A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

WW2

When Twilight Breaks

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (When Twilight Breaks) through Nuts About Books. 

I have developed a love of reading about WW2 from a variety of perspectives.  The perspectives of Americans living in Germany just as WW2 was breaking out was the focus of this tome by Sarah Sundin.  When Twilight Breaks is a light read, but introduces the reader to key facts about WW2 history. 

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When Twilight Breaks

About When Twilight Breaks

Sarah Sundin tells the story of American correspondent Evelyn Brand and graduate student Peter Lang in When Twilight Breaks.  Over 384 pages, Ms. Sundin brings us back to Munich, in 1938.  Germany is joining with Austria, running the communists out, and has just started persecuting the Jews.   Feeling about Germany were very mixed, and we are transported into those seething emotions of the time.    In When Twilight Breaks you not only read the history of these early war years, but also get to watch a romance unfold. 

Sarah Sundin has written several books about WW2.  This is the first of her books that I have read.  This particular book has been published by Revell which is a division of Baker Publishing Group.  A historical romance, this book is geared toward adult readers, though I could see teens enjoying it as well.  

This is by no means a difficult book to read.  The style is interesting and the characters are real.  I appreciated how determined Evelyn was to get to the story behind what she heard.  Such a determined lady, yet, with a heart to consider the people behind the stories she was after.  Even though there is romance there is nothing to be alarmed about, it’s actually mostly just sweet.  

I love when historical romance fiction does not make the romance central to the whole story.  Evelyn and Peter have their ups and downs, but it’s the story behind it all that is most important. It makes for a much better read when the story is most important. 

Should you get it?

When Twilight Breaks is written from a lite Christian perspective.  Even though faith wasn’t a huge part of this read, their growth in their Christian beliefs was evident. Peter learned to forgive, Evelyn learned that dependence on God was a good thing.  Faith inspired good action.   

Part of me was a bit hung up on Peter’s adoration of Evelyn from the get go.  It’s like… he loved her before he even knew her and I don’t like that message being portrayed.  

I did like the story itself, the learning more of the thoughts and feelings in this pre-war time, of the danger people people were in for simply expressing an opinion.  Sometimes, we don’t really understand when we think of WW2. I know I tend to think.. Germany bad, killed Jews, and that’s the end of it.  But really there’s so much more to it. And the perspective of When Twilight Breaks gave me a deeper understanding.  For that it’s well worth reading. 

Chance – Escape from the Holocaust

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raincoast FTC

My son did a year long study of World War 2 last year, he learned so much.  Throughout that year, and continuing, we’ve been reading WW2 books together.  I was delighted to see Chance: Escape from the Holocaust.  What a quietly done memorial of a horrible time in Uri Shulevitz’s life.  Difficult questions, difficult time he lived through, this book done in picture and word.   A thoughtful look back. 

Affiliate links will be used in this review. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust review

The Basic Details

I received these Memories of a Refugee childhood from Raincoast Books for my review.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, written by Uri Shulevitz is a picture and prose book published by Farrar Straus Giroux.  

It’s a heavy book, written from the perspective of a child, covering 8 years of his life as a Polish refugee living in Russia and various European countries. 

Written by Uri Shulevitz who is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author.  These are his memories.   This book is written for children 8-14 years old.  The language and style suits this age group well. 

Learning more about Chance

Uri conveys his message in a number of ways.  Photos, comic strips, prose, and illustrations are used.  Mostly we get to read, of his hunger, the struggle to survive, the difficulties his parents faced, and the encouragement to draw he received. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust

I’m not going to say it’s an easy read.  Hard things happen with refugees.  Politics get involved which can make it easier or harder for the refugees who are at the mercy of how the wind blows.  They have no permanent home and a hard time finding work.   This makes for hunger, illness, death, being taken advantage of, and more.  It’s not an easy life and Mr. Shulevitz helps his readers understand that reality. 

The artwork tended toward darkness.   This was not an easy time in Uri’s history and everything in the tale conveys the difficulty of these years.  BUT you also find moments of light and encouragement.  Moments when you can see glimpses of the artist he will become, and the constant support he received from his parents.  The love of family was evident throughout.

