Prepare Your Heartstrings

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley,  is a story that grabs emotional hold of the reader and doesn't let go until the last page. In the story, it is the beginning of World War II and Ada and her little brother Jamie live with an abusive mother who has no patience for Ada's disability. Ada, who doesn't even know when her birthday is, has never left her one room apartment. When the city becomes more dangerous, children in London including Jamie, are shipped out to live in the country, and Ada escapes to be with him. They end up in a farmhouse with Susan, a loner who is not accustomed to children, let alone a girl who is both physically and emotionally crippled. Will the three of them be able to survive the war and establish a lasting relationship? Like Wonder, or Number the Stars, this book will appeal to a wide range of mature middle grade readers.