SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS
Reading Group Guide:
World War II: Ten Greatest Heroes
by John Perritano
Reading Levels: GRL: X LEX: 890L DRA: 60
Pre-Reading Activity
Explore connotation Divide students into groups, assigning each group one of the following
words: ace, bigwig, celebrity, conqueror, champion, daredevil, idol, martyr, superstar, victor,
warrior. Teach or review the terms denotation and connotation. Then, have students discuss
how their assigned words relate to the word hero. (What images, feelings, or ideas you
associate with your assigned word? Is your word a synonym for hero? Why or why not? What
ideas do you associate with the word hero?) As groups share their responses, create a semantic
web around the word “HERO” on the board or on chart paper. When students have finished
reading World War II: Ten Greatest Heroes, ask them how they think hero is defined in the
book. (L.7.5c, 8.5c, 9-10.5b, 11-12.5b)
Questions for Discussion or Written Response
• Describe the structure the author used to organize World War II: Ten Greatest Heroes
How do the major sections contribute to the book as a whole? Consider the sections
titled “Hall of Heroes” and “Heroes of the Holocaust.” How do these sections serve to
develop and refine the concept of “hero” presented in the book? (RI 7.5, 9-10.5)
• Summarize the section about Daniel Inouye. How was Inouye influenced by the attack
on Pearl Harbor? Describe the relationship between Japanese Americans and the U.S.
government during World War II, using specific details from the text in your answer.
What can the reader conclude about the Japanese Americans who decided to enlist in
the Army? (RI 7.1, 7.3, 8.1, 9-10.1, 11-12.1)
• Look closely at the maps in the sections on Chester W. Nimitz, John Basilone, and
Tommy Macpherson. Write a caption for each map that explains the strategy or tactic it
illustrates. (RH 6-8.7)
• Analyze the paragraph under the heading “Second Thoughts” in the section about
James H. Doolittle. Which sentences in the paragraph represent main ideas? Which
sentences represent supporting details? (RI 8.5)
• What was author John Perritano’s purpose in writing World War II: Ten Greatest
Heroes? How does he make this purpose clear? (RI 7.6; RH 6-8.6)
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Other Activities to Try
• Focus on quotations Ask students to analyze each of the following quotations from the
book using the following prompts: 1) Restate each quotation in your own words. 2) How
does each quotation relate to the life of the man who said it? 2) Are any of the quotations
representative of a central idea in the text? If so, describe how this idea develops over the
course of the book. (RI 7.2, 8.2, 9-10.2, 11-12.2)
“Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these
machines of defense, but in ourselves.”—Chester W. Nimitz
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”—George S. Patton
“Lead from the front.”—Audie Murphy
“One doesn’t become a soldier in a week.”—Daniel Inouye
• Write informational texts Have students choose one of the topics in the “Hall of Heroes”
section (John F. Kennedy, Navajo Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen, General Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr., or Women Airforce Service Pilots) to research and write about. Students
should craft historical narratives with clear introductions, supporting information organized
into multiple categories, appropriate transitional phrases, and relevant conclusions.
(WHST 6-8.2, 9-10.2, 11-12.2)
• Read a text exemplar Have students read The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (A Common
Core Text Exemplar for Grades 9-10) and compare Zusak’s fictional portrayal of World War
II with John Perritano’s historical account. What aspects of war does each text emphasize?
How does Zusak use historical fact in his novel? How can literature provide an alternate way
of understanding war and its effects? (RL 7.9)
Build Vocabulary
Play “Glossary Speed Draw” Use the words provided in the glossary to play a speed drawing
game. Write each word in the glossary on a folded index card. Place the folded cards in a container
and divide students into groups. Begin the game by asking a student from one team to pick a
card from the container and draw the word he or she has chosen without speaking. If the student’s
teammates can correctly guess the word he or she has depicted, the team receives a point.
(RL 7.4; L 7.4; RL 8.4; L 8.4; RL 9-10.4; L 9-10.4; RL 11-12.4; L 11-12.4)
Sites to Visit
View extensive WWII and Holocaust resources at http://tinyurl.com/3hy8hrq
Find a unit plan for teaching nonfiction http://tinyurl.com/ygaphv6
Note: Questions are keyed to the Common Core Standards www.corestandards.org
RL: Reading Standards for Literature
RI: Reading Standards for Informational Text
W: Writing Standards
SL: Speaking and Listening Standards
L: Language Standards
Scholastic Book Clubs Reading Group Guides
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