The Valley of Lost Secrets is a wonderfully warm book about rural life, village communities and how life really was for this community during World War II, as well as for the evacuated children. Jimmy and his younger brother Ronnie are evacuees. They find themselves with their schoolmates on a train to a small village in a valley in Wales, a world away from home in Islington, London. The country is at war but that’s not all Jimmy is worried about. He would rather be back with Dad and Nan than stuck with strangers in this odd place. The book is rich in historical detail about everything from food, religion and household routines to the importance of coal mining in the Welsh rural communities.

Set in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, the story follows 12-year-old Pet, who lives in a lighthouse on the south coast of England. Pet grew up hearing stories of ancient sea monsters, legends of ‘Daughters of Stone’ and whisperings of secret tunnels.

Now, as the war breaks out, childhood stories give way to terrifying real life battles as German war machines lurk in the skies above and the sea below. Fear is in the air and it is not long before the people of the nearby village turn on Pet’s mother, who is German. A gripping mystery slowly unravels as Pet discovers a set of mysterious family documents and photographs hidden away in the lighthouse.

Bringing together an evocative wartime setting, relatable themes and a sprinkling of ancient legend, this is a riveting read that will delight teachers and children alike in KS2 classrooms.

1941. War is raging. And one angry boy has been sent to the city, where bombers rule the skies. There, Joseph will live with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no fondness for children. Her only loves are the rundown zoo she owns and its mighty silverback gorilla, Adonis. As the weeks pass, bonds deepen and secrets are revealed, but if the bombers set Adonis rampaging free, will either of them be able to end the life of the one thing they truly love? Inspired by a true story.

This moving and evocative novel has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award. Goodnight Mister Tom tells the story of a young boy called Willie Beech, who is evacuated to the countryside during World War II, and the relationship he develops with his new carer Mr Tom. There is also a very good film version available .

Carrie’s War is a very popular choice for upper KS2 classes. It tells the story of World War II evacuees Carrie and Nick, who are sent to a small town in Wales under the care of the formidable Mr Evans and his timid sister. Follow their adventures as they make new friends and enemies and experience what it might have been like to be a child evacuee during the war. There is also an accompanying Read & Respond guide available.

Mohinder’s War follows the journey of a young girl called Joelle, in the midst of Nazi-occupied France, who becomes unlikely friends with an Indian British RAF pilot.

The book tackles the issues many children faced in their war torn country and the risks people had to take in order to protect family, friends and strangers alike, knowing the consequences they could face. The narrative also gives children an insight into the role of soldiers from across the commonwealth. This aspect would provide a great opportunity for teachers and children to research the sacrifices made by these individuals and the impact this had on the war.

This delightful new book is an excellent text for encapsulating experiences of World War II from the viewpoint of children. It tells the moving story of Olive and her brother Cliff as they leave the heavily bombed streets of London and become evacuees on the coast of Devon, sent to live with an enigmatic lighthouse keeper. Soon Olive finds herself caught up in a dark mystery linking the disappearance of her sister Sukie with a strangely coded message. Letters from the Lighthouse is an incredibly empathetic story that not only portrays the hardships of life during the war but also poignantly explores the anguishing encounters of refugees looking for safety in new places while carrying with them the heartbreak of leaving a war-torn home behind. We recommend this story for upper KS2 classrooms.

This well-researched and highly readable novel takes its title from the name of the medal that honours the Arctic Convoys during World War II. The story, with its concluding Author’s Note and accompanying online teaching notes available from Tom Palmer’s website, provides an exciting and informative classroom resource for the teaching of WWII as a curriculum topic, besides being a book many children will choose for the sheer enjoyment of reading. Winner of the BooksForTopics Book of the Year Award for Best Curriculum Support.

A gripping historical adventure featuring the Anglo-Saxon hoard that was unearthed at Sutton Hoo during WW2. The story centres on a young Londoner called George, who has been evacuated to the countryside near Sutton Hoo and is intrigued to find out about the Anglo-Saxon treasures discovered nearby. The most interesting of the treasures is a mysterious Anglo-Saxon crown carrying with it an ancient legend. Before long, George finds himself involved in an exhilarating plot to save the crown from falling into the hands of Nazi invaders. This is a gripping read that is recommended for upper KS2 – and especially useful for helping children to make links between different periods of history.

As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat and the population lives under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement. After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back against their oppressors. But what can a teenage girl do and how much risk is she willing to take? Award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on the incredible work of the WWll Dutch resistance, in a story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn.

With echoes of Whistle Down the Wind and Goodnight Mr. Tom, Cuckoo Summer is a captivating story set during the war in a remote village in the Lakes.

This is a story about trust and conscience. The children know what they could do and also know what they should do. Despite the risks that they are both taking, Tommy and Sally believe in the power of doing the right thing and it is this quality that shines through.

The book gives a snapshot of one place in time during World War 2. The story conveys a strong sense of the rural village and the various characters are all vividly depicted. The story is powerfully rooted in its location; the fields, farmhouses, tarns and waterfalls are crystal clear thanks to Jonathan Tulloch’s beautifully evocative writing. This is a book to share with a class and one that is likely to be remembered for a long time.

Fiction meets non-fiction in this exciting retelling of experiences from an RAF Air Gunner during World War II, presented in a comic book style. Tail-End Charlie is an accessible book with a high visual appeal and a great way of hooking in younger or more reluctant readers.

The Lion and the Unicorn is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a young boy whose father goes off to fight in the war. It is the story about the loneliness and sadness experienced by children during the Second World War, but also about different kinds of courage.

This is the true story of Michael Rosen’s search for his relatives who went missing during the Second World War told through prose, poetry, maps and pictures.

Over many years, Michael tried to find out exactly what happened: he interviewed family members, scoured the internet, pored over books and travelled to America and France. The story he uncovered was one of terrible persecution and it has inspired his poetry for years since.

Here, poems old and new are balanced against an immensely readable narrative: both an extraordinary account and a powerful tool for talking to children about the Holocaust.

The female pilots of the Second World War are honoured in this exciting, empowering book that shows young girls can achieve anything. The year is 1927, and in America, England and Russia, three girls share a dream: to fly. But it won’t be easy… Against the odds, Hazel, Marlene and Lilya follow their hearts, enrolling in pilot courses and eventually flying for their countries in World War II. Join the adventures of these women as they display feats of incredible bravery in this beautiful book of sensitive and moving illustrations.

Part of the very popular Horrible Histories series, this book allows children to uncover all of the gory and foul facts about the Second World War. This edition of Woeful Second World War has been redesigned, giving a fresh appeal to a classroom classic.