This is almost a duplicate question. In fact, you're asking two questions here.
When your user will try to (un)check your checkboxes then item become 'active' in some way. And focused style will be applied. As far as I know there is no way to disable selection(because if you did your checkboxes will not work) but you can override focused(or selected) style of your listbox items.
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.