Over the month of April I have read some brilliant books about wartime and been taken on journeys from the wild south coast of England to the towering cliffs at Gallipoli. Here are a couple..
This moving picture book and a Jackie French historical fiction told in detailed, moving, gripping action both describe the events surrounding the disastrous strategies at Gallipoli and the quiet withdrawal of ANZAC soldiers from this battleground. Very readable both.
This starts off in 70’s Australia and a teen boy is desperately trying to escape the floodwaters of their nearby river. An unlikely hero appears in the face of Jean McLain, the elderly postal delivery lady, and during their damp wait above the waterline, Arjun hears the legendary story of her role as a signaller during World War 1. Tales like these need to be told. Jean is an example of the hundreds of postal workers who ended up on the front lines sending and decoding signals, enabling decisions to be made and strategies to be carried out, potentially saving the lives of thousands of men and changing the outcome of the war. These people, many of them women, were not army veterans after the war because they were always employed by the post office. They received no army pension, or promotions, and received no hero’s welcome on their return, if they returned. A fantastic tale of grit and determination.
During the second world war, people who originated from enemy states were treated as potential threats and incarcerated, and this happened all over the world. Here in Wellington, people of Italian and German origin spent the war at Matiu, Somes Island, and there is information about this when you climb up to the visitor centre on the island.
In this book, Our Castle by the Sea, Petra lives on the south coast of England and her father is a lighthouse keeper. She is excited by the familiar drone of warplanes flying over and is determined not to be evacuated to safety. Unfortunately, this is not the only excitement that wartime brings, and suddenly her world is turned upside down when her German mother is uncovered as a traitor and taken away. Petra cannot believe what her mother has confessed to and seeks out the truth for herself. Not ANZAC but an exciting wartime adventure that will have you weeping by the end!
Finally, The Anzac Violin is a true story of the violin that Alexander Aitken, a Southland Boys High School student, took to war with him and entertained many fellow soldiers during incredibly difficult times. Read more about Alexander’s story here on this Walking with an Anzac official website. This is a gorgeous picture book that many children have enjoyed during ANZAC memorial time.
Koro’s Star is next on the to-read list! Look out for it in the library soon!
We will always remember them.
Seatoun School Library Blog 