We’ve read one book from the I Survived series at Read, Write, Explore before—I Survived the California Wildfires, 2019. This one, I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, was written way before that, and from what I can tell, it’s one of Lauren Tarshis’s most popular books. I thought long and hard before choosing to read this book with 9- and 10-year-olds. The horrific events of the second world war don’t make for easy reading, and like I’ve said before, it’s always more difficult to gauge the mood of my book clubbers online than offline.
Yet, it’s an important story, and while I wonder what conversations will be triggered by the book, I’m looking forward to reading it at Read, Write, Explore.
Symbols
Different symbols mean different things. The star and the swastika on the cover, for instance, are relevant. What other symbols do we know, and what do they stand for?
A Period in History
What period in history do you know well? Children (and adults too!) often know trivia about obscure things. Dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, the Aztecs … I want each book clubber to talk to me about a period in history that fascinates them!
Writing an 'I Survived' Story
Taking the same thing forward, we will attempt to write a rudimentary work of historical fiction, with the emphasis on the word fiction. What obstacles do you think a character in the period of your choice would face? How would they survive them?
Join a programme!
Read, Write, Explore combines the fun of a book club with an introduction to creative writing. One class every two weeks is devoted to writing of some sort, making the programme perfect for creative children who aren’t yet committed to writing.
Registrations are now closed for the April-May 2025 edition of Read, Write, Explore. New batches begin every alternate month. Join my mailing list if you would like to receive email notifications about my programmes. Alternatively, follow me on social media – Facebook and Instagram – for regular updates.
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