Last Updated on 19 May 2025 by Colette
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Reading books with a historical setting can be a great way to help children really immerse themselves in the details of the period in time they are learning about. World War 2 is a common programme of study in Key Stage 2 – Ben and Chloe have both learned about World War 2 during their time in Year 6. The books recommended in this post are ones they have either read in school as part of their English lessons, ones I have bought for them to read at home to support their learning or ones that have been recommended to me.
The majority of the books in this post have a recommended age of 9 – 12 years old, however where they are for older / younger children, I have mentioned this. Of course, the age ranges are just suggestions and you know the reading skills and emotional maturity of your own child better than the publisher or Amazon! It is worth bearing in mind that World War 2 is not a happy subject matter and as such these books cover some upsetting themes (life as an evacuee in England, concentration camps and even what it was like to be a German child during World War 2) and do not always have happy endings.
Contents - Click here to jump to the section you need
Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian
“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 come back 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.“
Goodnight Mister Tom is probably my favourite novel set during World War 2 and gives a real insight into life as an evacuee, something which is of course unimaginable to many of us. This is a book I’ve read myself to Year 6 classes when studying World War II and they have always taken a lot from it.
Click here to buy Goodnight Mister Tom (I also highly recommend watching the film adaptation on Prime Video but definitely read the book first!)
When the Sky Falls – Phil Earle
“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.“
Oh this book! I bought it on recommendation from someone on instagram and was instantly hooked. I’devoured it in the space of about three days and felt I had to add it to the top of this list. It’s just a joy, and possibly one of the best books I’ve read in ages – read it.
Click here to buy When the Sky Falls
Until the Road Ends – Phil Earle
“Peggy and her dog Beau are inseparable: the only thing that can ever come between them is war. Peggy is evacuated to the safety of the coast, but Beau is left behind in the city. He becomes the most extraordinary and unlikely of war heroes, searching the streets after the bombs fall for survivors. Then disaster strikes when Peggy’s parents are killed, leaving her and Beau alone, hundreds of miles apart. But Beau has a plan to reunite them…”
In a similar vein to When the Sky Falls, although it took me about a year to get round to reading it, once I started, reading this booked I devoured it and it stayed with me. In fact I bought a copy for my daughter’s class library for Christmas this year.
Based on a mixture of true stories, this is a book about friendship, bravery and war and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Click here to buy Until the Road Ends
The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
“A deeply moving and unforgettable portrait of an ordinary and yet an extraordinary teenage girl.
First published over sixty years ago, Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl has reached millions of young people throughout the world.
In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years Anne vividly describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such close quarters, and her thoughts, feelings and longings as she grows up. Her diary ends abruptly when, in August 1944, they were all betrayed.“
Despite being a popular and well-known classic, the diary of Anne Frank isn’t actually a book I have read myself but it is currently sitting on my children’s reading wish list!
Click here to buy The Diary of a Young Girl
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne
“Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us.
Nine year old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.
He’s oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.
All he knows is that he has moved from Berlin to a desolate area where he has no one to play with.
Until he meets Shmuel.
Shmuel lives in a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence, where everyone wears a uniform of striped pyjamas.
Despite the wire fence separating them, the two boys become best friends.
As they grow closer, Bruno starts to learn the terrible truth that lies beyond the fence, and what life is like for his friend.
John Boyne’s classic novel explores the friendship and loss of innocence of Bruno and Shmuel, during one of the worst points in history.“
Although the publisher recommendation for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is age 12+, both Chloe and Ben have read it in Year 6 as part of their English lessons. Bear in mind the subject matter is emotional!
Click here to buy The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (You can also watch the film here)
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr
“This semi-autobiographical classic, written by the beloved Judith Kerr, tells the story of a Jewish family escaping Germany in the days before the Second World War.
Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in it any longer, and you found, to your surprise, that your own father was one of those people. This is what happened to Anna in 1933.
Anna is too busy with her schoolwork and tobogganing to listen to the talk of Hitler. But one day she and her brother Max are rushed out of Germany in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know. Their father is wanted by the Nazis. This is the start of a huge adventure, sometimes frightening, very often funny and always exciting.
Judith Kerr wrote When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit fifty years ago, based on her own journey, so that her own children would know where she came from and the lengths to which her parents went to keep her and her brother safe. It has gone on to become a beloved classic that is required reading for many children all over the world and is an unforgettable introduction to the real-life impact of the Second World War.”
