What do you think?
Rate this book
Island War
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.
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.
203 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2018
13 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Reilly Giff
214 books467 followersPatricia Reilly Giff was the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan's Song, a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily's Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 12, 2020
We really enjoyed this fast paced WWII story set in the Aleutian islands. The story was told by the two main characters, a girl and a boy who had just arrived on the island, the chapters alternated between them.
I think this is a story best read not knowing much about, we came to the story knowing very little which made certain turns of the story much more interesting for us. We also knew very little about these islands so the descriptions were very interesting and we enjoyed hearing about the wildlife and weather, it sounds like an amazing place.
The friendship between the two main characters was interesting, it was refreshing to see two people who were very different and disliked each other, thrust together in difficult circumstances. We loved the dog character and the childrens loyalty to their friend. It was good too to see a friendly soldier, we liked this characters actions and hoped he escaped the war safely.
This was a quick read, we thought it could have been longer perhaps. I think this will appeal to those who enjoy WWII stories, children surviving without adults and those who enjoy descriptions of island life.
I think this is a story best read not knowing much about, we came to the story knowing very little which made certain turns of the story much more interesting for us. We also knew very little about these islands so the descriptions were very interesting and we enjoyed hearing about the wildlife and weather, it sounds like an amazing place.
The friendship between the two main characters was interesting, it was refreshing to see two people who were very different and disliked each other, thrust together in difficult circumstances. We loved the dog character and the childrens loyalty to their friend. It was good too to see a friendly soldier, we liked this characters actions and hoped he escaped the war safely.
This was a quick read, we thought it could have been longer perhaps. I think this will appeal to those who enjoy WWII stories, children surviving without adults and those who enjoy descriptions of island life.
March 31, 2019
Juvenile literature set during World War II is plentiful, but Island War tells a story unfamiliar to most kids. It gives us the perspective from Attu, an Aleutian Island in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Along with Kiska, Attu was the only United States territory invaded by Japan during the war, a traumatic experience for its inhabitants. Izzy, age eleven, has migrated with her mother from the U.S. mainland to the Aleutians to study rare and beautiful birds. Izzy's father has passed away, but he loved Attu; it inspired his creative writing. Izzy isn't much of a writer or reader, but she cherishes this opportunity to feel close to her father. Maybe she'll find the cave he discovered on the island. Matt, age fourteen, is also coming to the island with a parent. He'd rather stay in New York with his mother, but his father is being sent to Attu on a government job, and he wants Matt for company. How will Matt pass the dreary days stranded in the middle of the ocean?
The first-person narrative alternates between Izzy and Matt throughout the story. They meet on the boat ride to the island, but initially don't get along. Izzy makes friends with an island girl named Maria, and Matt falls in with other boys, though he occasionally ridicules Izzy in public. Her thick glasses give her a peculiar appearance, but why do some boys insist on antagonizing her? Izzy's feud with Matt is put aside when word arrives that war is edging close to the Aleutians. Would the U.S. defend the islands if Japan hopped across the Pacific and attacked them? Soon ships are spotted on the horizon, ships bearing the Japanese flag. The takeover is accomplished with minimal violence, but Izzy and her mother are terrified, and Matt's father is helpless against the occupying force. No one knows how Japan will treat its new prisoners of war.
Eventually the invaders load the citizens onto boats and send them overseas. Izzy and Matt can't prevent their parents from being taken, but the two kids slip through their captors' fingers and hide on the island. They avoid the remaining Japanese soldiers as they forage for food, but with winter coming survival won't be easy. They must work together to conserve resources until someone rescues them. Can Izzy find her father's secret cave? Can Matt rig up a kayak and paddle across the ocean to safety? Attu is a cold, bleak place to live alone, but Izzy and Matt cling to hope that war will end soon and their lives will be spared. If only they could be assured a happy ending to their story.
Patricia Reilly Giff crafts artful, sensitive phrases that stimulate imagination of scenes quite remote from the reader's experience. I had never thought about World War II on the Aleutians, but Island War brings this small corner of the conflict into focus, a reminder that the war touched everyone. We can't always choose how tragedy hits us, but the way we respond is our choice, and Izzy and Matt display grit under dismal circumstances. Even in war, we can hope tomorrow will be better as long as we fight to survive to it. I might rate Island War two and a half stars; there's a lot to like, including the gorgeous cover painting by Olga Baumert on the first edition. I love some Patricia Reilly Giff books more, but this is a solid addition to her body of work.
