Voices from the Second World War: Stories of War as Told to Children of Today

by Candlewick Press

Overview

In an intergenerational keepsake volume, witnesses to World War II share their memories with young interviewers so that their experiences will never be forgotten.

The Second World War was the most devastating war in history. Up to eighty million people died, and the map of the world was redrawn. More than seventy years after peace was declared, children interviewed family and community members to learn about the war from people who were there, to record their memories before they were lost forever. Now, in a unique collection, RAF pilots, evacuees, resistance fighters, Land Girls, U.S. Navy sailors, and survivors of the Holocaust and the Hiroshima bombing all tell their stories, passing on the lessons learned to a new generation. Featuring many vintage photographs, this moving volume also offers an index of contributors and a glossary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536208856
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,168,910
Product dimensions:	7.06(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.91(d)
Lexile:	980L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

Editorial Reviews

Firsthand accounts of World War II, many collected by modern children...A fine tool for any child interested in history as well as for classroom, school, and public libraries.
—Kirkus Reviews

WWII ended more than 70 years ago, yet interest in it remains evergreen, as this fascinating work of living history evidences...Though many of those featured are elderly—one is more than 100 years old—their memories are vivid and bring to light the realities of war in this valuable collection.
—Booklist

First published in Britain, this is an anthology of firsthand accounts collected by children who interviewed elderly relatives and neighbors about their war experiences...the book traces the broader course of the conflict while making the suffering it inflicted and the heroism it inspired personal and relatable. One reporter notes: ‘There were many people…for whom the events of the war were so agonizing they never talked about their experiences. I believe it is important that we hear those stores.’ Numerous photos put faces to the storytellers. Grade: A
—Plain Dealer

This title will help readers understand that war affects real-life people, including children. A solid choice for collections that serve middle school students.
—School Library Journal

Because the majority of the interviews were done by and written for children, the accounts are not overly graphic, making this an ideal book to keep in upper elementary/middle school classes and libraries. It is an excellent resource for history buffs and for those who may not know much about the time period.
—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Gr 5–8—This collection of memoirs of World War II survivors was first published in England by First News, an award-winning children's newspaper, and the Silver Line, a helpline dedicated to serving older adults. Present-day children were asked to interview elderly family members and friends who had served in the military or had been children during the war. Most of the stories, told in first person, are recollections of what the individuals experienced as children. Some interviewees describe their lives as young adults or as members of the military. At least eight different nationalities are featured, including English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese. Among those profiled are the navigator of the Enola Gay, authors Shirley Hughes and Judith Kerr, and an atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima. Many of the pieces are accompanied by a photo of the biographee and the interviewer or early and current photos of the subject. Full-page vintage black-and-white photos are paired with the introduction of each chapter. (The artwork on the colorful cover is reminiscent of 1940s war posters.) VERDICT This title will help readers understand that war affects real-life people, including children. A solid choice for collections that serve middle school students.—Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS

School Library Journal

2017-12-06
Firsthand accounts of World War II, many collected by modern children.Though the second world war has been over for more than 70 years, its wide scope still comes most to life in the stories of those who lived through it. The British children's newspaper First News began collecting these accounts; published here along with others, they offer a comprehensive picture of the war, from soldiers, civilians, and children on all sides, both Allied and Axis. Perhaps due to its British origins, the preponderance of contributions are British, and the war in the European theater dominates, but the African campaign and the war in the Pacific are covered. Resistance efforts and the experiences of women during the war are each covered in separate chapters. The white American navigator of the Enola Gay recounts what it was like to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, while a Japanese man tells what it was like to be an 8-year-old boy in the city that morning. Because children conduct the interviews, most of the short accounts are honest but not brutally graphic. Vintage photographs illustrate every page, and indexes and a glossary allow the book to be used as a true reference resource.A fine tool for any child interested in history as well as for classroom, school, and public libraries. (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Review