The War I Finally Won

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What was the Blitz during World War II? How might the Blitz have had an impact on individuals on the British home front?

Teaching Suggestion: Ada—now living with Susan in the country—continues to wrestle with complications that arise from World War II. Rationing, blackouts, and volunteer work are just some of the struggles Ada and her family face daily. Once students have a chance to brainstorm on this topic based on previous learning from social studies class and other prior knowledge, consider discussing the Blitz in Britain as a group and allow students to analyze the extent that it impacted the lives of the individuals who lived there. These and similar resources might be useful in taking an in-depth look at the Blitz and the British home front.

• This article describes life in Britain on the home front during WWII.
• This 7-minute video explains the Blitz, how it began, and its impact on Britain.

Short Activity

Review The War That Saved My Life to recall important concepts before reading The War I Finally Won. Use these questions to guide your review:

• How would you describe Ada’s life with Mam?
• Why did Ada and Jamie leave Mam?
• Where did the children live when they left London?
• Why didn’t Susan want to keep Ada and Jamie?
• How would you describe Ada and Jamie’s personalities?
• Who is Butter and why is he important?
• What can you remember about the setting of The War That Saved My Life?
• What happens when Jamie and Ada return to Mam?
• How does the book end?

Teaching Suggestion: The War I Finally Won picks up where the previous novel left off. A summary of The War That Saved My Life can be found here. It may be helpful for students to review the concepts of the book as a reminder of plot points, backstory, and characterization. Students who read the first novel as a group might complete this activity in the form of a speed chat: The class divides in half, forming two lines where the students face one another. Pose a question for the students and provide a time limit for how long each pair can discuss it. When the timer finishes, they can rotate to the next student and answer a new question. For classes in which moving might become disruptive, students might instead respond to questions with a “turn-and-share” with a shoulder partner.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may wish to participate by creating a brief presentation that outlines the important details of the first novel. This presentation can be referred to as students read the novel and make connections to The War That Saved My Life.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Have you or someone you know ever felt uncertain about life events? How does it feel, or how do you imagine it feels, when the future seems unstable or worrisome? What might be the causes of uncertainty or worries?

Teaching Suggestion: Ada—having lived most of her life with her abusive mother, Mam—struggles to cope with the uncertainty and changes that occur in war-torn Britain. When Ada learns her mother died, she worries she won’t be taken in by Susan. Later, a German girl, Ruth, moves into Ada’s home, which causes her uncertainty about the girl’s loyalty to Britain. Students may be eager to discuss changes and how they can create instability or uncertainty, though these topics will require sensitive handling for some. It could be helpful to allow students to journal silently at their desk for a set amount of time before beginning a class discussion.