19 Oct 2012

WWII Children's Literature


Australians are hugely patriotic about Gallipoli and our Anzac heroes, and WWI is represented in numerous children's books  and novels.  Not so WWII.  This second war is pictured far more grimly than the first and it features less often in the pages of literature.

Next year Jemimah will be studying WWII as part of our Australianised AO6 (Where has the time gone?)  I've begun putting together a list of living books that cover this time period, but I would love it if any of you know of others - it's a pretty sparse list, so far.  I haven't read any of these books, so if you have, I'd love to hear what you think of them as well.

Sun on the Stubble by Colin Thiele (Life between the Wars.)
Peter & Co by Mary Grant Bruce
Karalta by Mary Grant Bruce
The Randy: the Story of a Mystery Ship by Dorothy Lucie Sanders
Nowhere to Hide by Mavis Thorpe Clark
The Secret of the Desert by Coutts Brisbane
Closer to the Stars by Max Fatchen
Soldier on the Hill by Jackie French
Kokoda Track: 101 Days by Peter Macinnis

Have a nice weekend, everyone.  We're off to our local Show.  Jemimah and her Daddy have an ongoing dodgemcar challenge going.  I wonder who'll come out on top tomorrow!

6 comments:

  1. Sun on the stubble is terrific. You are going to love it. I've read some of the others but to long ago to comment. I'm sure there are others. I will have a think....

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  2. Sun on the Stubble is also the only one I am familiar with so I would like to see what else people suggest.

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  3. Sun on the stubble is fantastic. Hilarious! Especially if you can do the German accents ;)

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  4. Here is a suggestion from my SIL "What was the war like, Grandma?"Written by Rachel Tonkin. It's a children's story & picture book." An interesting account of life at home during the war years " she told me.

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  5. I thought of Mary Grant Bruce author of the billabong series: Karalta is set during WW2. I haven't read it but have enjoyed others of her books. Jackie French's website lists it as her favorite childhood book. Finding it could be a thing though.

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  6. I'll 4th Sun on the Stubble. Very hard to read aloud - my kids got very frustrated with me giggling over the funny bits before I'd get to finish a sentence. WW 2 book - A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute - but for older ages/adults - years since I read it (or I may only have seen the movie??)so not much help for Jemimah, sorry!

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