Should you get it?

Yes.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, opened up an area of WW2 that I had not previously studied.  I was unaware of Polish refugees fleeing to Russia and what their reception was. 

Sensitive readers might need to have their parents alongside to help them process the difficulties that Uri and his family faced.  

How to use?   Just to read and have a better knowledge base, as part of your WW2 studies, in understanding the plight of refugees, to get a better understanding of a good artist/illustrator, and to observe the growth of an artist, even in difficult times. 

Living Books for World War 2

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Over this past year, my son has been working through a study on World War 2.   We’ve engaged in a number of different ways to do so, watching movies, working through a unit study from Home School in the Woods, doing small unit studies, using timeline figures, reading a lot of living books, and doing independent research.   He has learned a lot and has thoroughly enjoyed his research.  I thought I would share some of the living books for world war 2 that he has gone through. 

Living books for World War 2

Independent Reading

“MOM!  You have got to read this series.  It’s very interesting!”  The Series on Camp x by Eric Walters consumed my lad.  For a while, every time I saw him it seemed like he was reading yet another in the series.   He spent his time learning about Camp X, a camp for Canada’s spies. 

In this series you’ll find

  • Camp X
  • Camp 30
  • Fool’s Gold
  • Shell Shocked
  • Trouble in Paradise
  • Enigma

He also read Spy Smuggler which is the story of Paul Lelaud a 13 year old French boy who wants to fights the Germans. 

How to Lose WW2 by Bill Fawcett. This book is part of the How to Lose series, and focuses on errors made during the war. 

On the Horizon is a book of poetry that looks back on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbour as well as citizens in Hiroshima.  

living books for world war 2

Reading Together

One of my joys in life is reading books together with my lad, one to two chapters either at night before bed, or just after dad leaves for work.  It’s our time which I guard jealously… my son perhaps not quite so much.  🙂   

But we’ve read some good books this past year. All of these came in as review books and I’ve linked to the reviews I did of them. 

Not a living book

My lad has also read some less “living book” style books.  I picked up a few books for doing some research.  Sometimes it’s easier to just have a book at hand than to go to a library and have to return them before you are ready.  

Spies, Lies and Disguise was an excellent book.  Providing problems, and then the solutions to problems. 

World War II by R.G.Grant.  My son said, “This was a good book, I learned a lot!” 

Canada’s Wars: An Illustrated History by Jonathan Webb was an overview book.  “It just told me a bit about the wars Canada has been part of.  I liked it!”  It was a source of inspiration for a couple of research papers. 

So there you have it.  Have you had your students delve deeply into a subject?  How did you approach it?  Did you utilize living books?  Or perhaps unit studies or hands-on studies? How does your student like to engage in in-depth study?  My son has enjoyed the mix of living books for World War 2 alongside his independent research and unit studies. 

Displacement

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raincoast FTC

Do you just love it when you get a book in that supplements what a student is studying?  Displacement is one such book. A graphic novel about the Japanese placed into internment camps during WW2.  Kiku from modern San Francisco finds herself transported back into history where she finds herself sharing her grandmother’s time in internment. 

displacement review

What I am Reviewing

First Second always does a great job with their graphic novels, and displacement is no exception.  With good images and succinct text you learn the story well without extraneous language.  Pictures that help tell the story, conveying mood, and introducing stories that some middle-schoolers would otherwise not read.   

Kiku Hughes has written an historical novel taking us back in time.

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.  ….
Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American … , Kiku …witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.

I received an advanced reader copy from Raincoast books to review. 

The Details

You’ll find simple chapter headings.  Starting with the west, and ending with home.  Not every chapter has a unique title, about every other one does.  You’ll find a circle on a mostly white page with a chapter number, without or with a title. 

You’ll find the text small, written in with a block-style text.  Despite the size of the text, I found it easy to read. Each letter written clearly and despite a similar font to the old comic books, very clean in presentation.

displacement

You’ll find ample use of white space and colour.  I loved that facial expressions portrayed a good part of the story.  You could see the hurt, fear, confusion, anger, and moments of joy expressed.  Sorrow was often shown … for lives lost, for hopes crushed, and for the feelings of abandonment by their own government. 

