Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac (2005)
Joseph Bruchac’s Code Talker is a historical fiction novel about the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. The story follows Ned Begay, a young Navajo boy who is recruited by the Marines to become a Code Talker. Ned is sent to a special school to learn the code and then sent to the Pacific theater of war. Ned is thrust into a world of violence and death, but he is determined to do his part to help the Marines win the war. He and the other Code Talkers use their language to send coded messages that the Japanese are unable to decipher. Through Ned’s eyes, readers get a glimpse of the horrors of war and the courage of the Navajo Code Talkers. The novel also explores the themes of identity, loyalty, and patriotism. Ned must grapple with his identity as a Navajo and a Marine, and he must decide where his loyalties lie. He must also decide what it means to be a patriot and how far he is willing to go to protect his country. Code Talker is an inspiring story of courage and heroism in the face of adversity. It is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by the Navajo Code Talkers and all those who served in World War II.
By Joseph Bruchac · First published 2005 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult Fiction · 34 chapters · 57,240 words
First lines
This book is dedicated to those who have always, in proportion to their population, volunteered in the greatest numbers, suffered the most casualties, won the most Purple Hearts and decorations for valor, and served loyally in every war fought by the United States against foreign enemies, from the American Revolution to Afghanistan and Iraq- to the American Indian soldier.
What this Textopian page supports
Code Talker is listed on Textopian as a novel by Joseph Bruchac, dated 2005 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Joseph Bruchac
- Date: 2005 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult Fiction, War Fiction
- Length: 57,240 words
- Structure: 34 chapters, 998 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Code Talker?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The book is based on the true story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II, and follows the protagonist's journey as he joins the Marines and uses his native language to create an unbreakable code.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he joins the Marines and fights in World War II, encountering danger and excitement along the way.
- Young Adult Fiction — The protagonist is a young Navajo man, and the story follows his coming-of-age journey as he joins the Marines and fights in World War II.
- War Fiction — The story follows the protagonist's journey as he joins the Marines and fights in World War II, encountering the horrors of war along the way.
Tags
Fiction · Music · Poetry · american · beach · boy · called · code · conflict · day · days · enemy
Contents
- Dedication
- Who Are the Navajos?
- Sent Away
- The Code Talkers
- Boarding School
- Listen, My Grandchildren
- To Be Forgotten
- Acknowledgments
- Progress
- High School
- Sneak Attack
- Navajos Wanted
- New Recruits
- The Blessingway
- Boot Camp
- Code School
- Learning the Code
- Shipping Out to Hawaii
- The Enemies
- Field Maneuvers
- Bombardment
- First Landing
- On Bougainville
- Do You Have a Navajo?
- The Next Targets
- Guam
- Fatigue
- Pavavu
- Iwo Jima
- In Sight of Suribachi
- The Black Beach
- Okinawa
- The Bomb
- Going Home