Heroes: A Pearl Harbor Novel by Alan Gratz

I gave this book 4 ½ stars, but think the target audience of tweens would rate it a 5 star read.

This action-packed book will keep younger readers turning the pages to find out more about Pearl Harbor.

The author also includes notes about the real story and the elements he changed to make his story flow. Once again Alan Gratz does not disappoint!

On the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, two boys from military families forge a bond over a shared passion for comic books and the dream of creating their own hero.

Frank, haunted by a mysterious “Incident” that left him anxious and afraid, worries about everything from giant eels to flip-flops.

Stanley, the son of a flight crew chief and a Japanese mother, grew up on the island and becomes Frank’s closest friend.

Frank’s older sister is dating Brooks, a seaman stationed on the battleship Utah.

When he invites Frank and Stanley on a tour of the Utah, no one thinks that December 7th, 1941 would become “a date which will live in infamy”.

As the unthinkable unfolds, Pearl Harbor succumbs to a devastating attack, engulfing the Utah in a hailstorm of gunfire.

Thrust into the heart of chaos, Frank and Stanley must fight for their lives, escaping the sinking vessel amidst the pandemonium.

But even as they struggle to survive the initial attacks, the boys discover prejudice and suspicion cast upon Japanese Americans.

Can Frank overcome his fears to stand by his friend?

If you or your child enjoys this book, check out all of Alan Gratz’s great middle-grade reads!