The Boy and the Spy by
A thrilling wartime story. Life has never been easy for Antonio, but since the war began, there are German soldiers on every corner, fearsome gangsters and the fascist police battle each other in the town, and no one ever has enough to eat. But when Antonio decides to trust a man who has literally fallen from the sky, he leaps into the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure that will change his life and maybe even the future of Sicily.
SS-GB by
In February 1941, British Command surrendered to the Nazis. Churchill has been executed, the King is in the Tower and the SS are in Whitehall. For nine months Britain has been occupied, a blitzed, depressed and dingy country. However, it's business as usual at Scotland Yard, run by the SS, when Detective Inspector Archer is assigned to a routine murder case. Life must go on. But when SS Standartenfuhrer Huth arrives from Berlin with orders from Himmler himself to supervise the investigation, the resourceful Archer finds himself caught up in a high-level, all-action espionage battle.
While the Storm Rages by
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, hundreds of thousands of people do as they are told. But not Noah. He's not that sort of boy. With his two friends in tow, he goes on the run, to save his dog and as many animals as he can. No matter what.
D-Day: Lieutenant Andy Pope, Normandy 1944 by
It's 1944 when Lieutenant Andy Pope takes part in the D-Day landings, crossing the English Channel to the beaches of Normandy. Ordered to cut off the Germans' line of retreat, Andy's company comes under sustained attack until, as the only unwounded officer left, Andy finds himself in command and fighting for survival.
U-Boar Hunter: Peter Rogers, HMS Arum 1939-1945 by
Sixteen-year-old Peter Rogers is training to be a Royal Navy officer in 1939 when he hears that his father's ship has been torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. The survivors, including his father, have been captured by a German U-boat crew and treated cruelly - some of them are shot dead. In 1940 Peter joins an escort fleet in the North Atlantic where British convoys are suffering horrific losses from enemy U-boats. We share in the trials and tribulations of his duties, including the constant tension, the bitter cold, mountainous seas - and the moment when he and his father's captor come face to face.
The Book Thief by
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found, but these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.
Amazing World War II Stories by
In times of war, soldiers on the front lines must show their bravery. But acts of courage by some people aren't known until years after the fighting ends. From flying bombing missions in the dead of night, to tricking the enemy with fake encampments and unbreakable codes, to surviving horrific treatment by the enemy through sheer force of will, these incredible true tales will show how courage in war is often displayed by history's unsung heroes.
Traitor by
Poland, 1944. After the Soviet liberation of Lw??w from Germany, the city remains a battleground between resistance fighters and insurgent armies, its loyalties torn between Poland and Ukraine. Seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko is half Ukrainian, half Polish, and he joined the Soviet Red Army to keep himself alive and fed. When he not-quite-accidentally shoots his unit's political officer in the street, he's rescued by a squad of Ukrainian freedom fighters. They might have saved him, but Tolya doesn't trust them. He especially doesn't trust Solovey, the squad's war-scarred young leader, who has plenty of secrets of his own. Then a betrayal sends them both on the run. And in a city where loyalty comes second to self-preservation, a traitor can be an enemy or a savior -- or sometimes both.
Kokoda by
In his diary, Archie records his own battles at home, against the local bully Beefy; how Townsville copes as it becomes a base for the Pacific campaign; and the Australian east coast reels under Japanese bombs. Archie's two brothers are fighting in the battlefield of World War II. There is nothing between Australia and a Japanese invasion except a small band of brave soldiers, fighting rain, mud, malaria and machine guns.
The Last Hawk by
Nazi Germany is a dangerous place for a girl with a stutter, but when Ingrid soars through the skies in her beloved glider planes, she feels safe and free. It's like a dream come true when her hero, daring test pilot Hanna Reitsch, invites Ingrid on a propaganda tour. But through her work with Hanna, Ingrid learns some dangerous truths about the Nazi regime and a shocking secret mission that could change the course of war. When everything is at stake, Ingird must decide where he loyalties lie.
Tulips for Breakfast by
Set in Amsterdam during the Second World War, from the arrival of the German army to liberation. For much of this time, Adelena lives in hiding in the home of her music teacher. Her Jewish parents, who fled pre-war Germany with Adelena, have left her in the care of someone else in the belief their only child's chances of survival are greatest if she can remain in hiding for as long as it takes to be free again. Adelena feels abandoned but finds a way to adjust, her heart warmed by memories.
