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Did you catch the first episode of Ken Burns’ film The War about World War II on PBS this weekend? Like much of Burns’ work, I was touched, horrified and spellbound - all at the same time. The story is told through the personal accounts of women and men from four American towns, a terrific way of making the experience of war more personal and heartbreaking.

Click Communications sent me a preview copy of the six DVD set. The first episode was so good that I’m tempted to watch the whole thing right now while Lucie’s at preschool this week. (Plus the premier of Heroes is on tonight, so I’ll miss part of the second episode anyway.)

Released on PBS Home Video, The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick will be available for purchase October 10, just after the series finishes up on TV. Good thing too, because you should watch The War after the kids go to bed. Within the first 30 seconds, you’re shown footage of dead soldiers, soon followed by footage of dead civilians (including children) and a horrifying shot of a Jewish infant who starved to death in the Polish ghettos.

If you’re kids are high schoolers, plan to watch The War with them. PBS’s website has a section just for educators that parents can use, too. There are 14 lesson plans with classroom activities appropriate for students in grades 9-12. You may want to go through them to find topics for you and your teenager to discuss.

If your child is younger and curious about WW II, here are some age appropriate Usborne Books:

• Second World War: For ages 10 years and up. From 1939 to 1945, an estimated 50 million people died. This book tells you why the Second World War exacted such a bloody toll. Find out about huge battles and mighty weapons, the bombing of cities and the treatment of occupied nations, the Holocaust and D-Day. Discover how Adolf Hitler led his once-unbeatable armies to annihilation, and why Pearl Harbor was the greatest mistake of the war.
• War Stories: For ages 10 and up, about the first and second World Wars. From zeppelin raids, trench warfare, spies and secret plots, to epic encounters between colossal warships and duels between lone snipers facing almost certain death, this book contains a collection of dramatic and unforgettable tales from both of these terrible wars.
• Animals at War: For ages eight years and up. From horses and elephants carrying armies, to dogs parachuting from planes and dolphins detecting mines, animals have played a part in some of the bloodiest battles in history. Their stories are as compelling and tragic as those of the soldiers they served.
• Adolf Hitler: For ages seven years and up. How did an unremarkable boy from rural Austria become the dictator who led Germany into a bloody world war? Follow Hitler’s rise to power, through failure as a student to success as a speaker, and discover how his bitter determination led ultimately to destruction.
• True Stories of The Second World War: For ages nine years and up. Epic naval encounters between titanic warships, monumental battles involving hundreds of thousands of men, and duels between lone snipers facing almost certain death, these are just some of the dramatic tales in this collection of stories from the Second World War. For those who survived, it would remain the most intense and vivid experience of their lives.

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