Bruchac, Joseph. Code talker; a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two.

BRUCHAC, Joseph. Code talker; a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Read by Derrick Henry. 5 tapes. 6 hrs. Recorded Books. 2005/2006. 1-4193-5121-4. $39.75. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. JS

From the review of the book in KLIATT, March 2005: "Ned Begay leaves his shepherding Navajo family at age six for a strict mission school, where his mouth is washed out with soap for speaking his native language and he is told to forget about his heritage. Years later he is delighted when the Marines come to specifically recruit Navajos for 'special duty' in WW II and Ned discovers, on enlisting at age 16, that it is their unique language the Marines prize. He joins the all-Navajo 297th Platoon and is sent to a special code school, where he learns an unbreakable top-secret code based on Navajo: a code so secret that the government only declassified the story in 1969.... The Navajo 'code talkers' saw action in the Pacific, transmitting codes the Japanese could not break ... Ned's terrible experiences in battle change him, but as he relates this story to his grandchildren, he conveys his pride in the vital contribution he and his fellow Navajos made to win the war. Bruchac, who is of Abenaki heritage, has written many books for YA readers. This one is close to his heart, as an author's note at the end makes clear, and it tells an important story...."

While not a professional actor or reader, Henry's voice has the authentic ring of a person familiar with the Navaho language and culture. The simplicity is compelling and it is certainly helpful to have someone speak the words who is familar with what Bruchac calls their "sacred" language. Mary Purucker, Beverly Hills PL, Beverly Hills, CA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.