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aoosterwyk's review
4.0
I just love these books. They are a perfect blend of action and history for middle school. I think they would be great read alouds with enough nonfiction connections to allow for some research too.
daisey's review
4.0
I thought this book was fantastic. I loved getting to see how the young characters from England, the United States, and even Germany interacted in this story of World War II set in Virginia. It does a wonderful job of showing just how the impact of the war affected people across the world. I always find it interesting to see different perspectives of war time, and this one clearly describes how children from England adjusted to life in the U.S. after being evacuated from London. There are the struggles of dealing with the nightmares of what they left behind and also trying to fit into a culture can be baffling and not always welcoming. At the same time, there are amazing learning experiences, the fun of exploring a completely different way of life, and the joy of developing new friendships. It is a story of how even during the horror of war, people can come together for the greater good.
I will definitely be recommending this book to any of my middle school students that enjoy historical fiction set during war time.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. I actually requested it from NetGalley when I saw it was a companion novel to Under a War-Torn Sky, which I had bought for my classroom but not yet had a chance to read. I will be reading that book soon (when it's not checked out by students).
I will definitely be recommending this book to any of my middle school students that enjoy historical fiction set during war time.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. I actually requested it from NetGalley when I saw it was a companion novel to Under a War-Torn Sky, which I had bought for my classroom but not yet had a chance to read. I will be reading that book soon (when it's not checked out by students).
yapha's review
4.0
This companion book to Under a War-Torn Sky looks at the lives of two brothers who were evacuated from London to Virginia in 1943. Charles (14) and Wesley (10) are sent by their parents to a family friend in Rural Virginia to escape the Blitz. Their father had saved Mr. Ratcliffe's life in the first World War, and he is happy to return the favor by looking after the brothers. Settling into life in the American South isn't easy for the boys. Charles feels immense guilt for leaving his parents and friends behind. Wesley suffers from nightmares both about the bombings and their perilous crossing. He is teased endlessly by one of the Ratcliffe brothers as well. This is an interesting look at life on the home front, including treatment of German POWs and the beginnings of racial integration as part of the war effort. It is not necessary to have read the companion volume. Recommended for grades 5-8.
the_fabric_of_words's review
5.0
Across a War-Tossed Sea is excellent for teaching WWII standards that touch on America's response to the war (commonly referred to as the home front in the Common Core) and English Language Arts POV (point of view, or perspective) standards.
C8.S1.PO 4. Explain how the following factors affected the U.S. home front during World War II: a) war bond drives b) war industry c) women and minorities in the work force d) rationing e) internment of Japanese-, German-, and Italian -Americans
A pair of British brothers survive a harrowing trip across the Atlantic to be taken in by an American family to weather the war in America, while London is bombed by the Luftwaffe. This story features so many things your students wouldn't be aware of, just through use of the British POV (point of view, or perspective).
The boys are teased mercilessly for being British and they get into scrapes because they misunderstand American English and racial norms of the time period. They struggle to understand why Americans vilify the British in our colonial history in school. The boys also participate in so many things Americans were asked to do on the homefront -- collecting tin and rubber, rationing for foodstuffs, etc. There is even a small German soldier POW camp near the farm where the boys live that figures into the ending.
For the free teaching resources mentioned here, visit my blog: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/blog/war-torn-historical-fiction
C8.S1.PO 4. Explain how the following factors affected the U.S. home front during World War II: a) war bond drives b) war industry c) women and minorities in the work force d) rationing e) internment of Japanese-, German-, and Italian -Americans
A pair of British brothers survive a harrowing trip across the Atlantic to be taken in by an American family to weather the war in America, while London is bombed by the Luftwaffe. This story features so many things your students wouldn't be aware of, just through use of the British POV (point of view, or perspective).
The boys are teased mercilessly for being British and they get into scrapes because they misunderstand American English and racial norms of the time period. They struggle to understand why Americans vilify the British in our colonial history in school. The boys also participate in so many things Americans were asked to do on the homefront -- collecting tin and rubber, rationing for foodstuffs, etc. There is even a small German soldier POW camp near the farm where the boys live that figures into the ending.
For the free teaching resources mentioned here, visit my blog: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/blog/war-torn-historical-fiction
backonthealex's review
4.0
It's September 1943 near Richmond, Virginia and Bishop brothers, Wesley, 10, and Charles, 14, have been living with the Ratcliff family for over three years now, after being evacuated from war-torn London. And there is nothing Charles, called Chuck by his American family, would like more than to return home and do his bit for the war, but his parents still refuse to let him. Besides, Wesley still has frequent nightmares about firebombs hitting their home during the Blitz and about the possibility of being torpedoed by Nazi submarines while crossing the U-boat infested waters of the Atlantic and Charles feels responsible for taking care of him when they happen.
