Unbreakable Code - Hardcover

Hunter, Sara Hoagland

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0873586387 ISBN 13: 9780873586382

Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing LLC, 1996

Synopsis

John's mother is getting married and he has to leave the reservation. John's grandfather tells him he has the special unbreakable code to take with him. This story portrays the quiet pride of a Navajo code talker as he explains to his grandson how the Navajo language, faith and ingenuity helped win World War II. Full color.

About this title

About the Author

Julia Miner is an architect, designer, and artist who has illustrated three books for children: Lighthouse Santa, The Unbreakable Code, and The Shepherd's Song.

Reviews

Grade 2-4?John, a young Navajo, is frightened to leave his lifelong home on the reservation and move to Minnesota with his mother and new stepfather. The boy's grandfather assures him he'll be all right since he has an "unbreakable code," the Navajo language. The man goes on to tell the story of how he and other Navajos were recruited by the Marines and developed a message code based on their native language that helped the U.S. in the Pacific during World War II. After the story, John feels less tentative about his move because his grandfather "taught him who he was and what he would always have with him." The narrative melds nicely with the oil paintings, which adeptly depict the Southwestern landscape and the military scenes. Tables that show the original alphabetical code and some highlighted military terms are appended. The Unbreakable Code presents an interesting part of World War II history that traditionally has received little attention. Nathan Aaseng's Navajo Code Talkers (Walker, 1992) presents a nonfiction account for older children.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Setting a solidly intriguing, little-known historical episode within a fictional framework, Hunter (Don't Touch My Stuff) pays warm tribute to the Navajo "code talkers" who served in the Marine Corps during World War II. To comfort a grandson distraught about an upcoming move, an elderly Navajo man tells him about the time that he, too, had to leave their canyon home and, along with hundreds of other Navajo men, came to perform a crucial mission for the U.S. government. The Navajo language, which had never been written down and was virtually unknown to outsiders, became a "secret weapon" in preventing the Japanese from intercepting and decoding American radio messages. Hunter's lengthy but absorbing story, based on interviews with former code talkers, casts a well-deserved spotlight on these skilled soldiers and on a wartime role that is almost guaranteed to interest readers. Miner's (The Shepherd's Song) subtly textured oil paintings realistically depict serene canyon landscapes, tense battle scenes and the affectionate rapport between the narrator and his grandson. Young code-crackers will appreciate the inclusion of the original Navajo code in the endnotes. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing LLC
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0873586387
• ISBN 13: 9780873586382
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Miner Julia
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32