The War That Saved My Life By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley [Audio book Review Included]

 

About Book

Title: The War That Saved My Life
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Major Book Award: 2016 Newbery Medal, 2018 Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction
Recommended Age Range: 9 to 12
Appropriate Grade Levels: 5th to 8th grade

Summary

This book written by Kimberly Bradley talks about the life of Ada and Jamie Smith during WW2 between Germany and Europe. They lived in an abusive home with their mother, so they took this chance to evacuate London for safety from the war and their mother. Once they've arrived to Kent, a woman named Susan Smith were forced to take them in. She never wanted them, or kids in general. But she did things far more than their "mother" back in London ever had. Throughout the story Ada, Jamie, and Susan created a special bond, like a real family. The three were soon then separated after a year together, because their mother forcefully took them back, due to financial issues. Susan realized that what she had with them is worth fighting for, so Susan went to London and looked for them. As Ada and Jamie left their home once again, they fortunately all found their ways back to each other. 

 Evaluation - Would I Incorporate this Book in the Classroom?

I've truly enjoyed reading this wonderful book. Although I wasn't present at the time of World War 2, through this book I felt like I was there with them. I felt like I was with Ada every step of the way. From her taking the chance to escape, to her finally finding a place where she can call home at the end. I 100% would incorporate this book in my classroom, only for middle school grade level. This book is recommended for students ages 9-12, which may be a little too young in my opinion. I think it's more appropriate for a middle school classroom instead, which can be read during our WW2 unit. It'll be great for students to connect what happens in the book to the history talked about in this book. I also believe that some students can also relate to Ada on an emotional level. This book also includes many vocabulary words and tells the readers what these words mean, through Ada. So, this is wonderful for students to learn new vocabulary words, in a way that it isn't too obvious. 

Audiobook (Audible) Review

Since I really enjoyed this book, I was curious as to how the audiobook version would be. Without reading the book as some would when having a voiceover reading it, I've decided to just listen to fully enjoy it, and I would have to say I loved it. It feels a little different from reading it and I could imagine the characters in a clearer way than I would have when reading to myself. I can hear the different tones and emotions emitted from the different characters, while when I was reading it, it was just one way. Since the book is told in Ada's perspective, this audio version made me feel like she was telling me her story, in a diary-like way. It was also nice how the reader in this audiobook used an English accent. This is relevant to the time and place that this event in history had occurred in, and in this case Europe. Not all audiobooks are presented this well, so I am glad that this specific one did more than I've expected.