Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
I absolutely love books that can be more than just a story. If I can extend it to include educational lessons, make it a family read aloud, or do something else fun with it, then that’s a book I want on my shelf. That’s why I was excited for the opportunity to review Prisoner of War, authored Kinsey M. Rockett of Whatsoever Stories.
Prisoner of War is based on World War II history – the history of prisoners of war, of escape attempts. of Allied pilots, of the German Luftwaffe. Rockett has done her homework and knows her history well – and that’s the most important thing for a historical fiction novel. With clear writing and a conversational tone, Rockett conveys her story well.
I like the concept of the story. Soldiers going in to stage a mass rescue of POWs? That’s an exciting premise with great potential for historical and character-building lessons. It could appeal to a really wide age range of students.
This book is intended for students ages twelve and up. At fifteen, My Little Man – who’s no longer so little – is well within that range, but he’s long been a student of various wars and is a serious lover of classic fiction (meaning that he can handle the most intense and obscure language and sentence structure). That high school student of mine devoured this story but found it to be a bit cheesy. I think he may have meant preachy – there are longish passages of scripture, which are a bit unusual. He was full of enthusiasm for the message, though, saying that the book has a clear and very Christian message. I think it would make a great family read aloud – I can see it being used to introduce various World War II concepts to a variety of ages. This would also make it easy to discuss both the Christian message and the historical concepts together.
Prisoner of War is a large paperback book with a full-color cover that’s just shy of 400 pages. The font and clear spacing keeps the reader turning pages, though, and this organization structure makes it easy to read. While he is a great reader, he finished this book in two short reading sessions!
The book also includes a few special features that really add value to it as an educational tool. The author has written a note in the back that’s several pages long and details items of historical note that served as inspiration for the author. There’s also a glossary that defines terms used in book, including aeronautical, mechanical, historical, and German terminology. A historical note precedes the story itself, setting the stage for the story by outlining the major events of the war up to 1943.
The author is another unique aspect of this book. Rockett is a young homeschool graduate, so this wasn’t penned by the traditional middle-aged author writing for a big publisher. Instead, Rockett is pursuing her interest in creative writing and history by writing stories that bring various aspects of World War II to life. I love seeing people follow their dreams!
I think Prisoner of War would make a great family read aloud for people studying heroes in general or World War II specifically. It’s based on much real history and the author has done much research to inform her writing. Don’t take my word for it, though – read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking here.
