Island War

By Patricia Reilly Giff

Book Overview

Two young Americans must evade capture by Axis soldiers--and outlast the brutal Alaskan winter--in this thrilling historical novel which shines a light on a little-known facet of World War II.

Fourteen-year-old Matt never wanted to come to the remote Aleutian Islands--he was dragged here by his father for reasons he can't understand. Eleven-year-old Izzy, on the other hand, loves it--the wild weather, the strange birds, all the new people she's meeting. The two have little in common, except their hometown--they certainly aren't friends.

But when Japanese soldiers land on the island, Izzy and Matt are the only ones who escape being shipped off to a prison camp. The two kids must put their differences aside and work together if they're going to survive. With a long, harsh winter ahead of them, they'll need to dodge Axis soldiers and withstand Allied bombing raids--and keep the village dog from giving them away to the enemy, too.

Told in alternating point-of-view chapters, Island War is set amidst the Japanese occupation of the remote Aleutian Islands--the only foreign invasion of the United States that took place during World War II. Fans of Hatchet and Julie of the Wolves will be riveted by two-time Newbery Honoree Patricia Reilly Giff's thrilling story of survival, resilience, and the power of cooperation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823445402
• ISBN13: 9780823445400
• Release Date: January 2020
• Publisher: Holiday House
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7