the author’s mother as a Jewish girl in Czechoslovakia after the occupation.
Kerr, Judith triology: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (1971), The Other Way Around (1975) and A Small Person Far Away (1978) Collins: London. Based on author’s experience escaping the Nazis in Germany and coming to Britain.
McEwan, Ian (2004) Rose Blanche Red Fox: London. Illustrated by Roberto Innocenti. About a girl observing the cruelties taking place in a small German town during the war.
McKinlay, Penny (1998) Escape from Germany: a tale of wartime refugees Franklin Watts: London. Story with notes of a German Jewish family escaping to Britain aimed at KS2 History students.
Magorian, Michelle (1983) Goodnight Mister Tom Puffin: London. Relationship between a shy city boy evacuated from London and the gruff country man who takes him in. Other books by Michelle Magorian include Back Home about the return to Britain of an evacuee sent to the USA and A Cuckoo in the Nest about an evacuee who has trouble adjusting to his family after the war.
Morpurgo, Michael (1977) Friend or Foe Egmont: London Story of a London boy evacuated to the South West who encounters a German airplane crew that has crashed on the moor.
Price, Alison (2002) How’s Business Hodder Children’s Books: London. About a London boy evacuated to live with his aunt and uncle in
Lincolnshire.
Serraillier, Ian (1956) The Silver Sword Jonathan Cape: London. Story of group of children escaping occupied Poland and making their way across war-torn Europe to Switzerland.
Westall, Robert (1975) The Machine Gunners
Macmillan: London. Group of friends in Garmouth stumble upon a crashed German bomber when they are hunting for scrap.
Westall, Robert (1979) Fathom Five Macmillan Children’s Books: London. Sequel to The Machine Gunners about a suspected spy.
Westall, Robert (1994) A Time of Fire Pan
Macmillan: London. Story of a boy left with his grandparents in Newcastle when his mother is killed in a bombing raid and his father enlists.
Wood, Jack (2000) Digging for Victory Franklin Watts: London. Story with notes about the fictional Pitt Family. Other stories in the series include Put That Light Out, Careless Talk, and Make Do and Mend.
Further titles can be found on the Imperial War Museum’s Children’s Books About War page.
