TEXT SETS

AMY LUTICK
 TABLE OF CONTENTS:
TEXTS ARE ORGANIZED ALPHABETICALLY BY AUTHOR

SOL STANDARD VUS.11

Atwood, K.J. (2013). Women heroes of World War II: 26 stories of espionage, sabotage,
resistance, and rescue. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review.
Boyne, J., & Jeffers, O. (2016). The boy in the striped pajamas: a fable. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf.
Dauvillier, L. (2012). Hidden: a childs story of the Holocaust. New York: Roaring Book Press.
Goldsmith, M. (2014). Alexs wake: the tragic voyage of the St. Louis to flee Nazi Germany and
a grandsons journey of love and remembrance. Boston: Da Capo Press.
Hersey, J. (2017). Hiroshima. Delhi: Kalpaz.
Pictures of African Americans During World War II. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2017,
from http:www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/ww2-pictures.
Polanski, R., Benmussa, R., Sarde, A., Harwood R., Brody, A., Kretschmann, T., Finlay, F., TVA Films
(Firm). (2003). The pianist. Toronto, Ont: TVA Films.
Spielberg, S., Rodat, R., Bryce, I., Gordon, M., Levinsohn, G., Hanks, T., Burns, E., DreamWorks
Home Entertainment (Firm). (1999). Saving Private Ryan.
Trimble, L., & Dronfield, J. (2016). Beyond the call: the true story of World War II pilots covert mission to
rescue POWs on the Eastern Front. New York: Berkley Caliber.
Zusak, M., & White, T. (2016). The book thief. London: Black Swan
 SOL STANDARD

VUS.11 The student will demonstrate knowledge of World

War II by
b) describing and locating the major battles and
turning points of the war in North Africa, Europe, and the
Pacific, including Midway, Stalingrad, the Normandy
landing (D-Day), and Trumans decision to use the atomic
bomb to force the surrender of Japan;
c) describing the role of all-minority military units,
including the Tuskegee Airmen and Nisei regiments;
d) examining the Geneva Convention and the
treatment of prisoners of war during World War II;
e) analyzing the Holocaust (Hitlers final solution),
its impact on Jews and other groups, and the postwar
trials of war criminals.
 TEXT 1

Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 74.2
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.3

Suitability:
Middle School & Up. This is appropriate for
students who understand the major points of
WWII, which begins in middle school. Students
can expand upon their knowledge and read
about womens influence throughout the war. This
book fills the gaps for students when questioning
womens significance during WWII.

Annotation:
This text discusses twenty-six women who are
portrayed as war heroes during WWII. Their stories
are engaging and suspenseful as they range from
women hiding Jews in their homes to a radio
station operator transferring vital messages. This
book discusses the bravery these women had
and the dangerous work they involved
themselves in during the war.
 TEXT 2
Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 49.8
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 16.4

Suitability:
9th-12th grade. The Boy in the Striped
Pajamas is suitable for these grade levels
because although the text is challenging,
these grades understand the horrors of the
Holocaust and might be intrigued with
reading from the perspective of a child
during this time.

Annotation:
This text revolves around Bruno, an 8 year-
old boy, who moves to Berlin because his
father works as a commandment in a
concentration camp. Bruno becomes close
friends with a boy his age who is Jewish.
However, there is a barbed wire fence that is
separating their friendship and the ability to
play with each other. Indeed, Bruno is
unaware the Holocaust is taking place and
just wants to play with his friend in the striped
pajamas.
 TEXT 3
Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 98.7
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 1

Suitability:
All ages. Hidden is suitable for all ages. The
illustrations are note-worthy and any body, no
matter the age, would enjoy looking at these.
Students have the opportunity to read an easy
text that gives the perspective of a grandmother
telling her granddaughter her experience of
hiding during the Holocaust.

