 |
| Link to Amazon |
From the beginning of this novel the reader is pulled into the story of a young Navajo boy, who at school is given the last name of Begay. The reader follows this boy as he grows into a young man and follows his dream of joining the Marines. Through this man's adventures and trials readers will see a side of WWII that is not much shown, the real story of Code Talkers, as well a the hardships they faced.
When reading this story, people will see a different side to Native Americans, specifically Navajos, that is not usually seen. Readers will learn about tribal rituals for different circumstances, including how the rituals are performed and how the different members of the community participate in these rituals. Also portrayed in this book is how these people were treated by "white people" when at school, and how their culture and customs were stripped from them upon entering school. Something else that will be learned about this culture in reading this story is how the Navajo people were treated even after fighting for this country and how their sacrifice saved our country.
To accompany this story students could research Code Talkers and how they helped in WWII. Another crucial item to research is the Navajo culture. Students need to understand both the Navajo culture as well as the contributions of this culture. Each student, or group of students could present their findings to the class in unique ways to demonstrate their understanding.
When reading this story, people will see a different side to Native Americans, specifically Navajos, that is not usually seen. Readers will learn about tribal rituals for different circumstances, including how the rituals are performed and how the different members of the community participate in these rituals. Also portrayed in this book is how these people were treated by "white people" when at school, and how their culture and customs were stripped from them upon entering school. Something else that will be learned about this culture in reading this story is how the Navajo people were treated even after fighting for this country and how their sacrifice saved our country.
To accompany this story students could research Code Talkers and how they helped in WWII. Another crucial item to research is the Navajo culture. Students need to understand both the Navajo culture as well as the contributions of this culture. Each student, or group of students could present their findings to the class in unique ways to demonstrate their understanding.
This novel was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:
Grade 5 Up–In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac assumes the persona of a Navajo grandfather telling his grandchildren about his World War II experiences. Begay's lifelong journey honors the Navajos and other Native Americans in the military, and fosters respect for their culture. Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima. Nonsensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring, this is an eye-opener.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Citation:
Bruchac, J. (2005). Code talker: A novel about the Navajo marines of World War Two. New York, NY: Dial Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment