War and Conflict
Books written about historical time periods of war and conflict shed light on the effect of war on families and children. Readers will learn about the factors that led to the war and conflict and events. Learning about events from the perspective of a person who lived through the war will deepen readers’ understanding of the meaning of events and the role of resilience in challenging time.
13 Days
During the thirteen days in October 1962 when the United States confronted the Soviet Union over its installation of missiles in Cuba, few people shared the behind-the-scenes story as it is told here by the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Adventure of Ulysses
The mythological wanderings of Odysseus are recounted by the Greek epic poet, Homer. (Circa 550 B.C.)
All Quiet On The Western Front
This novel depicts the experiences of a group of young German soldiers fighting and suffering during the last days of World War I.
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
Before We Were Free
Twelve-year-old Anita is living in the Dominican Republic in 1960. The secret police have started terrorizing her family for their suspected opposition to the country's dictator.
Boy on the Wooden Box
Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, “brings to readers a story of bravery and the fight for a chance to live”.
Catfish and Mandala
This autobiographical account tells of a Vietnamese American who feels like an outsider in both America and Vietnam.
Code Talkers
Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language.
Fallen Angels
Active duty in Vietnam is seen through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old African American private. He and his new buddies experience bonding, battles, grave wounds, and the brutal fact that not all will return home.
Farewell to Manzanar
Along with 10,000 other Japanese Americans, seven-year-old Jeanne Wakatsuki grew up behind barbed wire, under searchlight towers, and with armed guards.
Friedrich
In chronological episodes a young boy tells about the fate of his Jewish friend, Friedrich, in Nazi Germany. Friedrich’s life becomes a torment as his family is destroyed and he himself is forced into hiding, alone and in secrecy.
I Lived on Butterfly Hill
Eleven-year-old Celeste lives peacefully in Chile-until one day when warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates start disappearing from class.
Julius Caesar
Brutus, best friend of the Roman ruler Caesar, reluctantly joins a successful plot to murder Caesar and subsequently destroys himself.
Left for Dead
Recalls the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis at the end of World War II, the Navy cover-up and unfair court martial of the ship's captain, and how a young boy helped the survivors set the record straight fifty-five years later.
Macbeth
In 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne, becoming James I of England. London was alive with an interest in all things Scottish, and Shakespeare turned to Scottish history for material.
My Brother Sam is Dead
The Meeker family is torn apart during the American Revolutionary War when one son joins the rebel forces and the rest of the family try to remain neutral in a divided town.
Night
This true account relates the author's experiences as a Jewish boy with his family in a Nazi concentration camp.
Number the Stars
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be courageous when she helps to shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.
Othello
Othello, a brave and frequently absent Moor general, is tricked by the evil lago into believing his beloved Desdemona has been unfaithful.
Red Scarf Girl
Ji-Li Jiang is a highly-ranked student, exceptional athlete, and avid follower of Chairman Mao's new China until her family's bourgeois background brings persecution and wrecks her educational opportunities and dreams of a successful career.
The Art of Keeping Cool
Fear permeates the Rhode Island coastal town where Robert, his mother, and sister are living out the war with his paternal grandparents: Fear of Nazi submarines offshore. Fear of Abel Hoffman, a German artist living reclusively outside of town. And for Robert, a more personal fear, of his hot-tempered, controlling grandfather.
The Book Thief
Liesel is a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding.
The Hobbit
In the land of Middle Earth - inhabited by dwarves, elves, goblins, dragons, and humans - Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, encounters many adventures when he is persuaded to join a band of dwarves on an expedition to recover a stolen treasure hidden by a thieving dragon.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The adventurous journey of four English children is traced as they discover the magical land of Narnia behind an old wardrobe.
The Red Badge of Courage
Deserting his battalion, 18-year-old Henry Fleming escapes into the woods. He finds a group of injured soldiers and is embarrassed the he’s whole. Find out how Henry proves his courage as a man on the battlefield.
Under the Blood Red Sun
This novel depicts 1941 Hawaii through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old Japanese American boy, Tomi Nakaji, as he struggles with the racism, violence, and hardship that arise when his father and grandfather are wrongfully arrested after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.