The Ratcliffs are a large farming family. Patsy, the only girl, is 16 and has a boyfriend named Henry flying missions overseas, next is Bobby, 15, who has become a great pal of Chuck's, followed by Ron, 12, Wesley's real nightmare, and lastly are the twins, Jamie and Johnny, 7. The war is a constant presence in this novel, making it truly a home front story.
Life isn't always easy for the Bishop brothers. Ron has always jumped at every opportunity to bully Wesley. So when Wes ends up skipping two grades and, much to Ron's annoyance, lands in his 7th grade class, the bullying only intensifies. Charles, who has become quite muscular from farm work, has made it onto the football team along with Bobby. Everyone must help out on the farm and the work is long and difficult, because of a dWes has a fascination for Native Americans that he has read about and longs to meet one, but when he does, much to his surprise, Mr. Johns is nothing like what he expected. Wes also befriends a young African American boy, and learns first hand about segregation and prejudice.
And Chuck must come to terms with his feelings about the German POWs that are brought into the area and used to help on the farms, and, ultimately, on the Ratcliff farm as well. The more he sees them, the angrier he becomes and the more he wants to go home and help. Chuck is also dealing with a crush he has on Patsy, which is especially hard on him, since he knows that her heart belongs to someone doing just what he wishes he could do.
Across a War-Tossed Sea follows the Bishop boys and the Ratcliff family through the year up to and a little beyond the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France in June 1944. It is a nice home front book that gives a good idea of what life was like for people in the United States, interspersed with letters exchanged between the boys and their parents, giving the reader a good picture of life in England under siege. In fact, this is really like a series of vignettes all connected to each other.
Given all the things that happened in this novel, I thought it was odd that after living with the Ratcliffs for over three years, the boys would feel like new arrivals and make the kind of mistakes that would most likely happen in their first year. But that didn't diminish my feelings about the story.
I thought Across a War-Tossed Sea was an exciting, interesting, thought provoking novel documenting life on the home front and the adjustments that had to be made by everyone during World War II. At the end of the book, there is a very informative Afterword giving a short recap of what was going on in Europe, the evacuation of children overseas that sometimes ended in tragedy and further explaining many of the things referred to in the novel, such as U-boats, V-bombs and secret air bases (a particularly amusing part of the novel, even though it involves a runaway German POW).
Across a War-Tossed Sea is a companion book to Across a War-Torn Sky, which follows what happens to Patsy Ratcliff's boyfriend, Henry Forester, after he is shot down over France on a flying mission for the Air Force. And, bringing things full circle, they are both companion pieces to A Troubled Peace, and the end of the war. Luckily, I have not read the two companion books yet, so I have them to look forward to.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an eARC received from Net Galley
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
The Ratcliffs are a large farming family. Patsy, the only girl, is 16 and has a boyfriend named Henry flying missions overseas, next is Bobby, 15, who has become a great pal of Chuck's, followed by Ron, 12, Wesley's real nightmare, and lastly are the twins, Jamie and Johnny, 7. The war is a constant presence in this novel, making it truly a home front story.
Life isn't always easy for the Bishop brothers. Ron has always jumped at every opportunity to bully Wesley. So when Wes ends up skipping two grades and, much to Ron's annoyance, lands in his 7th grade class, the bullying only intensifies. Charles, who has become quite muscular from farm work, has made it onto the football team along with Bobby. Everyone must help out on the farm and the work is long and difficult, because of a dWes has a fascination for Native Americans that he has read about and longs to meet one, but when he does, much to his surprise, Mr. Johns is nothing like what he expected. Wes also befriends a young African American boy, and learns first hand about segregation and prejudice.
And Chuck must come to terms with his feelings about the German POWs that are brought into the area and used to help on the farms, and, ultimately, on the Ratcliff farm as well. The more he sees them, the angrier he becomes and the more he wants to go home and help. Chuck is also dealing with a crush he has on Patsy, which is especially hard on him, since he knows that her heart belongs to someone doing just what he wishes he could do.
Across a War-Tossed Sea follows the Bishop boys and the Ratcliff family through the year up to and a little beyond the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France in June 1944. It is a nice home front book that gives a good idea of what life was like for people in the United States, interspersed with letters exchanged between the boys and their parents, giving the reader a good picture of life in England under siege. In fact, this is really like a series of vignettes all connected to each other.
Given all the things that happened in this novel, I thought it was odd that after living with the Ratcliffs for over three years, the boys would feel like new arrivals and make the kind of mistakes that would most likely happen in their first year. But that didn't diminish my feelings about the story.
I thought Across a War-Tossed Sea was an exciting, interesting, thought provoking novel documenting life on the home front and the adjustments that had to be made by everyone during World War II. At the end of the book, there is a very informative Afterword giving a short recap of what was going on in Europe, the evacuation of children overseas that sometimes ended in tragedy and further explaining many of the things referred to in the novel, such as U-boats, V-bombs and secret air bases (a particularly amusing part of the novel, even though it involves a runaway German POW).