You’ll only get the Japanese-American side of the story, not the governments, or the fear of American society at the time. But the reader will catch a real glimpse into a time period that shaped the Japanese-American culture for years post-WW2.  

I loved how Kiku connected with her mom at the close of the book, able to talk together about the things she experienced, and discovered together more about her grandmother. 

sample page displacement

Should you Get it?

Displacement opened my eyes to a lot of the issues concerning the Japanese-American internment camps.  A scary and difficult time with really no good options for any of these American citizens unjustly imprisoned.

It is well worth getting just for the potential discussion questions.  I do recommend that parents read this book WITH their children.  A lot of issues are presented that taking the time to talk about them together would be beneficial. 

I do need that mention that there is a light female-female romance including a kiss.  I don’t understand the need to add this to the storyline, as the story would have been complete without it. It’s not even a time in history where such choices were acceptable so it didn’t really fit.  It does fit though with one of many issues to discuss. 

Review: Timeline Collection: A collection of historial timeline figures

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DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

Over the past few weeks it was been our privilege to use Timeline Collection: A Collection of Historical Timeline Figures .  Being able to use time line figures has been a great way for my son to focus on specific WW2 figures and events.  Home School in the Woods has put together an extremely useful set of figurines all in a bundle.  Let me tell you how we used them. 

Home School in the Woods Timeline Collections review

What I am Reviewing

Timeline Collection: A Collection of Historical Timeline Figures was created by Home School in the Woods.  Geared for students in grades K through 12.  The Timeline Collection is a bundle containing four sets: Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now, America’s History,

These timelines are

The Time Travelers bundle comes as zip file in which will come an embedded page which will guide you in how to download your product and in which size you want it.     You can purchase this bundle in a variety of formats and with different liscences.  Check this page for more details. 

You will receive a number of illustrations reflecting people and events from the different history periods.  These historical timeline figures are available with or without text, and an easily resized format. 

Home School in the Woods logo

How We Used the Timeline Collection

When I agreed to take on this review I mentioned that we would only be using the illustrations for World War 2 as that is what my son is currently studying for history.  As it turned out we used the illustrations from World War 1 as a bit of look back to last year.   We didn’t really use them beyond “what more do you remember about ________”

World War 1 and 2 are part of America’s history which starts at the Magna Carta and ends, 40 pages later, with the 1999 Mississippi Flood.

Treaty of Versailles image

The figures can be printed either with text or without.  They come in resizable formats so that it is SO easy to use them however you want.  You can create a wall timeline, or create a book of important people, places and events.  Another option is to make a smaller timeline with pages taped together to make a long timeline.  Combining all the options would work well too.

Home School in the Woods works hard to make it as easy for you as possible. Two CDs with all the images, labeled and organized in different ways to make them easy to find. On CD2 you’ll find the list of all the images. 

History timeline table of contents

Each of those HTML files opens a window in your browser that will look something like this: 

Home school in the woods HTML file

It took my son a while to decide if he wanted to do a smaller timeline or do larger images and make a book.  He decided he mostly just wanted to do a folder with the images with text.  This way he could write on the back any additional information he wanted to have.

He had me print off some of the smaller images to add to his timeline for World War 2. 

home school in the woods timeline images

Samples of the Lad’s work

One of the things I love about the Timeline Collection is the sheer versatility of the figures.  From using the larger ones as a wall mount timeline, using them in booklet form, sizing down for a nottebook sized time line or lap book elements, sizing to medium size for notebooking pages or even creating puzzles using the larger images.  Just so many options!

I love that my lad can take the wall sized ones and use them as a way to document important details he wants to remember.  His goal is to add them to his WW2 binder.   He is steadily working his way through each person and event.

Home school in the woods

He has taken the liberty of adding some of the smaller figures to his timeline. It’s quite the extensive timeline and I like how he can go back through and give me details throughout the war. 

Home School in the woods - timeline

Should you get it?

YES!  These timeline images have been an excellent addition to the WW2 study my son is undertaking. We’ve been using the WW2 study from Home School in the Woods Time Travelers series as a spine.  We’ve added additional elements to increase the challenge for a high school student. 

