Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award

The War that Saved my Life

on August 26, 2016

9780803740815A determined and willful handicapped girl escapes a brutal life in 1940’s London with her younger brother when air raids begin in the city. As Ada must learn to trust someone other than herself, her sense of self-worth grows. Their journey to discover a sense of home and family is both dangerous and beautiful.

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28 Responses to “The War that Saved my Life”

  1. Person says:

    This is a wonderfull book in which a girl who is crippled by her foot finds out all sorts of things with a woman who makes everything seem wonderfull.

  2. cheyenne says:

    I love this book! But I fell bad for ada because she gets abused by her mother.

  3. Emma J says:

    I really enjoyed this book. I was very sad and upsetting how Ada was abused by her mom, but luckily things worked out. This was a really good book.

  4. Hannah says:

    I rally liked the book. my favorite character is the main character she has i crippled leg i’m pretty sure.

  5. kyleeg says:

    I like this book but also it is very sad because Ada’s mom abuses her. Like when Ada ventured out side and her mom found out and Ada got beat till her shoulders bled. I would read this book a lot if I had to.

  6. Zoe C says:

    I really like this book. Ada was very smart on deciding to go to Susan after they wen’t to their mom. It’s sad to think that their mom treated them badly because having children costs money. But in the end they are living with Susan and hopefully happily.

  7. Shane VT says:

    Dear emma knight., again, Is Ada really crippled or does she just have clubfoot?she can still walk okay with clubfoot but when you are crippled,you can not walk at all.

  8. Shane VT says:

    When Ada moves to Miss Smith’s house,she is adjusting to the scenario,just as my family was when we moved to our new house.Ada is adjusting to the smells,food and Butter,Miss Smith’s friend,Becky’s (who passed away a while ago)horse.

  9. shanevt says:

    On page 1,while we are still getting introduced to the book,we find are first piece of evidence from the text is when Ada’s mam says “Jamie ain’t a cripple,unlike you.”Ada’s not allowed to go outside or do anything that involves physical movement.I could not do these things either with a sprained ankle.It helps me understand the story better because I know it is difficult to do things with only one good foot and how hard it is to get around.

  10. girija vt says:

    Oh,and megvt,I would say that Ada is crippled by her clubfoot.

  11. girija vt says:

    This book is heart-breaking and wonderfull!!! It is a real no-putting-this-book-down kind of book.I recomend it to everybody!!!

  12. Emma knight. says:

    I have a connection.The War That Saved My Life reminds me of a story I heard at my church. Just like this book the story takes place during WWII. Hitler thinks that he is better than everyone and he starts a war. Then in some countries the kids have to leave and go somewhere safe. This one boat of kids was met in America by these people who give them hot chocolate and gave them families that would keep them safe like Miss Smith does for Ada and Jaime.

  13. Emma knight. says:

    Dear MegVT, I also wonder if Mam gets Jamie and Ada back after Miss Smith picked them up from the bomb shelter. I think that Mam probably does get them back but I’m not sure. Why I think that she is going to get them back is because she would have to pay a fee because they are missing but they might not go with her because she’s cruel to them.

  14. Emma knight. says:

    Dear MegVT, I agree with you.I just thought that being crippled meant that the person who was crippled can’t walk very well not that they couldn’t walk at all. Also,if Ada was crippled,Mrs.smith would’ve gave Ada a wheelchair.So I would say that Ada just has a clubfoot.

  15. Emma knight. says:

    I am going to talk about a different character.His name is Jamie and he is Ada’s brother.I like that in the beginning of The War That Saved My Life Jamie stole food for Ada.Why I like it is because it is a really nice thing because in the beginning Ada can’t walk much and plus she is hungry at those times.I also think that it might be illegal to steal food unless if you are poor and don’t have any money and can’t work.

  16. MegVT says:

    Dear Emma knight,
    Would you really say that Ada is crippled? Or would you say that she just has a clubfoot? I would say that she just has a clubfoot because she can walk it just hurts her. If she was in a wheel chair all the time I would agree that she is crippled.

  17. Anonymous says:

    the war that saved my life is really intense and really cool. there is this kid named Ada and she is in the middle of a war with bomber plains and gunner plains.

  18. Abby says:

    what i like about The War That saved My Life is that miss smith helped Adu

  19. MegVT says:

    Dear Cheryll DeRue what do you mean by For read-a-likes. Do you mean read a loud or do you mean you like to reading The War That Saved my Life?

  20. MegVT says:

    I wonder if Ada’s “Mam” will come and get Ada and Jamie. I wonder this because Miss Smith writes letters to their “Mam” but she doesn’t respond. When she comes if she comes I wonder if she’ll be mad or what? I think she would be angry because “Mam” didn’t seem like a very happy person previously. Will they stay with Miss Smith or go back to London.

  21. MegVT says:

    If I were to be Ada I would be so grateful for Miss Smith. Because I wouldn’t want to live another second with her “Mam”. I think this because her “Mam” slapped Ada and made her bleed. Also “Mam” keeps Ada locked up for her difference in my opinion that shouldn’t happen to anyone no matter what is different about them or not.

  22. Emma knight. says:

    i agree that this book is for both kids and adults.But i wonder why the author chose Ada to be crippled.But otherwise it is a really good book.

  23. Emma knight. says:

    I think that this book is a really good book. But it is really harsh to just lock you’re kid up just because something is wrong with their foot.But the woman who took care of Ada before Mrs.Smith took care of her could’ve paid for Ada to get surgery.

  24. Haven M says:

    This book was so good I’m almost speechless. I read over 150 pages one night because it was soooooooo good. I felt terribly bad for Ada because of how vicious her mother was to her. I thought it was very unfair that Ada’s mother didn’t want her and that she shut Ada up just because she was a cripple. I love reading historical fiction and I love horses so this is a book I’d definitely read multiple times.

  25. Manny.F says:

    i generally like world war 2 scenarios so i found this book very enjoyable i also find this book kind of sad her mother was terrible to her by keeping her locked up just for being crippled

  26. caroleoglesby says:

    Dream of Night, by Heather Henson, could be a good read-alike – set in the present, not during the war though. What other books might be a good read-alike?

  27. Book Lady says:

    I loved this book! I felt so bad for Ada and thought her mother was terrible.

  28. Cheryll DeRue says:

    This book is fantastic! I recommend it to both kids and adults. Everyone has really enjoyed it and are looking for read-a-likes because they are not quite ready to let it go!

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