Code Talkers

Publisher's Description (Penguin Randomhouse): 
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.

But now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. 

Author Biography (Penguin Randomhouse): 
Joseph Bruchac is a member of the Nulhegan Abenaki Nation. Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children’s book author, poet, novelist, and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series with Michael Caduto. Bruchac's poems, articles, and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief.

Resource format: Graphic Novel

Age recommendation: grades 2-6

Keywords: Navajo, World War II, history, language, system, residential school, resilience, memoir, war, American, WW2, Indigenous soldiers, Indigenous warriors, Indigenous knowledges, military service, wartime communication, marines, American history, Navajo language

Year of publication: 2007

Publisher information: Oxford University Press