World War II is one of the most written about events in history, including hundreds of new books each year about different aspects of the war. It involved so many countries and was fought on so many different fronts that there are still countless untold stories left to discover.
There are so many kids books about the war that I thought it’d be helpful to break down some of my family’s favorites. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but hopefully it will give you a good start on explaining this difficult war to your kids, especially surrounding the horrific Holocaust. I’ll keep adding books to this list when I come across new favorites.
Check out my reviews to pair these books with a visit to some of the most well-known WWII historical sites, including the National WWII Museum, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Pearl Harbor, and Normandy. Walking in the footsteps of the men, women, and children affected by the war is one of the best ways to learn!
All links are Amazon affiliate links. Check out my shop (affiliate link) on Bookshop.org for even more recommendations! You can also find recommendations for my favorite WWII books for adults there as well.
Classics
Anne Frank is known to everyone thanks to her diary that she left behind after being taken by the Nazis to a concentration camp where she, her mother, and her sister would die. Everyone who reads it is struck by its wistfulness and her longing to be a normal teenager even while hidden in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Knowing her cruel fate makes the book even more poignant. There are several adaptations to read, including a graphic novel, and several related books for teens. If you’re ever in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House tour is one of the must-sees!
- The Diary of a Young Girl
- Anne Frank’s Tales from the Secret Annex: A Collection of Her Short Stories, Fables, and Lesser-Known Writings
- Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
- Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
- Annexed
- Who Was Anne Frank?
- A Picture Book of Anne Frank
For older teens, Night by Elie Wiesel is a must-read. I read it a LONG time ago in high school but remember its impact on me.
Younger Elementary Books
Fiction:
Top Pick: World at War, 1944 (Magic Tree House Super Edition) by Mary Pope Osborne
- Attack on Pearl Harbor (Ranger in Time)
- G.I. Dogs: Judy, Prisoner of War (G.I. Dogs #1)
- Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust
- Benno and the Night of Broken Glass
Nonfiction:
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Secret Agent During World War II!
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a World War II Pilot!
Middle Grade Books
Fiction:
Top Picks: Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen and A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
- Soldier Dogs 4-Book Box Set
- I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (I Survived #9)
- Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves
- Resistance
- The War That Saved My Life
- The War I Finally Won
- Snow Treasure
- Number the Stars
- Nothing Else But Miracles
Nonfiction:
- World War II: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: World at War, 1944
- World War II: An Interactive History Adventure (You Choose: History)
- World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
- World War II: Visual Encyclopedia
- What Was Pearl Harbor?
- Raid of No Return (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7): A World War II Tale of the Doolittle Raid
- Lost in the Pacific, 1942
- Battle of the Bulge [The Young Readers Adaptation]
- Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship”
- What Was the Holocaust?
- Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps
- Hana’s Suitcase: The Quest to Solve a Holocaust Mystery
YA Books (Middle School/High School)
Fiction:
Top Pick: The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron
- Prisoner B-3087
- Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II
- Grenade
- Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor
- Salt to the Sea
- The Book Thief
- Girl in the Blue Coat
- White Bird: A Wonder Story (A Graphic Novel)
- The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival
Nonfiction:
- Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive
- Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
- Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian’s Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
- All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor’s Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor
- Three Ordinary Girls: The Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins–and WWII Heroes
D-Day books:
The one battle that seems to be written about the most is D-Day. These are our family’s favorite books, perfect to pair with a visit to Normandy or the National D-Day Memorial in Virginia.
Fiction:
Top Pick: I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis
Nonfiction:
- Remember D-Day: The Plan, the Invasion, Survivor Stories
- What Was D-Day?
- D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944 [The Young Readers Adaptation]
- Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to books written about World War II for kids and teens. What is your favorite book? Let me know so I can add it to the list! Keep checking back for more books to be added!
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