Children's Books About World War II

             This School Library Journal feature provides a curated list of books on World War II covering under-explored events, figures, regions, and angles: 

Picture books: 

• Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Agnes Keleti by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitsky, illustrated by Martina Peluso, grade 1-3
• Violin of Hope by Ella Schwartz, illustrated by Juliana Oakley, grade 2-4 

Middle grades:

• Scattergood by H.M. Bouwman, grade 4-7
• Fighter in the Woods: The True Story of a Jewish Girl Who Joined the Partisans in World War II by Joshua Greene, grade 3-7
• When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman, grade 3-7
• Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood, grade 4-8
• At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly, grade 4-8
• Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, grade 5 and up
• The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri, grade 3-7
• The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, grade 6-10
• Wolves at the Door by Steve Watkins, grade 5 and up 

Young adult: 

• The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of the Choice by Edith Eva Eger, grade 8 and up
• The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming, grade 8 and up
• Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros, grade 9 and up 

Graphic novels:

• Pearl by Sherri Smith, illustrated by Christine Norrie, grade 7 and up 
• Song of a Blackbird by Maria Van Lieshout, grade 10 and up 

“Life During Wartime: A Curated List of Untold World War II Stories” in School Library Journal, June 2025 (Vol. 71, #6, pp. 42-45)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1092 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.