Second World War gifts

Ron Whitcombe wants to get out of Wellington and see the world.But it's the middle of the Great Depression and he is stuck in a dead-end job as an office boy. He can't see any way of changing his destiny.In...

In the dead of winter, deep in the Forest of Ardennes, as the devastation of World War II drew to a close, a desperate Nazi army launches a surprise attack on Allied forces in the early morning hours of December...

The New York Times bestselling author of Pax delivers an incredible WWIIanimal rescue adventure, about an orphan who discovers unexpected couragewhen he becomes involved with the Resistance. Petit éclair. That's what the other boys at the orphanage call Lucas DuBois....

In Nazi-occupied Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best friend from a terrible fate. Winner of the Newbery Medal. “They plan to arrest all the Danish Jews. They plan...

War Dog tells the inspiring story of Judy, a dog who loves her crew, and they love her. She knows that she brings comfort to the men, making her job very important during these hard times. But when her soldiers...

In the 80th anniversary year, Jackie French explores the dropping of the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, which ended World War 2. 1942 Japan has bombed Sydney Harbour. Sixteen-year-old Ossie lies about his age to protect his...

The discovered diary of Yoko, a 13-year-old Japanese girl who lived near Hiroshima during the war. 1945 was a hard time to be a child in Japan. Many had seen their cities destroyed by US bombers. Food, fuel, and materials...

The powerful novel from award-winning Australian writer Katrina Nannestad. Shortlisted in the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Winner of the 2021 Australian Book Design Awards. Longlisted in the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards. Sometimes it's good to be...

Peter, a boy of five, makes an extraordinary journey through war-torn Europe, travelling with his parents from a small Hungarian town, through Austria and on to Germany. Along the way, unforgettable images of adventure flash one after another: sleeping in...

Young Michael Morpurgo always loved the small painting of a boat hanging on Aunty Iris’s wall. But all she would ever say about it was that her beloved Alfie had painted it and given it to her years ago—before he’d...

The powerful new novel from master storyteller Katrina Nannestad. I don't want to remember the truck, or the night I was taken, or the family I left behind. I am not a sad Polish girl. I am a good and...

A special anniversary edition of a modern classic. Winner of the CBCA Book of the Year for Young Readers. The bombs were falling, the smoke was rising from the concentration camps, but Hitler's daughter knew nothing of this. All she...

Life has never been easy for Antonio, but since the war began, there are German soldiers on every corner, fearsome gangsters and the fascist police everywhere, and no one ever has enough to eat. But when Antonio decides to trust...

No training could have prepared Frank for a dangerous coastwatching mission against the Japanese in this award-winning WWII novel by David Hill. David Hill's tense, exciting war adventure inspired by the coastwatchers of Operation Pacific - winner of the 2022...

I hoped the Nazis would be defeated. And they were. I hoped the war would be over. And it was. I hoped we would be safe. But we aren't. Soon continues the incredibly moving story of Felix, a Jewish boy...

Inspired by the true story of his father's cousin, Michael Rosen presents an astonishing wartime story of perseverance and hope in the face of horrors and hardship. Beginning in 1939, young Solly in London exchanges letters with his teenaged cousin,...

A beautifully rendered graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Alvaro Sarraseca. It's been years since the Nazis invaded Max Rosen's home country of Poland....

A battle that changes the course of the war... Paul Colbert’s French village has been under Nazi control for years. His Jewish best friend has disappeared. Food is scarce. And there doesn’t seem to be anything Paul can do to...

Young Joe is living in pre-World War II Berlin, with his British father and NZ mother, attending school and witnessing the excitement of his friends who are enthusiastically joining the Hitler Youth Movement. Joe feels uncomfortable with the growing mistreatment...

"I have been accused of whitewashing the Nazi leadership in my memoirs. Some people say I make them seem human. But therein lies the problem. I saw these men up close. They were human. If we think of them only...

Summer, 1940. Hitler's army is advancing towards Paris, and millions of French civilians are on the run. Amidst the chaos, two British children are being hunted by German agents. British spy Charles Henderson tries to reach them first, but he...

The true story of one girl's fight for survival against the unspeakable terror of Auschwitz - an important and sensitive retelling. Tova Friedman was just five years old when she and her mother were sent to a Nazi labour camp....

Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act… Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst...

Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer. July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms...

BECOME A TOP SECRET CODEBREAKER! - The ultimate puzzle book for kids and families.Welcome to Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the Second World War codebreakers. Here, some of the greatest minds helped crack near-impossible codes.. You can join...

Travel back to a world at war, with the thrilling children's history series 'Everything was ready. The air was thick with excitement. This was D-Day . . . Prepare to enter the most dramatic conflict the world has ever seen,...

An unforgettable war-time adventure story Although the silver sword was only a paper knife, it became the symbol of hope and courage which kept the Balicki children and their orphan friend Jan alive through the four years of occupation when...

A museum in a book, this collection of treasures from the past brings history to life, from Stone-Age tools to smartphones From ancient history to modern times, journey through the past with this picture-packed encyclopedia of curiosities. Explore galleries of...

From the bestselling author of Wonder comes White Bird: an unforgettable Second World War story about bravery, friendship and the power of kindness. Soon to be a major film starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson. From the bestselling author of...

From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling World War II story of espionage and intrigue, as one girl races to save her father and aid the French resistance.Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon's...

The illuminating and deeply moving true story of twin sisters who survived Nazi experimentation, against all odds, during the Holocaust.Eva and her identical twin sister, Miriam, had a mostly happy childhood. Theirs was the only Jewish family in their small...

The powerful, unforgettable new novel from the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a...

'Ever since I can remember, people have stared at me and my family. Dad tells me it's because we're 'special'. But if we're so special, how come nobody ever looks like us in the books at school? Not even the...

From the bestselling author of Finn's Epic Fails comes the multi-award-winning story about the incredible friendship between a young boy and a silverback gorilla in the Second World War, inspired by a true story. 1941. War is raging. And Joseph...

From million-copy bestselling author Liz Kessler comes the powerful new landmark World War II novel for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Phil Earle. When Liv finds a secret box from her grandmother’s childhood she uncovers an extraordinary war-time story of bravery, betrayal and daring...

A visual guide to the conflict that shook the world \"This comprehensive visual encyclopedia explores World War II in fascinating detail and explains why this global event must never be forgotten.? World War II: Visual Encyclopedia shows children the causes,...

The 40th anniversary of Puffin's bestselling modern classic title. The 40th anniversary of one of the best-loved stories set during the Second World War. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is the unforgettable story of young Willie Beech, evacuated to...

A heartwarming tale of courage, set against the backdrop of the Second World War, about a deserted village, a lifelong friendship and one very adventurous cat! ‘A master storyteller at his best’ Sunday TimesIt’s 1943. Lily lives in a seaside...

The World of David Walliams brings you The Twilight Towers Amazing Break-out Board Game!  Is it the end of days for Jack’s rather confused grandpa or can you help him ESCAPE the evil clutches of the Twilight Towers!  It’s a...