The Good Son: a Story from the First World War, Told in Miniature by
It is Christmastime, 1914, and World War I rages. A young French soldier named Pierre had quietly left his regiment to visit his family for two days, and when he returned, he was imprisoned. Now he faces execution for desertion, and as he waits in isolation, he meditates on big questions: the nature of patriotism, the horrors of war, the joys of friendship, the love of family, and how even in times of danger, there is a whole world inside every one of us. And how sometimes that world is the only refuge. Its publication coinciding with the centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, this moving and sparely narrated story, based on true events, is reenacted in fascinating miniature scenes that convey the emotional complexity of the tale. Notes from the creators explore the innovative process and their personal connection to the story.
Rachel's War by
Growing up on a farm in country Victoria, all Rachel wants is to help people. When war comes, she travels to distant Europe and the Middle East, working tirelessly to care for wounded and sick soldiers from the battlefields of Gallipoli and the Western Front. Inspired by the life of Rachel Pratt, a World War I Australian army nurse who was awarded the Military Medal for bravery, this is an incredible story of bravery and sacrifice.
Alfred's War by
Alfred was just a young man when he was injured and shipped home from France. Never honoured as a returned soldier, Alfred took up a solitary life walking the back roads - billy tied to his swag, finding work where he could. Alfred was a forgotten soldier. Although he had fought bravely in the Great War, as an Aboriginal man he wasn't classed as a citizen of his own country. Yet Alfred always remembered his friends in the trenches and the mateship they had shared. Every year on ANZAC Day, Alfred walked to the nearest town and quietly stood behind and paid homage to his fallen mates. Rachel Bin Salleh's poignant narrative opens our hearts to the sacrifice and contribution that Indigenous people have made to Australia's war efforts.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by
Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a desolate place called "Out-With" in 1942, nine-year-old Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends Shmuel, a boy in striped pyjamas who lives behind a wire fence.
Desert Danger: Tim Jackson, North Africa WWII by
The story of Tim Jackson, who fought in North Africa during the Second World War. He tells of a mine-clearing operation which results in one of his colleagues being severely injured after handling a mine incorrectly.
Heroes of the Secret Underground by
A timely and powerful time-slip story inspired by the author's family in Budapest during the Holocaust. Louie lives with her brothers, Bert and Teddy, in a hotel run by their grandparents. It is one of Sydney's grand old buildings, rich in history ... and in secrets. When a rose-gold locket, once thought lost, is uncovered, it sends Louie and her brothers spinning back in time. Back to a world at war: Budapest in the winter of 1944, where their grandparents are hiding secrets of their own.
D-Day Dog by
Jack can't wait for the school trip to the D-Day landing beaches. It's his chance to learn more about the war heroes he has always admired - brave men like his dad, who is a reserve soldier. But when his dad is called up to action and things at home spiral out of control, everything Jack believes about war is thrown into question. Finding comfort only in the presence of his loyal dog, Finn, Jack is drawn to the heart-wrenching true story of one particular D-Day paratrooper. On 6 June 1944, Emile Corteil parachuted into France with his dog, Glen - and Jack is determined to discover their fate ...
War Nurse: the diary of Kitty Langley, 1939-1940 by
As a nurse working in the military hospitals in the south of England, Kitty sees at close hand the effects of war--notably the casualties of Dunkirk. The diary details the historical events and describes the day to day life of a young VAD in a military hospital in WWII. It's also a story about growing up. A girl transposed from a comfortable protected existence into the harsher world of a wartime hospital begins to learn a bit about life and relationships.
The Bombing of Darwin: the diary of Tom Taylor 1942 by
'More bombs exploded and within seconds several ships were on fire. Japanese planes flew so close to me that I could not only see the red circles painted under their wings, but I could see the pilots' faces.' It only took a moment. It was a moment that Tom would always remember--that morning of 19 February 1942, when everything changed changed from peace to war.
The Dog with Seven Names by
A tiny dog, the runt of the litter, is born on a remote cattle station. She shouldn't have survived, but when Elsie finds, names and loves her, the pup becomes a cherished companion. Life is perfect, until War arrives. With Japanese air raids moving closer, Elsie's family leaves the Pilbara for the south and safety. But the small dog has to stay behind. After travelling far from home with drovers and a flying doctor, she becomes a hospital dog and experiences the impact of war on north-western Australia. She witnesses wonderful and terrible things and gives courage to many different humans. But through all her adventures and many names, the little dog remembers Elsie, who girl who loved her best of all. Will she ever find her again?