The first-person narrative alternates between Izzy and Matt throughout the story. They meet on the boat ride to the island, but initially don't get along. Izzy makes friends with an island girl named Maria, and Matt falls in with other boys, though he occasionally ridicules Izzy in public. Her thick glasses give her a peculiar appearance, but why do some boys insist on antagonizing her? Izzy's feud with Matt is put aside when word arrives that war is edging close to the Aleutians. Would the U.S. defend the islands if Japan hopped across the Pacific and attacked them? Soon ships are spotted on the horizon, ships bearing the Japanese flag. The takeover is accomplished with minimal violence, but Izzy and her mother are terrified, and Matt's father is helpless against the occupying force. No one knows how Japan will treat its new prisoners of war.
Eventually the invaders load the citizens onto boats and send them overseas. Izzy and Matt can't prevent their parents from being taken, but the two kids slip through their captors' fingers and hide on the island. They avoid the remaining Japanese soldiers as they forage for food, but with winter coming survival won't be easy. They must work together to conserve resources until someone rescues them. Can Izzy find her father's secret cave? Can Matt rig up a kayak and paddle across the ocean to safety? Attu is a cold, bleak place to live alone, but Izzy and Matt cling to hope that war will end soon and their lives will be spared. If only they could be assured a happy ending to their story.
Patricia Reilly Giff crafts artful, sensitive phrases that stimulate imagination of scenes quite remote from the reader's experience. I had never thought about World War II on the Aleutians, but Island War brings this small corner of the conflict into focus, a reminder that the war touched everyone. We can't always choose how tragedy hits us, but the way we respond is our choice, and Izzy and Matt display grit under dismal circumstances. Even in war, we can hope tomorrow will be better as long as we fight to survive to it. I might rate Island War two and a half stars; there's a lot to like, including the gorgeous cover painting by Olga Baumert on the first edition. I love some Patricia Reilly Giff books more, but this is a solid addition to her body of work.
November 14, 2019
In Patricia Reilly Giff's latest novel she revisits World War II. Twelve-year-old Izzy, clumsy, awkward and with thick glasses, hates her school in Connecticut on the Long Island Sound. School will start again soon and her beloved father won't be there to help cheer her up by telling her stories of his travels. He was eager for her to see the Island (Aleutian island) where he had spent an incredible time. Izzy convinces her ornithologist mother than the time is right to finally visit. Fourteen-year-old Matt is looking forward to winter in Connecticut, rowing all fall and cheering on his mom in her swim meets. Then his emotionally distant father returns home and announces Matt is coming with him to a remote island far from mainland Alaska. It will be an experience he says. Matt is miserable at the idea of leaving home and being with his taciturn father. Izzy finds the island magical but Matt remains miserable except for when he's in his kayak. When war comes to the island, the children must find a way to come together and survive against the odds.
This is another wonderful story from a master storyteller. The description of the island, based loosely on Attu, makes it sound like a magical place but too primitive for my personal vacation plans. The plot is so gripping I couldn't put the book down. I would have liked more of an epilogue and more of an author's note, including sources for information.
It was sensible of Patricia Reilly Giff, an older, white woman, not to try to write in the voice of a native Aleutian. She wisely chose two characters familiar to her world and included the Aleutians in the periphery of the story. I do wish there had been more of them and their traditionally way of life.
Izzy is a fun character. I think she may have a muscular disorder. With her thick glasses and twitching limbs she makes me think of a friend's son. However, I'm not sure a child with that condition would have survived. Anyway, Izzy is endearing. She's super clumsy, I sure can relate and awkward. She doesn't like to read and by the end it is indicated that she seems to have difficulty reading on her own. Her reading comprehension seems to be above her reading level though. She loves pouring over her mother's notebook and listening to her father's stories. Izzy is a tenacious girl, never letting her awkwardness stand in her way. She stubbornly refuses to admit defeat and tries her best to overcome her physical challenges. Izzy gets along well with her mother but it seems like she was a Daddy's girl and her heart is broken since he was killed in an accident. I love her relationship with Willie the dog. It's very sweet and gives her someone to hang on to and care for in difficult times. I love how Izzy stays positive and never loses hope.
Izzy's relationship with Matt is not as nice. He's a tough character to like. Teenage boys aren't known for their social skills to begin with and he's rude to Izzy as he continues to misunderstand and judge her. Matt doesn't get along with his father although he does try to understand why his father is the way he is. Matt's Dad is a military type. It appears obvious to the adult reader why Matt's dad is tough, irritable and secretive but I don't know if kids would guess. He seems to be a secret government spy now he can longer be active on duty due to injury. Matt goes through a period of growth in the novel as he faces harsh challenges with only Izzy to help.
