Safe
Writing prompts inspired by Vanessa Harbour's historical novel Safe
Today’s writing prompts are inspired by Vanessa Harbour’s historical novel, Safe (2022).
Description
In the chaotic last days of World War II, Jakob and Kizzy are tricked into a life or death journey. Far from home, they are attacked and only just escape. They hide in a seemingly deserted mansion, but they keep hearing strange noises... Investigating, they find it shelters not only forty abandoned horses but a small band of lost children, displaced by the war. With danger on every side, can Kizzy and Jakob keep them safe and get them all home?
Writing prompt: Children of war
Write a short piece about a child orphaned and made homeless by the events of the Second World War. You can set it in any country affected by the war. Create a backstory for your character. What happened to their family? What traumatic events did they experience? How do they live now? What is their day to day life like? Have they made friends with other homeless children?
You can base your writing on historical and geographic knowledge or you can make it up, based on what you’ve learned from books like Safe. We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad is another brilliant children’s novel exploring the same theme. It’s your writing piece, so let your imagination soar and think about how it felt to go through these horrific experiences.
Readers
Read this book for a fascinating story that shows the effect of war upon children.
Writers
Read this book to learn how to turn historical facts, like the stories of children made homeless by the events of WWII, into a gripping adventure story.
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