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Topic: World War II

Non-fiction

The year is 1927, and in America, Britain and Russia, three young 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 (sometimes in secret) and eventually flying for their countries in World War II. Follow the adventures of these young women as they battle not only enemies in the skies but sexism and inequality in their own teams. Risking their lives countless times in feats of incredible bravery, the female air pilots of the Second World War are honoured in this beautiful book, illustrated in Sally Deng’s raw, dynamic style.

Non-fiction

Discover all the foul facts about the Woeful Second World War with history’s most horrible headlines.

All the foul facts about the Woeful Second World War are ready to uncover, including:

why the blitzed Brits ate chicken-fruit, sinkers and nutty

what really happened in Dad’s Army

and how to make a rude noise with a gas mask.

* fully illustrated throughout and packed with horrible stories – with all the horribly hilarious bits included

* with a fresh take on the classic Horrible Histories style, perfect for fans old and new

* the perfect series for anyone looking for a fun and informative read

* Horrible Histories has been entertaining children and families for generations with books, TV, stage show, magazines, games and 2019’s brilliantly funny Horrible Histories: the Movie – Rotten Romans.

Get your history right here and collect the whole horrible lot.

Read all about it!

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer returns with a thrilling naval adventure inspired by the incredible history of the Second World War Arctic convoys.

Winter 1943. Teenagers Frank, Joseph and Stephen are Royal Navy recruits on their first mission at sea during the Second World War. Their ship is part of an Arctic Convoy sailing to Russia to deliver supplies to the Soviets. The convoys have to navigate treacherous waters, sailing through a narrow channel between the Arctic ice pack and German bases on the Norwegian coast. Faced with terrifying enemy attacks from both air and sea, as well as life-threatening cold and storms, will all three boys make it home again?

Picturebook

As a boy, Mick Manning listened to his father’ s hair-raising tales about life as an RAF airgunner during the Second World War. Now, years later, he has carefully recreated his father’s stories, writing them down as if his dad was speaking the words. In collaboration with Brita, he has illustrated them too.

It’ s for Charlie’ s grandchildren – and for everyone.

Find out what it was really like to:

Put up with food rationing …
Undergo RAF Training…
Take off in a bomber…
Face enemy fighters…
Survive the Battle of the Bulge

Picturebook

This special edition includes stories from real-life evacuees, uncovered from the Imperial War Museums.

When Lenny’s father goes to fight in the Second World War he gives his son a brass badge with two animals engraved on it: a lion for bravery and a unicorn for courage.

Then, Lenny himself must go away, evacuated from his home and family to escape the bombing. Staying in a strange new place, Lenny gathers all his lion bravery, all his unicorn courage, and discovers that magic can happen, even in the most desperate of times.

Chapter book

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is the unforgettable story of young Willie Beech, evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the unlikely care of grumpy old Tom Oakley. But then his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother to return to London. As the weeks pass by Tom begins to worry when William doesn’t answer his letters, so he goes to London to find him, and there makes a terrible discovery.

Chapter book

I did a dreadful thing, the worst thing of my life, when I was twelve and a half years old, and nothing can change it’

It is wartime and Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from their London home to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children feel alone and find little comfort with the family they are billeted with: Mr Evans, a bullying shopkeeper and Auntie Lou, his kind but timid sister.

When Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, they are welcomed into Hepzibah Green’s warm kitchen. Hepzibah is rumoured to be a witch, but her cooking is delicious, her stories are enthralling and the children cannot keep away. With Albert, Hepzibah and Mister Johnny, they begin to settle into their new surroundings. But before long, their loyalties are tested: will they be persuaded to betray their new friends?

Chapter book

Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…

When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.

But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.

Chapter book

A thrilling World War II adventure set in occupied France, featuring an Indian RAF pilot. Great for fans of Michael Morpurgo and John Boyne, and those who want diverse historical fiction. Thirteen-year-old Joelle Breton stumbles across Indian-born RAF pilot Mohinder Singh when his plane crashes in occupied France and it’s up to her and her parents to hide him from the Nazis. After all, her parents are brave members of the French Resistance and will do everything they can to help get Mohinder back to Britain. But when they are betrayed and tragedy strikes, Joelle and Mohinder will have to act fast if they are ever to evade the enemy. Flashbacks offer dramatic stories set in key moments of history, perfect for introducing children to historical topics.

Chapter book

We weren’t supposed to be going to the pictures that night. We weren’t even meant to be outside, not in a blackout, and definitely not when German bombs had been falling on London all month like pennies from a jar.

February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he’s not used to company and he certainly doesn’t want any evacuees.

Desperate to be helpful, Olive becomes his post-girl, carrying secret messages (as she likes to think of the letters) to the villagers. But Olive has a secret of her own. Her older sister Sukie went missing in an air raid, and she’s desperate to discover what happened to her. And then she finds a strange coded note which seems to link Sukie to Devon, and to something dark and impossibly dangerous.

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