These books are listed by grade level. Please check back often for new listings.

All Students

Gr 2 - Adult (8 and up)
SIS, Peter. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. illus. by Peter Sis. 56 pp. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Tr. $18.00. ISBN 9780374347017.

• A memoir that tells of the struggles of growing up in the Cold War era of Communist Czechoslovakia. Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country.

Elementary School

Grades 1-3 (6 to 10 years)
OKIMOTO, Jean Davies. Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming. illus. by Jeremiah Trammell. unpaged. Sasquatch. 2007. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-57061-543-6. LC 2007931109.

• Polar bear Winston lives in the town of Churchill, Manitoba, and is worried about the ice cap melting. He shares the book he has written about global warming with his fellow bears, who realize that they need people to help them save their habitat. Brave and fearless Winston mobilizes the others to march with picket signs in front of the tourists who have come to look at them. Sprinkled with quotes from Sir Winston Churchill, this book attempts to raise awareness of the effects of climate change. The quotes will be lost on children, and the cigar-chomping, glasses-wearing bear will not ring bells with most of them. However, the message is important, the book-within-a-book allows the author handily to present factual information, and the picket signs provide memorable visual bites: "Turn down the furnace"; "Make less garbage." Trammell's delicate illustrations are charming and friendly. This picture book should spark discussions among young readers. -- Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

Grades 1-5 (7 years and up)
DAYNES, Katie. Winston Churchill. 64 pp. Usbourne Publishing. 2006. Tr $8.99. ISBN 0794512585.

• Even as a child, Churchill was strong-willed and defiant. His appetite for adventure and success took him from the frontline of battle to the forefront of politics. But his finest hour didn't come until his sixties, when he led his country in the fight against Nazi Germany. This book is part of the Usborne Famous Lives series that retells the stories of famous people. Check out the website www.MegansUsborneBooks.com for other books in the series.

Grades 3-6 (9-12 years)
BROOK, Henry. D-Day. 160 pages. Usborne Books. 2008. Tr. $4.99. ISBN 978079451840.

• "In a move that amazed the world, the Allied nations shipped an army across the English Channel and stormed into Nazi-occupied Europe. Millions of people were caught up in the struggle for the Normandy beaches, but victory or defeat came down to the bravery of individuals. From tank commanders to paratroopers, commando raiders to French Resistance fighters, they all have D-Day stories to tell." - taken from back cover

Grades 3-6 (9-12 years)
DOWSWELL, Paul. True Stories of the First World War. 137 pages. Usborne Books. 2007. $4.99. ISBN 9780794519797.

• Provides insight into key events during World War One. The book contains true stories of courage, heroism, and disaster.

Grades 3-6 (9-12 years)
DOWSWELL, Paul. True Stories of the Second World War. 169 pages. Usborne Books. 2007. $4.99. ISBN 9780794518417.

• "Recounting the stories of some of the most heroic, devastating and pivotal moments of World War II, this book gives young readers a strong sense of the suffering, but also the bravery involved in the war. It also gives an understanding of the experiences which may have affected their grandparents. From the voyage of the Bismarck and the Battle of Iwo Jima to Cracking Enigma, the story of Violette Szabo, the Manhattan Project and attacks on Japan, this book provies an unpatronizing and approachable insight into this conflict (www.amazon.com)."

Grades 3-6 (9-12 years)
BROOK, Henry. True Stories of The Blitz. 160 pages. Usborne Books. 2006. $4.99. ISBN 9780746070017.

• "In 1940, the German air force launched the biggest bombing raid the world had ever seen - first on London and later on towns and cities all over Britain. These thrilling tales tell how people survived their country's finest and darkest hour. From firefighters and fighter pilots, to children sent away as evacuees, each one tells an unforgettable story of their time in the Blitz." - taken from back cover

Grades 4-6 (10-12 years)
ADAMS, Simon. Winston Churchill: From Army Officer to World Leader. 112 pages. Franklin Watts. 2003. ISBN 9780749646929.

• In 1900 Winston Churchill was a young army officer. By 1945 his leadership had helped the world defeat the Nazis. How did this happen? Twentieth-Century History Makers examines the lives of some of the most famous and infamous personalities of the last 100 years and assesses the impact each had on the world in which we live today.

Middle School

MACDONALD, Fiona. Winston Churchill (Trailblazers of the Modern World Series). 48 pp. Gareth Stevens Publishing. 2003. Tr. $30.60. ISBN 9780836850826.

• "A fascinating peek into British society, the army, and Parliament during the lifetime of this statesman, soldier, and Nobel Prize winner. The fact that as a young man Churchill was conceited, usually in debt, and had problems in school will appeal to reluctant readers who dread reading biographies. The short chapters will add to the book's popularity with report writers. Many black-and-white photographs appear throughout this visually appealing book. Students wanting to learn more about Churchill will appreciate the books and Internet sites listed at the end. Suitable as a first purchase or a companion piece to Leon Ashworth's Winston Churchill (Cherrytree, 2002)." -Kathleen A. Nester, Downingtown High Ninth Grade Center, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

BENEDICT, Margaret. An American Entrepreneur: Mr. Joyce Clyde Hall - Founder of Hallmark Cards Inc. 64pp. AuthorHouse. 2008. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-4389-0572-3.

• This book is based on the life of Mr. Joyce Clyde Hall, Founder of Hallmark Cards, Inc. It will appeal to young readers, teachers and librarians. Benedict wrote this book to not only describe Mr. Hall's life, but to teach middle school students the vocabulary of economics.
• It is an all-inclusive collection of: the biography, the student manual, and suggestions to the classroom teacher. The book also describes Mr. Hall's relationship with Winston Churchill.

High School

Grades 9-12 (14 and up)
PROVOST BELLER, Susan. Battling in the Pacific: Soldiering in World War II. 112 pp. Twenty-First Century Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group. 2007. Tr $33.26. ISBN 9780822563815.

• Experience the terrors and triumphs of World War II battles through the eyes of soldiers on the front. Quotations, illustrations, statistics, and sidebars enhance to vivid text. Map of Major Battles of World War II Pacific Theater 1941-1945, Chronology of World War II in the Pacific, Source Notes, Selected Bibliography, Further Information and Websites, Index.

Gr 9 and up; Adult
LEE, Celia and John. The Churchills A Family Portrait. 272 pages. Palgrave Macmillan. 2010. Tr $28.00. ISBN 9780230618107.

• Click here for a Q&A with the authors. Written partly to remind the world of the existence of Sir Winston Churchill's younger brother, Jack, and partly to clear away the myths shrouding the family's history, the narrative describes the impact of the boys' politician-father, Lord Randolph Churchill, and their mother, the beautiful and self-centered American-born Jennie Jerome Churchill, on Britain's society, politics and legacy. While Winston and Jack's parents were often unable to see beyond their own needs and ambitions, the boys absorbed a strong sense of family duty. The death of Lord Randolph Churchill, Jennie's multiple affairs and massive debts, the service of Winston and Jack in the Boer War and WWI, and Winston's rise to power in WWII provide a sometimes repetitive tale but one worthy of classical drama. Photos. Index, Source Notes.