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Lessons from War
By Holly E. Newton

Lessons from war can be great — and sad.  The subject matter may be touchy for young children, but the history that surrounds and brings about war is too valuable to be missed or forgotten.  Here are books that are filled with memoirs, and memories, of those lessons.  The first two books are best suited for ages 10 through adult.

Yellow Star, by Jennifer Roy, is set during the Holocaust.  Here is a subject that is too horrific for any to imagine.  But Roy writes in a beautiful free verse format and brings out the hardships with a surprising delicate touch. 

The author’s aunt, along with many of her relatives, experienced this terrible event.  Some never made it through to the end of the war.  But Aunt Syvia told her niece all that she could remember before she would forget.  And this is her story. 

Syvia was 4 years old when she first entered one of the worst camps in Poland.  At that time, more than 270 thousand Polish Jews had entered this prison.  By the time it ended, only 800 survived.  Syvia was one of only 12 children who survived.  But you also get a glimpse of this child and her family’s great love for one another even when life was barely manageable.  The name of the book comes from the sign of the Jew that all were required to wear on their clothing upon entering this ghetto. Even though wearing this sign cost many lives, it’s interesting how it saved the remaining few when they were finally liberated. This is a valuable book for 10 years of age through adult to read, remember and never forget.

When Heaven Fell, by Carolyn Marsden, is a mingling of cultures — Vietnamese and American.  Nine-year-old Bihn works hard selling fruit and soda from a cart to schoolgirls in their nicely pressed uniforms as they walk to school.  She can’t go to school because her family can’t afford to pay.  But her world is about to change when she learns that 30 years ago her grandmother had a baby girl.  When the Vietnamese War ended and the Communists took over, she sent her daughter to America since the father was an American soldier.  Now this daughter was coming for a visit.  The mixture and differences of these two cultures bring about an appreciation and importance of family!

The next two books are better suited for teens through adult because of the subject matter.  Disguised:  A Wartime Memoir, by Rita la Fontaine de Clercq Zubli, is a true account of a young Dutch-Indonesian girl who was 12 years old when Japan invaded what was then known as the Dutch East Indies during World War II.  Rita’s father was the head of the postal, telegraph and telephone service.  He was concerned about the welfare of his wife, who had kidney and heart disease. 

While everyone else on the island evacuated for more safety, he decided to keep his wife and three children there.  He didn’t believe she would survive the evacuation.  Therefore, they waited for the enemy to arrive.  In the meantime, he felt that his oldest and only girl was entering into a vulnerable stage of life and should be protected.  He made the decision to make Rita into “Rick” by cutting her long dark hair into a boy’s haircut and having her wear the clothing of a boy.  Through the three long years of living in prison camps, Rita rose above all obstacles to become respected and elevated in the eyes of both the Japanese officers and her fellow inmates.  This is an amazing true story!

I Want to Live: The Diary of a Young Girl in Stalin’s Russia, by Nina Lugovskaya, is an account of a young 13-year-old girl who is about to see her homeland change for the worse.  This diary was recently found in the archives of Stalin’s secret police and is a testament of the atrocities that took place during the reign of Stalin’s terror.  Nina began writing in her journal in 1932.  There is much to learn from her entries.  However, Nina, unlike Anne Frank, becomes more depressed as she witnesses how living conditions worsen.  This makes reading her account become a bit tiresome from the middle of the book through to the end.  There are also some mild swear words and the Lord’s name written from time to time.  However, there is much to learn from during this terrible time.

The rest of the books are picture books and are perfect for all ages: 

One Thousand Tracings:  Healing the Wounds of World War II, written and beautifully illustrated by Lita Judge, is a true account of how many Americans helped Europe following the war by sending shoes, food and clothing.  Judge found hundreds of tracings in her grandparents’ attic and began to unfold the mystery of how these paper tracings were actually the sizes of people’s shoes.  Her grandparents led an effort to help those Europeans directly affected by the war by asking for donations and then sending them much needed necessities.  This incredible picture book, simply stated, shows the powerful effect of human kindness.  This book is a winner!

Ziba Came on a Boat, by Liz Lofthouse, and beautifully illustrated by Robert Ingpen, is based on a true account of a family whose lives have been completely upset in Afghanistan.  Now, as they flee for freedom on a boat filled with other refugees, Ziba thinks back about her homeland and how sadly things have changed. 

Small Beauties:  The Journey of Darcy Heart O’Hara, by Elvira Woodruff, and with gorgeous paintings by Adam Rex, shows this spunky little girl who notices all the beauties around her in Ireland.  Unfortunately, it’s 1845, there’s a famine, and everyone is starving.  Now that Darcy has to leave her homeland, how will she take these small beauties of her homeland with her?

At Ellis Island:  A History in Many Voices, by Louise Peacock, and illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop, quickly displays what makes up America as this book portrays the immigration movement at its height at the turn of 19th century.  Letters — some real and some not — make up the text, making this book a prized possession!

Why War is Never a Good Idea, by Alice Walker, and brightly illustrated by Stefano Vitale, poetically shows children why violence isn’t the answer to solving the world’s problem

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