Click here to buy When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – there are also two books within this series: Bombs on Aunty Dainty and A Small Person Far Away. There is a BBC 4 Radio dramatisation of the series available too.
Rose Blanche – Ian McEwan
“Rose Blanche was the name of a group of young German citizens who, at their peril, protested against the war. Like them, Rose observes all the changes going on around her which others choose to ignore. She watches as the streets of her small German town fill with soldiers. One day she sees a little boy escaping from the back of a truck, only to be captured by the mayor and shoved back into it. Rose follows the truck to a desolate place out of town, where she discovers many other children, staring hungrily from behind an electric barbed wire fence. She starts bringing the children food, instinctively sensing the need for secrecy, even with her mother. Until the tide of the war turns and soldiers in different uniforms stream in from the East, and Rose and the imprisoned children disappear for ever . . .“
Although this book is a picture booked aimed at 5 – 7 year olds, Chloe’s teacher used it in their Year 6 English lessons as a stimulus for writing during the autumn term so there is clearly plenty to discuss! Chloe was coming out of school every day telling me about what had happened in the story, what she thought might happen next and about the writing she was doing around the book.
Click here to buy Rose Blanche
While the Storm Rages – Phil Earle
“September 1939. The world is on the brink of war. As his dad marches off to fight, Noah makes him a promise, to keep their beloved family dog safe. When the government advises people to have their pets put down in readiness for the chaos of war, Noah and his two best friends go on the run to save his dog and as many animals as they can…”
Of the three of Phil Earle’s historical animal stories, this is probably my least favourite but by no means is that a negative, I just happened to really love the other two!
Click here to buy While the Storm Rages
Carrie’s War – Nina Bawden
“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?“
Carrie’s War is said to be a modern classic – one I have only read part of myself. This is a downside of supply teaching, dipping into classrooms, reading parts of a book and then moving on before it’s finished!
Click here to buy Carrie’s War
Wave Me Goodbye – Jaqueline Wilson
“September, 1939: At the breakout of the Second World War , ten-year-old Shirley is sent away on a train. She doesn’t know where she’s going, or what’s going to happen to her when she gets there. All she has been told is that she’s going on ‘a little holiday’.
She soon finds herself lodged deep in the countryside, with two boys from the East End of London, Kevin. But here, living in the strange, half-empty Red House with the mysterious and reclusive Mrs Waverley, the children’s lives will be changed for ever.
This award-winning, bestselling and beloved Jacqueline Wilson tells the fascinating, moving story of a girl sent away from home as an evacuee during the Second World War.“
Click here to buy Wave Me Goodbye
The Blitz Bus – Glen Blackwell
“When Jack and Emmie suddenly find themselves transported back to London in 1940, they find a world both familiar, yet very different. As they dodge falling bombs and over-zealous policemen, they befriend Jan – a lonely Polish refugee. Together, they must work out if the shadowy figure they keep seeing is a spy and unlock the secret of getting home again…“
Published in August 2021, The Blitz Bus is an educational story which helps to weave current views and historical events together in an exciting adventure.
Click here to buy The Blitz Bus
The Lion Above the Door – Onjali Q. Rauf
Leo and his best friend Sangeeta are the odd ones out in their school. But as Leo’s dad is always telling him, it’s because they’re special. Only thing is, if they’re so special, how come they never see anyone who looks like them in their school history books?
Then, on a class trip to a nearby cathedral, Leo’s attention is drawn to a large marble slab high above the doors of the hall. Right there, bang in the middle of a list of war heroes, Leo finds himself staring at something incredible: his own name.
Desperate to know who this other Leo was, the two friends embark on a search. And together, they begin to uncover missing stories from the past, ones which they are determined to put back into their rightful place in the pages of history.
Touching on themes of historical racism, The Lion Above the Door shines a light on the stories our history books have yet to contain and the power of friendships that can last through generations.
Now, whilst this book isn’t actually set during World War 2, I think there are some really important issues raised in this book for example historical racism, feminism, the importance of representation and bullying.
Click here to buy The Lion Above The Door
Letters from the Lighthouse – Emma Carroll
“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.”
A follower recommended I added this book to the list – so here it is! I’ve not read it myself yet but it’s sitting on my amazon wish list for my next book splurge!
