Favorite WWII Books : Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week was a freebie week so I decided to do my Favorite WWII Books. Mostly because tomorrow January 27th was the day Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated, it is also International Holocaust Remembrance Day. You can read more about this at http://www.ushmm.org/ . I know a lot of people don't feel comfortable talking about, which is why I feel like we should really talk about it and make sure that we prevent this from happening and stop it from happening today.

Now before I go on about this subject forever lets get to my favorite WWII books. 

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 

This is a story about a young Lithuania girl who is forced to go and work in a camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Where they are forced to dig for beets and fight for their lives while under Stalin's Rule. 

This is a movie that is being filmed right now and you can see updates on Sepetys twitter. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 

This is a story about a young British female who is a spy and gets caught by German soldiers and held as a prisoner and forced to give information in order to get her freedom. 

This one also has a companion novel that follows a British female pilot.

Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene

This a story about a twelve year old girl who's small town gets a prisoner of war camp placed next to it. She meets a runaway prisoner who she befriends and get to know. The only problem is that she is Jewish and he is German and have very different views on things. 

I recently found out that this has a second book that goes with it so I'm going to have to check that out. 

Playing for the Commandant by Suzy Zail

When Hanna and her family are taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau they are separated. With her mother slowly losing her mind and a sister trying to hold them together. Hanna must a find a way to help them get more food in order to survive. She does this by using her piano skills to get into the commandants house where she learns she take food as long as he is not home and his son is not around. If you aren't comfortable with a German and Jew falling for each-other then please don't read this book. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne 

Bruno is a German Officers son, he has no idea why they must move so far away to a place where no one children live. Until he finds lots of children the only problem is they are surrounded by a fence which he can not get into. Slowly he befriends one of these children and they play as best as they can. Until its no longer fun and Bruno is starting to realize something bad is happening.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

This is a daring biography story written by Ten Boom showing how their lives suddenly changed and how they saved several lives during the war. All while still repairing German watches and sticking to how they had always done things.

I loved this book and movie and would really recommend it if you want to see a different side to hiding families during the War. 

One Eye Laughing the Other Weeping by Barry Denenberg

This a two part story that shows Julie Weiss life in Nazi Germany and eventually how she ended up being sent away to America to live with extended family that she had never met before and how she dealt with all of this. 

This was the first book I ever read about WWII and it is still one of my favorites.

The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

In 1942 Anne and her family were forced to go into hiding when her sister was called to go to a labor camp. For the next several years they will live here with another family and a dentist. Anne changes so much throughout this time and really shows the true compassion someone can have towards others even when they are being persecuted by them.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

When journalist Julia Jarmond is told to write an article on the Vel' d'Hiv roundup she not only learns about the bleak days in France's history but how it affected her family and where they now live. 

This was a truly heartbreaking story, but one I would like to re-read because I feel like I've already forgotten so much of it. 

Number the Stars by Louis Lowry

In 1943 Denmark, Annemaries life is filled with food shortages, and the Nazi's marching the streets. When Denmark's Jews are "relocated" Annemarie's best friend moves in with them and she must do everything she can to keep her safe.

I haven't even begun to cover some of the best books about this time in history. For this I tried to choose books that have stuck with me the most or had the most impact on me, while also making sure I choose ones for every age group. 

If you want to see a Goodreads list of Well Written Holocaust books click here. I have so many more on this list that I need to read and I hope to read several of them this year.