CODE WORD COURAGE

Erin Stewart and Forrest Goodluck alternate narrating this WWII story featuring 11-year-old Billie Packer and Denny, a Marine Navajo code talker. Stewart captures Billie's spunkiness as well as the sadness she feels at her brother Leo's going off to war. Depictions of her friends, the home front, and wartime efforts add atmosphere to the story. In particular, Billie's guardian, no-nonsense Great-Aunt Doff, is one of Stewart's best creations. When Leo returns home with his friend, Denny, Goodluck's more restrained style fits his Navajo reserve. Most moving are Denny's rescue of Bear, an injured dog that Billie nurses back to health, and depictions of Bear's spirit protecting Denny on the battlefield. Only a small section focuses on the code talkers, but it's gripping to hear how their words were chosen to convey vital information and bypass enemy spies. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2018]