Code Word Courage by Kirby Larson

First of all, if your middle grade reader wants to read a story about the Navajo code talkers of World War II, I would suggest Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac. In that book, a Navajo boy, Ned Begay, hears about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, disguises his age, and joins the Marines. Because of his ethnic background and fluency in the Navajo language, Ned is given a special assignment that tests his commitment, patriotism, and endurance.

Not that this new book by Kirby Larson, in her Dogs of World War II series, is bad. I just liked the Bruchac book better. Code Word Courage links a young girl, Billie, whose brother Leo is in the Marines, with Leo’s friend, Denny, who is Navajo and becomes a code talker. The link is a stray dog that Denny finds and brings to Billie to take care of. The dog named Bear manages to save the lives of both Denny and Billie’s new friend, Tito, in an eerie sort of out-of-body or teleportation mechanism that I didn’t totally understand or buy.

It was the ghost dog part that I didn’t like. I’m not opposed to ghost stories, but there was something about this one that just didn’t grab me. I thought I was reading straightforward historical fiction, and then Ms. Larson threw me for a loop by having the dog be able to travel, in some spiritual or supernatural way, from Billie’s home to Iwo Jima and back again. I wanted realistic, and I got telepathic or teleporting dog connection.

However, if you know that up front and if you want a World War II middle grade novel about Navajo code talkers, Marines, Iwo Jima, the homefront, Mexican Americans, prejudice, a dog, and an eleven year old girl, Code Word Courage is well written (Kirby Larson is a great writer) and compelling. I just wasn’t a fan of the denouement.

Other books in the Dogs of World War II series are: Dash, Liberty and Duke. I haven’t read them, but for those who are fascinated by both dogs and World War II, they would seem to be quite enticing.

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This book may be nominated for a Cybils Award, but the views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect or determine the judging panel’s opinions.

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