Here is what happened in January!

Get the recap from Nurse Jill Cooper, RN, BSN!

What's coming in February?

By Dr. Robin Dickinson

WWII provided a wealth of opportunities for great children's literature ranging from The Chronicles of Narnia to this month’s Book Club selection, The War I Finally Won.

People had different experiences during the war depending on where they were. My mom's mother taught kindergarten in California and played the piano while her students sang patriotic songs. Meanwhile, my dad's mother lost everything and escaped from Russian tanks on a bicycle and fled into Germany. Even though my dad's mother had always considered Germany the enemy, it was the better option considering the alternative.

In England, civilians were deeply impacted by the war because of the blitzkrieg (or "blitz" for short). This time included years of German planes dropping bombs on cities, docks, villages, and anywhere they saw light. All lights were kept off or windows tightly covered…even a tiny glimmer of light could make someone a target. At our live meeting, I'll show students a darning egg I own from that time…it lights up slightly to allow a person to darn a sock or sweater, even in the dark.

To keep the children of London safe, approximately ONE MILLION of them were evacuated to the country where host families there took them in. This not only kept them safe from the bombing, it also meant they had more food.

At the same time, imagine the emotional toll on the children and parents who were separated at this time of great danger! Children didn't know if their parents would survive. While they sometimes experienced good or even better lives with their host families, it wasn't always the case.

The first book in this series found our protagonist benefiting greatly from being evacuated as she was able to have a fresh start to life far away from her abusive mother. Now living with a host mother, she finally had the opportunity to not only get a surgery to repair her club feet but to also heal emotionally.

In our live Book Club discussion, the focus will be primarily on the parts of surgery most people don't think much about. Surgery isn't just about the time in the operating room. While there are plenty of feel-good stories about surgeries changing someone's life, the reality is that the road to recovery after surgery is long and challenging. Physical therapy and adjusting to life after surgery are both challenging.

Both books in this series have become modern classics and most students have loved them! Parents should know that typical WWII themes are explored including bombing and loss.

I'm excited to share this book with our students in February!