Click here to buy Letters from the Lighthouse
The Machine Gunners – Robert Westall
“Chas McGill has the second-best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth, and he desperately wants it to be the best. When he stumbles across the remains of a German bomber crashed in the woods – its shiny, black machine-gun still intact – he grabs his chance. Soon he’s masterminding his own war effort with dangerous and unexpected results . . .“
The Machine Gunners was published in 1975 and has been added to this list after a friend remembered reading it at school herself. You can find an abridged audio version of The Machine Gunners on BBC Teach.
Click here to buy The Machine Gunners
Hitler’s Canary – Sandi Toksvig
“Ten-year-old Bamse Skovlund and his best friend Anton have been ordered to stay out of trouble.
It soon becomes clear that trouble isn’t just going to pass any of them by.
Jewish Danes are subject to appalling treatment by the German occupiers, and every day are at risk of being taken away to concentration camps in mainland Europe.
The Skovlund family are determined to fight against Nazi occupation. And if this means participating in one of history’s most dramatic rescue missions, then it’s time to take a stand.”
Hitler’s Canary is based on real-life event experienced by Sandi Toksvig’s family during the Nazi occupation of Denmark.
Click here to buy Hitler’s Canary
Number the Stars – Lois Lowry
Number the Stars is a powerful story set in Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943 and one which is currently sitting on my amazon wishlist! Number the Stars tells of ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen who is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best-friend, Ellen – a Jew.
“It is 1943 and for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen life is still fun – school, family, sharing fairy stories with her little sister. But there are dangers and worries too – the Nazis have occupied Copenhagen and there are food shortages, curfews and the constant threat of being stopped by soldiers. And for Annemarie the dangers become even greater… her best-friend Ellen is a Jew. When Ellen’s parents are taken away to be ‘relocated’ by the Nazis, Ellen is taken in by Annemarie’s parents and suddenly Annemarie’s family are under threat too.
Annemarie has to call upon all her resources for courage and bravery as she helps her friend make a daring escape.”
Click here to buy Number the Stars
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
This book comes under the “TikTok made me buy it” listing on Amazon, is a “Teacher’s Pick” and is currently the next book set during World War 2 that I plan to read! So often I think the books we read are set in England during the war, so books which are set in Nazi Germany like this give a fascinating alternative viewpoint.
“HERE IS A SMALL FACT – YOU ARE GOING TO DIE
1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION – THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH“
Click here to buy The Book Thief
The Silver Sword – Ian Serraillier
This is another World War 2 book which comes recommended as a “Teacher’s Pick” on Amazon, it’s one which I’ve seen in classrooms but have yet to pick up and read myself.
“This is a story of many different things.
Of a terrible war and an occupied land
Of the Balicki children who are determined to survive
Of a dangerous journey from war-torn Poland to Switzerland
Of a paper knife that gives them the courage to carry on when nearly all hope is lost.”
What about films set during World War 2 for children?
Most of the books I’ve mentioned above have a film adaptation – Goodnight Mister Tom which I highly recommend, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – I haven’t watched this myself but believe it to be quite intense from reviews I’ve read and common sense media suggests age 14+ so perhaps one to watch yourself first before deciding whether to share with your child. Whilst there is no film version of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, there is a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation. The Carrie’s War BBC adaptation is rated a PG.
There’s a whole array of films and documentaries about Anne Frank – I haven’t watched any of them so can’t make specific recommendations but do leave me a comment below if you can help with that!
For older children, I also recommend the film Jojo Rabbit– this has an age rating of 12 (common sense media suggests age 13+) but we did watch with Ben when he was 11. He was more than able to understand that satire but it put across a different point of view to one which he might have read or seen before.
These books I have suggested in this list offer a range of perspectives on World War 2, from first-hand accounts to fictional stories set during the time period. As I mentioned at the start of this post, World War 2 is not a happy subject matter and the themes can be upsetting however, there are positive threads too. These books can help children understand the impact of war on individuals and society, and can also serve as a starting point for discussions on topics such as courage, resilience, and the importance of human connection.
If you think I’ve missed a great book off the list, let me know and I’ll add it in!
Why not have a read of these posts next:
Please just read with your child
Things to teach your child now to help them to be ready for secondary school
If you have enjoyed this post and found it helpful, here are a few ways you can say thanks and support We’re going on an adventure:
Click here to buy me a virtual coffee – it’s like a little tip jar but with caffeine!
Click here to leave We’re going on an adventure a Google Review
Share this post with your friends – you’ll be helping me and them!
Follow We’re going on an adventure on Facebook or Instagram
