Monday, December 24, 2018

Island War by Patricia Reilly Giff - ADVISABLE

Island War by Patricia Reilly Giff, 208 pages, Holiday House. 2018. $17.00. 

Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f') Mature Content: G; Violence: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

11yo Izzy has come to the island of Attu, off the coast of Alaska, with her mother who is studying birds. 14yo Matt has come to the island with his father, who is secretly working for the US Government. The two get off to a very bad start, but when Japanese soldiers invade the island, capturing the whole village, somehow Matt and Izzy are left behind, and they have to learn to get along in order to survive. 

I was not familiar with this aspect of WWII - a territory of the US was invaded by the Japanese! Patricia Reilly Giff has written a gripping story full of suspense, danger and bird watching. The children are likable - Matt seems to be angry all the time, and Izzy struggles both with reading and self confidence, but there's a dog which is always a plus. 

Lisa Librarian

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