World Wars: Resources held by the Shropshire School Library
Service
In School Library Service we have a wide ranging stock of
books, resource packs, posters, prints, videos etc. covering most
areas of the curriculum from pre-school to post-16. With a
regularly changing shelf stock of some 160,000 items there is
always something of interest and relevance to support learning
and teaching in schools.
World War I and II are well covered in terms of information
books for children and young people. We have multiple copies of
national curriculum-related titles on the origins, context,
courses and effects of the two wars - all the kinds of books you
would want or expect to see in the classroom or school
library.
In addition we have many resources which are perhaps less
obvious but which will fit in well with the themes and content of
the Shropshire Routes to Roots learning packages. For example,
there are published collections of letters from the front line,
first hand accounts of the wars, social aspects, books on the art
of the two world wars, contemporary design, costume, food and
wartime recipes, evacuees, military aircraft, vehicles and
equipment as well as poster packs, facsimiles of wartime
documents, sets of World War II newspapers and so on.
World War I was of course vividly and poignantly depicted by
the soldier poets. We have anthologies of poetry relating to both
world wars and can put together an impressive range of fiction
titles. In fact it is interesting to see how writers of
historical novels for young people have moved away from the
earlier periods of history which were popular in the 1960s and
1970s to more recent history, with World War I and II being the
most popular subjects. Writers such as Linda Newberry, Marjorie
Darke, Robert Westall, Robert Swindells and the current
Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, are just a few who have
written memorable novels and stories on different aspects of the
wars.
We will be happy to select resource collections on behalf
teachers, to complement the excellent learning packages available
on the Shropshire Routes to Roots website. But the most
satisfying way of using our stock would be to visit SLS and make
a personal selection. If you are teaching in a school which
subscribes to the SLS, in Shropshire or Telford and Wrekin, then
do pay us a visit or ring us on (01743) 255030 and we will be
pleased to advise you on what is available and how to borrow
it.
Gordon Dickins
Principal Librarian: Young People and Access
Phone: (01743) 255030
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