ISBN: 9780803729216
Bibliography:
Bruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Dial Books.
Plot:
This story follows the life of Ned Begay, a young Navajo boy who is sent to boarding school at the age of 6 in order to learn the ways of the white man in order to help his people. When Ned gets older, he decides to enlist in the Marines so that he can help his country fight Japan in World War II. He becomes a code talker, which is a top-secret mission in which one sends and receives messages in Navajo so that the enemy cannot intercept and interpret important military messages.
Analysis:
Code Talker, set during World War II, tells a story which accurately describes historical events that are little known to most. By telling this story, Bruchac provides a voice for the many Navajo code talkers, who were never honored for their role in helping the United States defeat Japan in World War II. This story touches on themes of honor, selflessness, and the importance of preserving one's culture.
Many cultural markers are evident throughout the story as Ned describes Navajo traditions, customs, language, and ways of life. Ned uses corn pollen throughout the story when he prays, which is a common tradition of the Navajo. Bruchac also intersperses Navajo language throughout the text to show examples of the code that the Navajo marines used when sending and receiving messages to convey vital military information.
The character, Ned, like many Navajos, was discriminated against during boarding school when his teachers forced him to give up his Navajo language and traditions. Another example of racism occurs when Ned returns home from war and enters a bar to get a coke, and the bartender refused to serve him because he was Navajo: “Although I had changed, the things that had made me feel sad and ashamed when I was in boarding school had stayed the same. It didn’t matter that I had fought for America. It didn’t matter that I had made white friends who would have sacrificed their lives to save me when we were at war. In the eyes of those prejudiced bilagaanaas (white men) in that bar, I was just another stupid Navajo.”
Review Excerpts:
Library Media Connection: "Bruchac's voice as a master storyteller weaves stories, characters, and research into a compelling story of war, sacrifice, and personal journey. Heavily researched, this is a novel of still little known part of history within a culture and the larger United States that will leave readers with a different perspective of World War II.”
School Library Journal: “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.”
Connections:
*Other works by Bruchac:
The Girl Who Helped the Thunder and Other Native American Folktales ISBN: 9781402732638
The Arrow Over the Door ISBN: 9780141305714
Bearwalker ISBN: 9780061123092
A Boy Called Slow: the True Story of Sitting Bull ISBN: 9780698116160
Buffalo Song ISBN: 9781584302803
The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story ISBN: 9780140564099
*Check out Joseph Bruchac's Website:
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