Maybe you should get your parents involved too. If she and her parents ignore you all the time, the only thing that might work is show up there with one of your parents and ask for the stuff back. I don't see how else this situation could be resolved.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.