Across a War-Tossed Sea is a companion book to Across a War-Torn Sky, which follows what happens to Patsy Ratcliff's boyfriend, Henry Forester, after he is shot down over France on a flying mission for the Air Force. And, bringing things full circle, they are both companion pieces to A Troubled Peace, and the end of the war. Luckily, I have not read the two companion books yet, so I have them to look forward to.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an eARC received from Net Galley
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
scostner's review
4.0
Charles and Wesley Bishop have been evacuated from England during World War II. They are staying with the Ratcliff family in Virginia because their father had saved Mr. Ratcliff's life during WWI and he wants to repay him. The story covers the period from Labor Day 1943 to just after D-Day. It is historical fiction that manages to weave in many of the details from that time such as mandatory blackouts on the Atlantic coast (to prevent ships being spotted by U-boats), rationing of goods, recycling for the war effort, etc. But the story also has everyday life in it like studying for tests, dealing with bullies, helping with chores, and telling ghost stories around a campfire.
The different viewpoints in the story help the reader see what the war was like for Americans, British children who were sent to America, and a little of what German POWs experienced here in the States. Weaving all of that together in an interesting story and still including things like the segregation and inequality that African Americans and Native Americans were dealing with in those days is quite an achievement. This is a good book to include in a unit on WWII or to read if you enjoy historical fiction. The facts about the war are accurate without going into gory details.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The different viewpoints in the story help the reader see what the war was like for Americans, British children who were sent to America, and a little of what German POWs experienced here in the States. Weaving all of that together in an interesting story and still including things like the segregation and inequality that African Americans and Native Americans were dealing with in those days is quite an achievement. This is a good book to include in a unit on WWII or to read if you enjoy historical fiction. The facts about the war are accurate without going into gory details.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
ckeller48's review
2.0
The basic premise of the book follows Wesley and Charles, two brothers who were sent over from England as child refugees during WWII. They live with a family that are somehow connected through their father, though the reasoning isn't quite explained.
There's plenty of parts that are attempted here - the social constructs of segregation in the South, the treatment of POWs, the Nazi regime, the adjustment of boys to the American way of life. However, none of them were particularly well-executed. The boys come off as whiny often and their growth with their foster family - particularly with difficult child Ronald - is not all that engaging.
What really drove me nuts, however, was the fact that this book can even be labeled as YA when the writing is so juvenile. The main characters are 10 (Wesley) and 14 (Charles) at the beginning of the book, though a few years pass over the span. I understand that they're young, but even the actual writing about them is written so that a second grader could pick this book up and follow the plot. I think it could work as juvenile fiction, but it's just an insult to put this in the YA category with how watered down the actual writing is.
Overall, the story itself isn't bad, but the writing and uninteresting characters make it hard to get through.
There's plenty of parts that are attempted here - the social constructs of segregation in the South, the treatment of POWs, the Nazi regime, the adjustment of boys to the American way of life. However, none of them were particularly well-executed. The boys come off as whiny often and their growth with their foster family - particularly with difficult child Ronald - is not all that engaging.
What really drove me nuts, however, was the fact that this book can even be labeled as YA when the writing is so juvenile. The main characters are 10 (Wesley) and 14 (Charles) at the beginning of the book, though a few years pass over the span. I understand that they're young, but even the actual writing about them is written so that a second grader could pick this book up and follow the plot. I think it could work as juvenile fiction, but it's just an insult to put this in the YA category with how watered down the actual writing is.
Overall, the story itself isn't bad, but the writing and uninteresting characters make it hard to get through.
amdame1's review
3.0
Companion to "Under a War-Torn Sky"
Although it is labeled as a companion novel, this feels more like a sequel to me, even though I haven't read the other book. In the first book, brothers Wesley and Charles left England in 1943 to escape the bombing. They survived a treacherous ocean crossing and joined relatives in Virginia.
Now the boys are trying to adapt to life without their parents as well as fitting into a rural society instead of the city life of London that they are used to. Things get even more difficult for them when they discover that there is a camp of German POWs nearby - and that they might be coming to work on their farm.
Well-written and insightful. Also covers a topic within WWII that isn't discussed much with the POWs here in America.
Although it is labeled as a companion novel, this feels more like a sequel to me, even though I haven't read the other book. In the first book, brothers Wesley and Charles left England in 1943 to escape the bombing. They survived a treacherous ocean crossing and joined relatives in Virginia.
Now the boys are trying to adapt to life without their parents as well as fitting into a rural society instead of the city life of London that they are used to. Things get even more difficult for them when they discover that there is a camp of German POWs nearby - and that they might be coming to work on their farm.
Well-written and insightful. Also covers a topic within WWII that isn't discussed much with the POWs here in America.