Annotation:
A grandmother, Dounia, is telling her
granddaughter her story about living through the
Holocaust. She explained her friends and
neighbors would hide her in Paris so she would not
be found and brought to a concentration camp.
Her parents were taken to a concentration camp
and Dounia reunited with her mother once WWII
ended. She finally can tell her story after all these
years and she starts with telling her
granddaughter.
 TEXT 4
Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 55.2
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.1

Suitability:
10th-12th grade. This text is better suited for advanced
readers who understand the Holocaust and Hitlers
final solution. These students who desire to learn
more about how the US and other countries reacted
should read this text. Although this text is challenging,
students will be interested to see how countries
reacted to Jewish refugees. Grade levels below 10th
grade might lack the content knowledge and this
text could be too challenging.

Annotation:
Martin Goldsmiths book focuses on Alex and Helmut
Goldschmidt two of the several Jewish refugees
fleeing from Nazi Germany. They aboard the St. Louis
and embarked on a challenging journey. When the
St. Louis reaches Cuba, the United States and
Canada, they are surprised when these countries turn
them away. They return back to Nazi Germany and
most end up dying in concentration camps.
 TEXT 5
Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 78.9
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.5

Suitability:
Middle School & Up. Students are familiar starting
in middle school with Truman and the United
States dropping an atomic bomb on Japan. This
book gives students the ability to comprehend
the effects of Truman dropping the atomic bomb
on Hiroshima and provide a Japanese
perspective to middle and high school students.

Annotation:
This text focuses on six of those who survived the
dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. John
Hersey provides a Japanese perspective from the
dropping of this bomb and the after effects of a
nuclear bomb in Hiroshima. The text provides the
reader with personal stories about the faces
behind the horror of dropping the bomb.
 TEXT 6

Readability:
N/A- it is a photograph.

Suitability:
All ages. This photograph is acceptable
for all ages because there is nothing too
graphic from this image. Students are
able to see that minorities were equally
as important during WWII.

Annotation:
This photograph displays African
Americans who were dauntless during
WWII and their participation in fighting for
their country. They experienced racism
across seas and also at home. However,
several African Americans and other
minorities enlisted in WWII despite racism
and other challenges minorities faced.
 TEXT 7

Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 93.3
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 1.6

Suitability:
9th-12th grade. This film is suitable for these grade
levels because the content is heavy. For those
who are younger, this might be too intense for
them. This gives students a good visual of Warsaw,
Poland and hiding during WWII to escape
concentration camps.

Annotation:
The Pianist goes into detail about Wladyslaw
Szpilman who was a Jewish radio pianist. He
notices changes occurring throughout Warsaw
and is separated from his family. He spends his
time hiding in the ruins in Warsaw until the
concentration camp prisoners are freed.
 TEXT 8

Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 86.9
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 2.3

Suitability:
9th-12th grade. This film is suitable for students in
high schools. For other grade levels, the film is too
graphic and gruesome. Using this film in class
gives students a visual image of Normandy and
the horrors of WWII.

Annotation:
This film takes place in the invasion in Normandy
during WWII. Captain John Miller is the main
character who tries to find Private James Ryan.
The film displays the brutality of war and the
uncertainty of the future.
 TEXT 9

Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 79.4
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.4

Suitability:
6th-12th grade. Beyond the Call is suitable for
middle school and high school students. Students
during these ages are able to understand during
WWII people were taken as prisoners. This text
provides a heroic perspective of someone risking
their lives to save others during the war.

Annotation:
This text discusses pilot Captain Robert Trimble
rescuing numerous Allied POWs in an undercover
mission. He faces many challenges which includes
the war, the Soviet secret police and rescuing
POWs all while trying to find a way back to his
home. Throughout his journey, he faces several
obstacles when trying to rescue and bring home
POWs.
 TEXT 10
Readability:
Flesch Reading Ease Score: 66.6
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.3

Suitability:
Middle School & Up. This texts suitability is for
middle school students and up because
these students start to gain a sense of
empathy. When reading this text, the
students can place themselves in the shoes
of Liesel Meminger and reflect back to
being nine. Students who enjoy literature
can relate to Liesel and see how she
escaped horror with books.

Annotation:
The Book Thief, the main character Liesel
Meminger, a nine-year old girl, enjoys
reading and constantly steals books to read.
Her foster father helps her read and she
shares these books with the Jewish man in
the basement and her neighbors. Liesel uses
books to escape from the horrors of the war
and the evilness that surrounds her.