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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was complicated for me- I loved the care the author took to tell the story of the Navajo code talkers. There is so much love and care taken to make the Navajo people and to explain some of their cultural beliefs and practices. However, there is a lot of apologist attitudes toward racist white characters. While these might be ways to cope with racism, it perpetuates a belief that it’s on persons of color to be the “bigger person”. So while the author doesn’t sugar coat the awful treatment of Navajo by the US government, he also doesn’t provide adequate criticism of the systems used to oppress Navajo peoples, including modern/wwii era oppression. For a middle grade book, it was okay.
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Code Talker is a story about a Navajo boy who signs up for the Marienes and becomes a code talker in World War Two. The author has the boy (grown up now)telling his story to his grandchilden who are curious about his medal. First he talks about how he had to go to the Navajo bording school and all of the traumatizing expierences there. He is given the english name of Benji(ben-gi)and a short hair cut. At boarding school the teachers try to get rid of everything Navajo about the kids. Benji excelled in school and was admitted to the english high school and excelled there aswell.
Then in Benji's junior year a Marine officer came and talked to the student body and after he graduated Benji joined the marines and went through the normal boot camp.He had trouble with the swiming part of boot camp because he didn't know how. Once he and a few other Navajos had finnshed boot camp they went to the middle of nowhere and where taught a code by other Nvajo Marines who were the 1st code talkers in World War Two.The Navajo Marines taught them that special letters or words mean milatary objects in code, but the most important thing thet found out there was suprising to Benji. They found out that all the things they had learned at school about that the Navajo lanaguage is bad and so forget it completly and that being Navjo was bad was all wrong information; knowing the Navajo lanaguage was going to save their country.
After code traing school Benji was shipped out and fought on D-Day, on the island of Bouganinville,the Marians Islands, Guam,and Iwo Jima. When Benji came home from war he was honnered and everything but when he went to go get a soda near the Navajo reservation he wasn't allowed to be served; the ratial discrimination that hadn't excisted in the Marines exscised here. This was strange to Benji because he had Marine friends who where white and treated him the same as they would anyone else, he thought that the discrimination was stupid.Benji went back to the reservation, to his parents and siblings and lived a normal life. What more details? Read Code Talker, I highly recomened it.
Then in Benji's junior year a Marine officer came and talked to the student body and after he graduated Benji joined the marines and went through the normal boot camp.He had trouble with the swiming part of boot camp because he didn't know how. Once he and a few other Navajos had finnshed boot camp they went to the middle of nowhere and where taught a code by other Nvajo Marines who were the 1st code talkers in World War Two.The Navajo Marines taught them that special letters or words mean milatary objects in code, but the most important thing thet found out there was suprising to Benji. They found out that all the things they had learned at school about that the Navajo lanaguage is bad and so forget it completly and that being Navjo was bad was all wrong information; knowing the Navajo lanaguage was going to save their country.
After code traing school Benji was shipped out and fought on D-Day, on the island of Bouganinville,the Marians Islands, Guam,and Iwo Jima. When Benji came home from war he was honnered and everything but when he went to go get a soda near the Navajo reservation he wasn't allowed to be served; the ratial discrimination that hadn't excisted in the Marines exscised here. This was strange to Benji because he had Marine friends who where white and treated him the same as they would anyone else, he thought that the discrimination was stupid.Benji went back to the reservation, to his parents and siblings and lived a normal life. What more details? Read Code Talker, I highly recomened it.
I'm generally not one for war stories, but Code Talker manages to strike a good balance of WW2 history and personal story. The Navajo code talkers are such a interesting part of American history, and I enjoyed the way this book made that story approachable and understandable.
A straight forward account of the Navajo code talkers during World War II. It's an incredible story, full of the irony of our mistreatment of Native Americans.
An amazing fictional story of the true events of World War II. During the war, the Americans couldn't develop codes fast enough to keep them secret from the Japanese. At least, until they started using Navajo Indians. Narrated by an old man speaking to his grandchildren, telling them about his experiences.
DNF 70% I only made it that fair because it was a book club selection for the month. I found the history aspect interesting, but the story telling aspect lacking. There was no emotional connection with the character.
Having read enough First Nations literature to know the themes and tones of these types of novels, I can say that Joseph Bruchac does a wonderful job of educating his readers about Navajo code talkers and their role in WWII.
This is a topic and a piece of history that many people know nothing about. I like that Bruchac geared this towards young adult readers, but the is told in the traditional way. A Navajo grandfather sits down to tell his story about the war and how Navajo Marines continued to weave their own stories and traditions into such a violent part of history. A powerful read.
If you love learning about languages or find that cultural identity, especially with our First Nations people, is something we can all learn and grow from, you'll likely enjoy Code Talker.
This is a topic and a piece of history that many people know nothing about. I like that Bruchac geared this towards young adult readers, but the is told in the traditional way. A Navajo grandfather sits down to tell his story about the war and how Navajo Marines continued to weave their own stories and traditions into such a violent part of history. A powerful read.
If you love learning about languages or find that cultural identity, especially with our First Nations people, is something we can all learn and grow from, you'll likely enjoy Code Talker.
I read the real version of this novel.
Many years ago I read this novel for as assignment I had to do for college and I remember enjoying it enough then that I wanted to share it with students. The time has come! While looking for an historical fiction novel to use with advanced 4th graders, I remembered this novel and felt it was perfect. It has a story to it, the characters are easy to understand, and the book is very factual. There are many topics the students and I will be able to talk about including war, racism, national pride vs. cultural pride, and sacrifice. I am looking forward to sharing this story with my students.
Many years ago I read this novel for as assignment I had to do for college and I remember enjoying it enough then that I wanted to share it with students. The time has come! While looking for an historical fiction novel to use with advanced 4th graders, I remembered this novel and felt it was perfect. It has a story to it, the characters are easy to understand, and the book is very factual. There are many topics the students and I will be able to talk about including war, racism, national pride vs. cultural pride, and sacrifice. I am looking forward to sharing this story with my students.
I really enjoyed Code Talker. I knew about the Najavo Marines, but didn't have more than a cursory knowledge. Though this is fiction, it seems to be well researched, and the characters were very compelling.
This book would be good for those who like action or historical fiction.
This book would be good for those who like action or historical fiction.