Maria, Izzy's best friend, is a native Aleutian. She's chatty, bubbly and loves to read, especially legends. I like her a lot but she sounds like an exhausting friend. She does push and challenge Izzy to find a book she would enjoy.
Miss Deane, Izzy's former teacher, sounds like the kind of teacher kids hate and adults love. She was tough on her students because she knew they had potential. Miss Deane tried to help the children reach their full potential. I had teachers like that and of course didn't appreciate them until much much later! I like how she can be viewed differently depending on who is reading the story.
The Japanese soldiers are naturally portrayed as the enemy. I wondered whether their actions were realistic and why the author included a scene where they open fired on islanders at church. That's happening too much too often these days and I don't want my nieces and nephews knowing about it just yet. They don't need to read it in a novel either. However, the Japanese are not shown as evil enemies, just solders. There's even one who is complex because he appears to be kind.
The short length of the novel may have limited some of the plot. This is definitely a book for older children 12-14. I enjoyed it so much I didn't notice the plot holes other reviewers picked up on. I don't think children will either.
This is another wonderful story from a master storyteller. The description of the island, based loosely on Attu, makes it sound like a magical place but too primitive for my personal vacation plans. The plot is so gripping I couldn't put the book down. I would have liked more of an epilogue and more of an author's note, including sources for information.
It was sensible of Patricia Reilly Giff, an older, white woman, not to try to write in the voice of a native Aleutian. She wisely chose two characters familiar to her world and included the Aleutians in the periphery of the story. I do wish there had been more of them and their traditionally way of life.
Izzy is a fun character. I think she may have a muscular disorder. With her thick glasses and twitching limbs she makes me think of a friend's son. However, I'm not sure a child with that condition would have survived. Anyway, Izzy is endearing. She's super clumsy, I sure can relate and awkward. She doesn't like to read and by the end it is indicated that she seems to have difficulty reading on her own. Her reading comprehension seems to be above her reading level though. She loves pouring over her mother's notebook and listening to her father's stories. Izzy is a tenacious girl, never letting her awkwardness stand in her way. She stubbornly refuses to admit defeat and tries her best to overcome her physical challenges. Izzy gets along well with her mother but it seems like she was a Daddy's girl and her heart is broken since he was killed in an accident. I love her relationship with Willie the dog. It's very sweet and gives her someone to hang on to and care for in difficult times. I love how Izzy stays positive and never loses hope.
Izzy's relationship with Matt is not as nice. He's a tough character to like. Teenage boys aren't known for their social skills to begin with and he's rude to Izzy as he continues to misunderstand and judge her. Matt doesn't get along with his father although he does try to understand why his father is the way he is. Matt's Dad is a military type. It appears obvious to the adult reader why Matt's dad is tough, irritable and secretive but I don't know if kids would guess. He seems to be a secret government spy now he can longer be active on duty due to injury. Matt goes through a period of growth in the novel as he faces harsh challenges with only Izzy to help.
Maria, Izzy's best friend, is a native Aleutian. She's chatty, bubbly and loves to read, especially legends. I like her a lot but she sounds like an exhausting friend. She does push and challenge Izzy to find a book she would enjoy.
Miss Deane, Izzy's former teacher, sounds like the kind of teacher kids hate and adults love. She was tough on her students because she knew they had potential. Miss Deane tried to help the children reach their full potential. I had teachers like that and of course didn't appreciate them until much much later! I like how she can be viewed differently depending on who is reading the story.
The Japanese soldiers are naturally portrayed as the enemy. I wondered whether their actions were realistic and why the author included a scene where they open fired on islanders at church. That's happening too much too often these days and I don't want my nieces and nephews knowing about it just yet. They don't need to read it in a novel either. However, the Japanese are not shown as evil enemies, just solders. There's even one who is complex because he appears to be kind.
The short length of the novel may have limited some of the plot. This is definitely a book for older children 12-14. I enjoyed it so much I didn't notice the plot holes other reviewers picked up on. I don't think children will either.
January 9, 2019
Very let down by this one and I wanted to like it so much!!! Huge plot gaps and low believability which would confuse the middle grade readers it’s intended for. Seems like the first draft.
