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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i know everyone in my class is going to fawn all over this. i found the subject interesting, but something i'd rather have read about at my own reading level. i think its not going to fly well in my branch, but would really add something in a school library.
This writing is so real.
Multiple times, I felt like I needed to double check that this was really fiction - it felt so much like a transcript of an interview with a real person. I have to give credit to the quality of the writing for that.
I've saved reading Code Talker for years. It's been quite a few years since I booktalked a book that came out more than 10 years ago. But I always try to include an ownvoices book by a Native American, and this was Code Talkers year.
I loved that he went into detail about being raised Navajo, basic training, how they figured out the codes. There were multiple anecdotes I was tempted to use for my booktalk (ended up focusing on the swimming test).
Great cover (which I don't think looks dated at all) - the middle schoolers asked for this frequently.
Multiple times, I felt like I needed to double check that this was really fiction - it felt so much like a transcript of an interview with a real person. I have to give credit to the quality of the writing for that.
I've saved reading Code Talker for years. It's been quite a few years since I booktalked a book that came out more than 10 years ago. But I always try to include an ownvoices book by a Native American, and this was Code Talkers year.
I loved that he went into detail about being raised Navajo, basic training, how they figured out the codes. There were multiple anecdotes I was tempted to use for my booktalk (ended up focusing on the swimming test).
Great cover (which I don't think looks dated at all) - the middle schoolers asked for this frequently.
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
I knew very little about the navajo code talkers before reading this book, and this book did a good job giving their perspective on the war in the pacific. But I have to admit it read more like a history book than a novel, and there were times when honestly it was a bit dull.
Read because this is the novel I'm teaching this year...so it will also be reread here in a few weeks
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Derrick Henry, who was an excellent narrator. And while a fiction novel, the story was based off of and inspired by real events. It tells an extremely underrepresented story of Navajo code talkers. They played an extremely important part in winning WWII and saving countless lives yet their tales are rarely ever told. I am a bit of a history nerd and have taken several honors and AP history classes throughout high school and college and was never once taught about Navajo code talkers. The writing felt like it was telling an actual biography.
The story and message behind the book is incredibly important. Highly recommend.
The story and message behind the book is incredibly important. Highly recommend.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this because I am going to have my 8th graders read it during our WWII unit coming up. I expected it to be good, but I had to read it, of course, to really know and to teach it. It was really good. It was a really solid balance of history and storytelling. If a student reads this, they will get not only a great picture of the Navajo contribution to the war effort, but the American fight in the Pacific overall. The best part of this book, though, is the way it deals with subtlety. Of course, there is the main nuance of Navajos, who have been oppressed by Americans, fighting and giving their lives for America. But it goes beyond that, such as for example his portrayal of both hating the Japanese but also feel sorry for their people.
I hope my students enjoy this as much as I did.
I hope my students enjoy this as much as I did.