The wall mount size has been met with an enthusiasm I didn’t expect.  So I urge you to add Timeline Collection: A Collection of Historical Timeline Figures to your history studies today. 

home school in the woods

Closing Notes

I want to take a moment to highlight the U.S. Elections Lap Pak.  To learn more, they have highlighted this pak on their blog. 

80 members of the Homeschool Review Crew are looking at the following products. Please do check out our reviews. 

Home School in the Woods Collections - Lap-pak, Timeline Figures, History Studies & Activity-Pak {Home School in the Woods Reviews}

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Under the Broken Sky

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Did you know about the Russian occupation of Manchuria during WW2?  Do you know about the ramifications of that occupation on the Japanese inhabitants of Manchuria?   I had NO idea.  Under the Broken Sky introduced me to this heart-breaking time in Japanese history. 

under the broken sky

What I am Reviewing

Under the Broken Sky.
Mariko Nagai.
Christy Ottaviano Books.
Reviewed for Raincoast books.
304 pages, Ages 10-14 years, trade paperback

Asia, Military fiction, middle school, poetry, history, stories in verse, Japan, WW2, Occupation, refugee,

Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Cricket, are left orphaned and destitute.
In a desperate move to keep her sister alive, Natsu sells Cricket to a Russian family following the 1945 Soviet occupation. The journey to redemption for Natsu’s broken family is rife with struggles, but Natsu is tenacious and will stop at nothing to get her little sister back.

under the broken sky

This video below gives some of the history behind this story.

The Details of Under the Broken Sky

Mariko Nagai does an excellent job of telling the story of Natsu and her family.   I was amazed at her determination.  

The poetry isn’t done in a classic rhyming verse, it reads like a real story.  Just written in a verse format. Each chapter is very readable length.  If you were to read one poem/chapter a day it could easily last 2-3 months.

under the broken sky

When I finished reading this story I told my son it would be a great part of his studies in WW2.  He was hesitant since I had mentioned the book was a poem.  When I read him one page of it he said: “oh, that’s like a real story, I could read that!”.  🙂    It’s gone onto his bookshelf for later reading.

I love that at the close of Under the Broken Sky we learn what happens afterwards.  How these Japanese-Chinese refugees would come home looking for relatives. We learn why they were there in the first place.  Factual information that also ties into why the author wanted or rather needed to, write this story.

under the broken Sky

Thoughts and Recommendations

Oh my… I read this book while on vacation, and while I can’t say it was an easy book to be absorbed in, I can say it was a good read.   The poetic form breaks up the story really well so you don’t get overloaded by the pain and angst found within these pages.    It was a VERY hard time for these Japanese citizens.  Stuck in a hostile, foreign land and not being sure of their future.  Such a difficult time.

Author Mariko Nagai does an excellent job of bringing us this story, showing us life before and life after.  Providing lighter moments mixed in very hard moments.   Seeing the pain, and yet being able to pull back and see the people involved. 

under the broken sky
disclosure

Home School in the Woods – WW2

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My son wants to learn about the great wars  in the coming year, therefore we were very excited to get a chance to review World War II from the selection of Time Travelers in U.S. History series offered by Home School in the Woods.   For the past bit, between bouts of readying our guest room and learning other important keeping up a house skills, my son has been watching copious Youtube videos and diving deep into World War II.  Come join us in our studies won’t you?

Home School in the Woods, review image showing WW2 study

Who is Home School in the Woods?

The Pak family in essence.  Taking a dislike of history and finding a way to teach it in a meaningful, delight-filled way. Their goal is to make history fun and interactive.   I urge you to check out the entirety of their Time Travelers series, as well as newest release Ancient Rome which completes their Project Passport series. 

Home School in the Woods

What do you get?

A WHOLE lot of PDF’s!   OH MY!   I actually just ordered them printed off for me at my local Staples.  For $35 printed, and delivered, I couldn’t beat the time saver, and personal printing costs to me in the middle of a busy season.   Just look at the binder full of paper!

