The commemorations of VE Day’s 75th anniversary from 8 to 10 May have been rightfully postponed because of the Covid pandemic.
There will be no street parties but there are still lots of ways to mark the occasion at home and in the classroom.
And the good news is that this very important anniversary will – all being well – be revisited on 15th and 16th August, when organisers hope to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day together. You can follow their plans here: https://www.veday75.org/supporters/.
My forthcoming book – After the War – features scenes set on VE Day, 8th May 1945. In England where communities celebrate the defeat of the Nazis and in Czechoslovakia where Jewish children are liberated from camps and ghettos by the Russians.
The publication of After the War has been postponed too. But I had already created some online VE Day resources that – even though the book is not available yet – families and schools can use.
A book cover prediction sheet. Look at the cover of After the War and answer questions about what you think the story might be about.
VE Day paper dolls. Work as a family to decorate paper dolls of the children of VE Day. Then put it up as bunting to help mark the 75th anniversary of their liberation.
VE Day comprehension. Read the section of the book where the children talk about their very different experiences of VE Day, then answer some questions.
VE Day Black Out poetry. Create your own black out poetry using a VE Day scene from After the War.
You can find all the resources above and read more about After the War and the research I did to find out about what happened to children in England and on the continent on and after VE Day by visiting www.tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war.
Check out our gallery of school responses to After the War here
You can pre-order the book at your local independent – or other – bookshop too. The independent bookselling hub – www.hive.co.uk – is great for this.
Thanks for reading.
