Code talker

a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two

by

230 pages

English language

Published Dec. 30, 2006 by Scholastic, Inc..

ISBN:
978-0-439-89100-4
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4 stars (1 review)

After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.

5 editions

reviewed Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Review of 'Code Talker' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

While this is fiction, it is based around historical facts, and that's a big plus for this reviewer. The depressing treatment of Navajo (and many other Native Americans) starts this tale off and acts as a wonderful counterpoint to their work as Code Talkers during World War II. Tales of island hopping are accurate, even if the main character's two friends are caricatures. Especially well told is the accurate tale of the two flag raisings on Mt. Suribachi (Iwo Jima).

Also spot on though depressing is the main character's return to civilian life, where he is thrown out of a bar that doesn't serve Indians. While this young adult tale wasn't as good as the same author's Jim Thorpe, it was pretty darn good. Recommended!

Subjects

  • United States. -- Marine Corps -- Participation, Indian -- Juvenile fiction
  • Navajo code talkers -- Juvenile fiction
  • Navajo language -- Juvenile fiction
  • Cryptography -- Juvenile fiction
  • Navajo Indians -- Juvenile fiction
  • Indians of North America -- Southwest, New -- Juvenile fiction
  • World War, 1939-1945 -- Juvenile fiction