Home School in the Woods

I found the materials come in two formats.  If you unzip the folder you can open the entire file in HTML format which walks you through all the information start to finish.  Or you can follow the same format I did and simply open all the files.   Print off exactly what you need, put it all in a binder so it’s all set up and ready to go and then just work your way through it.   You do not have to print off everything, some of the files are simply how to use, how to print off etc.  I should mention that different colours of paper were called for in the printing instructions.  I chose to ignore those colour changes as I didn’t need “Why this colour mom?  Can’t we print it in this colour instead?”   All white is simply easier in my household.  🙂

Home School in the woods PDF received

It is SO worth looking through the intro files, teacher keys etc.  You’ll find a treasure trove of information. In fact one of the pages I really appreciated having was the additional resources page listed in the intro file.  Books, movies, audios, music, and websites.  Just a phenomenal well done list which will save me OODLES of time (as long as I can find the materials!)  🙂

Home School in the Woods, resources

When I put things in the binder I put the Lesson reading, followed by the project list, then the copy work (for most weeks), and the weekly project.  I really appreciated that they build time into the unit study for catch up weeks.   Some of the weekly projects are fairly large, so instead of putting them in a page protector I gave them their own files… like the timelime and a later couple of lessons.

home school in the woods, folder

This study follows the events from the Close of WW1 and beginnings of the Nazi party through to the end of the war and what happened afterwards.  There are almost 100 figures to add to the ten-page timeline.

A Brief Look:

My son and I put together this brief overview for you.

How we used it:

We didn’t work through our WW2 study at a fast pace. Interspersed into our summer are several birthdays, I’ve had a few “under the weather days”, caring for a house that is our own now, and a major heat wave.. speed wasn’t in our purview.  Taking our time working through lessons allowed us to more fully discuss ideas and watch videos that went along with the lessons.  We’ve been inspired to take a few rabbit trails as well.  I love rabbit trails don’t you?   They are so much fun!

Taking time to set it all up properly in the beginning was the best thing I could have done.  Having the binder ready to go actually made my boy grin.  “Look Mom!  Look how much I can learn about the war!”  My son could work through it independently beyond checking in with me to see what his work load should be.

There are 25 lessons in all. We are looking forward to these upcoming lessons: Pearl Harbour, Hitler’s Fortress, VE day and Iwo Jima and the Atomic bomb.  It is SO interesting listening to my boy.  “I didn’t know that!”  “Mom, did you know ________________”.   The questions of “I don’t understand this part, can you help me?”  “Can we look this up on youtube?   I want to know more.”   Those questions a homeschooling parent lives for eh?

I now know FAR MORE about Hitler, his youth, and how he rose to power from a variety of viewpoints then I ever thought I would.  🙂   And think…. come January I’ll get to learn it all over again.   This Time Traveler unit study will become the spine of our World War II studies.  We’ll diverge now again to pick up speeches and study them, to focus on Canadian men and women of the war, and to throw in a bit more geography, art projects and to follow rabbit trails. Home School in the Woods

My son’s opinion:

I like it.  I am learning so much and I want to know even more.  It makes me think of different things I can watch on youtube, and how everything connects. It’s good and I can do most of it on my own, sometimes mom helps though.

My thoughts:

My lad likes it, it’s well laid out.  It provides ample opportunity for rabbit trails and discussion.  It’s written at a language easily accessed by middle school and above students. It provides an easy spine for when we start our official studies of World War II in January.  It will be very easy to adapt it, or perhaps adapt is not the right word, the way it is laid out it will be very easy to add additional materials or extend a lesson further. Together with The War to End all Wars Game, this history study will suit our needs nicely. 

Home School in the Woods

 

 World War II 
Time Travelers U.S. History Series
 Home School in the Woods
PDF and HTML files received.

Also has a CD option.  Pricing options here. 
History, interactive, hands on
Hands-on history, history studies, best history studies, world history studies, american history studies, history timelines, history curriculum, notebooking pages

 

 

 

Some 90 of us on the crew took a look at a variety of products from Home School in the Woods.  I invite you to go read the reviews.  Perhaps the next one you come across will be just what you are looking for!  I know this review is what we needed in our household. 

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