The War That Saved My Life
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Newbery Honor
Grade: 3rd-8th
The War That Saved My Life begins with Ada and Jamie living with their mother in a small apartment. Ada's mother never allowed her to leave the apartment for any reason due to her having a clubfoot. While Jamie was able to go to school and play with friends, Ada would spend her days looking out of a window. When World War II begins, the children in London were evacuating the city. Ada and Jamie's mother was only planning on sending Jamie to escape the dangers of the war, but Ada decided to join Jamie in order to protect herself from the war and her mother's abuse.
Ada and Jamie are taken in by Miss Smith, who is a single woman who has a horse named Butter. Even though she was a little hesitant about taking in two young children, she takes excellent care of them. Miss Smith provides all of the things that their mother never did. Ada and Jamie have plenty of food, clothes, and makes them bathe daily. Ada begins to learn how to ride Butter and also learns how to read. Miss Smith wrote to Ada and Jamie's mother multiple times hoping to receive permission for Ada to have surgery to fix her clubfoot, but unfortunately they never received a response.
Once the war started, Miss Smith was forced to decide whether or not to send Jamie and Ada away in order to protect them from the war. She decides to have them continue to stay with her. Ada decides to begin to help with the war efforts. Ada even finds a spy one day while she is riding Butter. After she found the spy, Ada had a new level of confidence that gave her the ability to make it through the the emotional hardships that she had gone through and those that she was currently going through.
Ada and Jamie's mother soon shows up at Miss Smith's house wanting to take them back to London. When they get back to London their mother continues the abuse that they grew up with. Shortly after they got back, Ada had the strength and courage to stand up to their mother and they decide to leave. As Ada and Jamie were leaving their mother an air raid hit their city. Due to this, they were forced to flee to a shelter. The next day when they were leaving the shelter, they are reunited with Miss Smith. The three of them decide to go back to Miss Smith's house. When they arrive back at Miss Smith's house they discover that it has been bombed. It was because of Ada and Jamie that Miss Smith did not die because she was in London looking for Jamie and Ada. In the exact same way that Miss Smith saved Jamie and Ada from their mother, they saved her.
If I used this book in my classroom I would use it for the older grades due to the events that happen in the book. I believe that older students would understand the context a little better. I would use this book to teach my students about World War II and how you can always overcome your challenges.
