Carrie's War is the story of a girl (Carrie) and her younger brother,Nick, who are sent as evacuees during the Second World War to live in a small mining town in South Wales. They are housed with a deeply religious but generally mean spirited shop keeper, Mr Evans; and his younger sister, Louisa. There they meet Albert Sandwich (a fellow evacuee), who lives with Mrs Gotobed, actually Mr Evans's, estranged, elderly sister; Ms. Hepzibah Green, her cook and house keeper (some say witch) and Mister Johnnie, Mrs Gotobed's distant cousin. Mrs. Gotobed dies and is thought to have left a will leaving her house to Hepzibah and Mister Johnnie. The will is never found, Albert believing Mr. Evans having destroyed it to make sure the property comes to him, as Mrs. Gotobed's nearest relative. This and the curse of the slave boy's skull keep the reader guessing and the pages turning. The book is basically Carrie telling her story of being an evacuee, while she revisits the place 30 years later with her children. It is expertly written with a deft touch and a warm heart. I would use this book to introduce the notion of evacuees during WW2 for History class. The book shows in vivid detail how people lived; What the evacuees had to endure. How the whole experience marked all who took part in it, whether parents left in the city, host family or evacuee. With higher KS2 (Years 5-6) I would set the text as a classroom reader. Have the students read certain passages for homework, and use this to fuel class based activities; small group discussions leading to full class debates. Or brain storming sessions leading to role playing to work through various issues or ideas brought up by reading the book; for example, sibling rivalry; notions of family; beliefs; friendship, war, or, the idea of difference, that could stem from the character, Mister Johnnie, who has, to use the modern parlance, learning difficulties. And, how he is thought of, and treated differently by different characters. Students could research about evacuees, or perhaps another aspect of WW2; rationing for example, and report back to the class. They could do a family project relating back to the class on any of their family members who have experience of the war (or any war: handled sensitively, of course). As well as writing or even art work influenced by the experiences brought to life in the book. For lower KS2 (Years 3-4) I would purely use this book as a reader, for the teacher to read in class only. I would use it to stimulate ideas about the experience of evacuees during WW2, as mentioned above, but in a less intensive way, and without the students taking the book home to read. And using the reading in class to generate activities whether searches in encyclopedias, dictionaries or atlases. Or role playing to act out some of the ideas class discussions bring up. Or even, creative writing work; letters home to parents as if the students were evacuees.
I would use this book to introduce the notion of evacuees during WW2 for History class. The book shows in vivid detail how people lived; What the evacuees had to endure. How the whole experience marked all who took part in it, whether parents left in the city, host family or evacuee. With higher KS2 (Years 5-6) I would set the text as a classroom reader. Have the students read certain passages for homework, and use this to fuel class based activities; small group discussions leading to full class debates. Or brain storming sessions leading to role playing to work through various issues or ideas brought up by reading the book; for example, sibling rivalry; notions of family; beliefs; friendship, war, or, the idea of difference, that could stem from the character, Mister Johnnie, who has, to use the modern parlance, learning difficulties. And, how he is thought of, and treated differently by different characters. Students could research about evacuees, or perhaps another aspect of WW2; rationing for example, and report back to the class. They could do a family project relating back to the class on any of their family members who have experience of the war (or any war: handled sensitively, of course). As well as writing or even art work influenced by the experiences brought to life in the book.
For lower KS2 (Years 3-4) I would purely use this book as a reader, for the teacher to read in class only. I would use it to stimulate ideas about the experience of evacuees during WW2, as mentioned above, but in a less intensive way, and without the students taking the book home to read. And using the reading in class to generate activities whether searches in encyclopedias, dictionaries or atlases. Or role playing to act out some of the ideas class discussions bring up. Or even, creative writing work; letters home to parents as if the students were evacuees.