Havill, Juanita

EYES LIKE WILLY'S While vacationing over the course of several summers in Austria, French siblings Guy and Sarah Masson become best friends with a German boy, until the outbreak of World War I puts them on opposing sides.

2004

135 p.

Lawrence, Iain

LORD OF THE NUTCRACKER MEN A young English boy believes that he and his army of toy soldiers control the battles fought by his father during World War I.

2001

212 p.

Morpurgo, Michael

PRIVATE PEACEFUL Private Thomas Peaceful lied about his age and left his family behind to fight in the First World War. While standing watch over a battlefield, Thomas spends the night reflecting on his life, aware that the war has changed him forever.

2004

202 p.

Newbery, Linda

THE SHELL HOUSE Greg explores a ruined English mansion, and meets Faith, a serious young woman who gives him a tour of the grounds. She also tells him about the past inhabitants, whose son disappeared after he returned home from fighting in World War I.

2004

334 p.

Wilson, John

AND IN THE MORNIING Up-Jim Hay, 16, is caught up in the patriotic fervor sweeping across Scotland as the British troops prepare to enter World War I. After his father leaves for France, the teen avidly follows the war news in the local papers and includes headlines and anecdotal clips throughout this diary. His father is killed in action and 10 days later his mother dies from shock and grief. Within weeks, Jim has signed up and is soon in the trenches. His diary entries and letters home to his girlfriend reflect his growing awareness of the horrors of war. Recalling his desire for a German helmet to keep as a souvenir, he somberly notes in his journal, "I think I even wanted one with a bullet-hole in it. It all seems so macabre now. Helmets are not toys-they save lives here." During an offensive attack against the Germans, Jim receives a serious head injury, and, disoriented, wanders away from his unit. He is court-martialed for desertion and executed by firing squad on July 10, 1916.

2003

198 p.