The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (historical fiction, grades 4-8)
The War I Finally Won is a perfect sequel to The War That Saved My Life! The story opens with Ada finally getting her club foot fixed. After her stay in the hospital, Ada, her brother Jamie, and their guardian Susan move into a cottage on the grounds of Lady Thornton and her daughter Maggie (Ada's friend from book one). At first, the cottage seems bigger than they need for just the three of them. However, after a series of war-related events, several others move into the house including the cold Lady Thornton herself and a Jewish girl named Ruth who recently evacuated from Germany (Could she be a spy??). The group must learn to live together and trust one another which is not easy, especially for Ada. Now that she is no longer crippled and has someone who loves her, Ada is trying to sort through her own feelings after so many years of abuse and neglect. There are several sad and difficult events in this book. However, with Susan's direction and wisdom, with Ada's strength and determination, and with the help of many friends in the book, it's not a book of sadness but rather a book of hope.
There is so much to learn from both books. Through these books, readers learn that it is possible to overcome big obstacles. Readers learn that sometimes we have to let others help, even if we don't think we want it. Readers learn that it helps to try to see things from another's point of view. Readers learn what it would have been like to live in England during World War II...a time of sacrifice and courage. Finally, educators can get a glimpse of what it must be like for students, like Ada and Jamie, who do not have sufficient vocabulary and background knowledge to make sense of what they are learning.
Overall, a very worthwhile read! A special thank you to Anne for loaning me her copy of the book so quickly!
