Secure Your Copy Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines Of World War Two Devised By Joseph Bruchac Accessible As Paper Copy

I hate giving bad reviews, This just read more like a semantic journal of military operations they went on then anything that really explored the critical role of indigenous people during the war, or a substantive history of how this code system was developed.
I was so excited to read this because I have forefathers who were themselves code talkers, but I guess I will have to look elsewhere for that.
If youre looking for a book on strategical operations during specific island skirmishes with Japan, Id recommend this.
Otherwise, definitely not what I thought it was advertised as, And one more thing, I know for a fact that these code talkers had a great cultural and spiritual influence on the soldiers around them but nothing was mentioned about that.
I felt that that was a great dishonor to history and to the ways in which they served the troops, beyond just transmitting codified language.
Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.
S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language, They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives.
Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years,

Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteenyearold Navajo boy who becomes a code talker.
His grueling journey is eyeopening and inspiring, This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.
This is the most phenomenal book I didn't mean to read, See, a teacher and patron of both my libraries asked me if we had this book at either library, as she needed a few extras for class.
We did not, so I placed a blanket hold to bring in some extras from across the public library's cooperative.
She took the first three that came in, and didn't need more,

Another arrived, and I figured, "Waste not, want not, " Might as well read what my students are reading in class, right

It was well worth my time, and it will be well worth yours, too.
If you're reading this review to decide whether you should read it: you should,

This is an excellent depiction of what the Navajo Code Talkers went through, as children being made to attend boarding schools to lose their culture, and then as young adults reusing their language for incredibly important tasks in World War II.
Be sure to read the notes at the end most of the people in the book are real.


This book is also totally suitable for middle school and high school students, It portrays all of the tension of battle without the gore, It's a real pageturner.

I can't believe I didn't have this yet at either of my libraries, That will definitely change. This is one that needs to be on the shelves, Great story about the Navajo marines and recruiting methods to find men and boys to help w/the war effort.
.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 thanyears 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.
This book was very interesting, It really gave me a good idea how much the Navajos helped the americans win world war, Also it gave me a really good idea of what the veterans were talking about who were in world war.
Here is another book by an awardwinning children's author, that must be considered a book for everyone, Although the book is fully accessible to students who are upper middle school or high school students, this book is also an engaging, informative, and worthwhile book for adults as well.
By focusing on one main fictional character and following his way through World War II in the Pacific Ocean, the enormity of the conflict is condensed to a size that is manageable for a novel.
When considering this book for a classroom, consider reading sections of it or using it with your most accomplished readers.
“The name the armed forces gave to that sickness of the mind and spirit was battle fatigue, It was hard for some people to understand, especially those whod never been in combat, Some even accused those men of being fakers and cowards,

But we Navajos understood it well, Our ancestors saw what war does to human beings, When we must fight other humans, injure and kill them, we also injure a part of ourselves, Our spirits become sick ” Code Talker

My mind and, I pray, my heart, have been expanded by this book, Telling these accounts through the eyes of a Navajo boy gave a different face to the war for me an obedient, spiritual, survivalist face.
Native Americans fought alongside their fellow white/black/etc, Americans for freedom. This book recounts only a handful of those natives stories from only one of the wars for freedom of which they were a part and I cant help but wonder, again,

WHY

Why wasnt I taught about these men when I was in school, when I was supposed to be taught “vital, core information” Why are nonwhite stories of triumph still kept in the dark like dirty secrets Why am I even so upset about this

right now

Maybe its because I just finished a beautiful book about beautiful people doing beautiful things, and I know that these Native men returned home to less praise than some of their fellow fighters, if not to a complete lack of praise, or, to even the same racial/historical prejudices and slander they left behind.
Maybe Im upset at how sin ravages beautiful people like all the men whose sacrifices slip into shadow and beautiful things like welldeserved homecomings.
Maybe the cultural climate in the U, S. right now has me stirred, Maybe Im being too sentimental about this,

Maybe, but I dont think so, Since God has created all human beings with value and purpose, we, who have been told we have infinite worth by a loving Father, should see all human beings in that same way.
People are people bravery is bravery, The first half of the book was character driven, If you know anything about me, then you know by now that I always prefer a character driven book to a plot driven book.
If I had to rate the first half of the book it would getout ofstars, The second half of the book was very battle specific, I'm not interested in action, I'm not interested in climbing a hill or digging a trench, There was a lot of that in the second half,

The parts that actually spoke about people and culture and thoughts and feelings were a delight.
I loved learning more about Navajo blessings and the way names were changed and bestowed in the residential schools I can't believe "Begay" means "son of!" No wonder it's so ubiquitous.
I still think it's a good read, and if I come across any teens who need a historical fiction book for school and they're interested in WWII or action, I will hand this one to them.
"When we must fight other humans, injure and kill them, we also injure a part of ourselves, "

Respecting other languages and cultures is the message that remains paramount in the United States and globally.
This novel is indeed a work of splendid engaging storytelling, The historical significance of "Code Talker" is so relative to those military soldiers who at times questioned their bravery in the midst of active conflict.
Yet, this novel also spoke of something unnerving, . . racism and oppression of Native Americans,

Ned Begay, whose Navajo birthname is Kii Yazhi, serves as the narrator in this story speaking to his grandchildren.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, outside his tribe, the resounding negative dehumanization of the Navajos were always echoing in their presence.
Upon attending boarding school, the Navajo students had to learn English and were forbidden to speak their native language.
They had to conform to the AngloSaxon way of learning and life, Their hair was cut, which was not a custom of their people because it was considered bad luck.
Navajos were often criticized and told they were stupid, lazy, could not be taught anything, and that they could never be good as any white man.


This mindset changed dramatically when the Marines had a topsecret mission that only the Navajos were able to perform confidentially.
Because the Navajo language was uncommon and hard to learn, they were recruited to be code talkers in order to get important messages to U.
S. troops in combat. The beautiful part of it was their native language was communication their enemies would not be able to understand.


This is a story of action, intrigue, tragedy, and injustice, When I learned about the use of code talkers in the military decades ago, the story fascinated me just as much as the stories about the Buffalo Soldiers.
Joseph Bruchac did an amazing job with this storyline and is a good read I highly recommend,

"War is a time out of balance, When it is truly over, we must work to restore peace and sacred harmony once again, ".