Book Summary: The War That Saved My Life (6th grade)
Order from Scattered Books
Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s club foot (a disability) to let her outside. So, when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making.
1 – How did you feel about Ada? Did you feel badly for her? Would you want sympathy yourself?
2 – Did you expect that Ada would become the person she did? What do you think holds people back more – physical or psychological disabilities?
3 – What surprised you in this book? Did you learn anything?