October 17, 2021
I was interested to read this book because it is about a little known part of history and also because I spent some time living in the Aleutians. It isn't a bad story, but it has a lot of gaps. The Aleut people are really never mentioned. Cultural differences are never discussed, beyond the fact that people weave baskets and have kayaks. Cultural practices that are mentioned are never really explained. The unlikeliness of two kids from the same town showing up simultaneously in an Aleut village is never mentioned. It isn't like a village of 50 or so people would just have a couple of unoccupied houses for people to move into. It really isn't clear what the children's parents are doing there, or how they fit into the community. Do the kids just fit right in at school? What language is spoken at the school? It must be English in the book, but really, would it have been? It seems to me that this book kind of erases the Aleut people. It focuses on an event that happened to the Aleut people, yet the book is about two kids, presumably white kids, from elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the erasure of the whole people who one might expect to be at the center of this book is only the first of many large gaps. While an excellent survival story like Hatchet leaves you amazed at an incredible resilience, but ready to believe because of all the details, this book just leaves you feeling confused. Wait, what did they eat? How did they keep warm? How long were they there? Where did they think they'd go in that kayak? The author does a nice job of including a few twists and turns and unexpected events, but even some of these leave you wondering. (Wait, what's happening to the cave? and why?).
One enters the world of a book ready to believe, ready to root for the characters and to dive into the world created by the author. In this case, I just couldn't do it. There were enough discrepancies and enough missing information that I kept bobbing back into reality.
Unfortunately, the erasure of the whole people who one might expect to be at the center of this book is only the first of many large gaps. While an excellent survival story like Hatchet leaves you amazed at an incredible resilience, but ready to believe because of all the details, this book just leaves you feeling confused. Wait, what did they eat? How did they keep warm? How long were they there? Where did they think they'd go in that kayak? The author does a nice job of including a few twists and turns and unexpected events, but even some of these leave you wondering. (Wait, what's happening to the cave? and why?).
One enters the world of a book ready to believe, ready to root for the characters and to dive into the world created by the author. In this case, I just couldn't do it. There were enough discrepancies and enough missing information that I kept bobbing back into reality.
June 8, 2022
Island War is the first PRG book I read after finding out she passed away last summer. It was bittersweet realizing that the few books I had yet to read of hers would be the last "new" ones to read...no more new stories.
PRG's niche is absolutely World War II middle grade novels. I think it's her passion as well as her strength. This book is no exception. Island War takes place on a little island off Alaska, part of the Aleutian Islands (which I previously knew nothing about). Not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in late 1941, Japanese ships came to these islands and captured all who were living in them, sending them back to Japan to be kept in concentration camps for the duration of the war. This story is the fictional "what if" of such a tragedy...what if two kids were left behind on the island with no parents, no guidance, no help?
Matt and Izzy couldn't be more different. Izzy is scatterbrained, creative, clumsy and loud, Matt is quiet, reserved and melancholy. Before the Japanese occupation, they hated each other. They avoided each other at school and around town. But when they're the only two people left on the island, they depend on each other for survival. I loved how Matt and Izzy pushed past their differences in order to work together to find food, shelter and take care of each other's wellbeing. It wasn't easy and they still argued, but they were dedicated to sticking together and problem solving.
The climax and ending was everything I wanted it to be and so, so heartwarming and sweet, as PRG's endings always are. While the plot was completely fictional, I still found PRG did an amazing job instilling hope and combating prejudice in her two beloved characters. It was a beautiful tribute to what must have been a nightmare to those people taken away by the Japanese.
Highly recommend!
PRG's niche is absolutely World War II middle grade novels. I think it's her passion as well as her strength. This book is no exception. Island War takes place on a little island off Alaska, part of the Aleutian Islands (which I previously knew nothing about). Not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in late 1941, Japanese ships came to these islands and captured all who were living in them, sending them back to Japan to be kept in concentration camps for the duration of the war. This story is the fictional "what if" of such a tragedy...what if two kids were left behind on the island with no parents, no guidance, no help?
Matt and Izzy couldn't be more different. Izzy is scatterbrained, creative, clumsy and loud, Matt is quiet, reserved and melancholy. Before the Japanese occupation, they hated each other. They avoided each other at school and around town. But when they're the only two people left on the island, they depend on each other for survival. I loved how Matt and Izzy pushed past their differences in order to work together to find food, shelter and take care of each other's wellbeing. It wasn't easy and they still argued, but they were dedicated to sticking together and problem solving.
The climax and ending was everything I wanted it to be and so, so heartwarming and sweet, as PRG's endings always are. While the plot was completely fictional, I still found PRG did an amazing job instilling hope and combating prejudice in her two beloved characters. It was a beautiful tribute to what must have been a nightmare to those people taken away by the Japanese.
Highly recommend!
October 15, 2018
It's September 1941 and 12-year-old Izzy is beside herself with excitement at the idea of going to the Aleutian Island that her recently deceased father loved so much. Traveling with her mother, an ornithologist who will be studying the island's rare birds, Izzy isn't too happy when she discovers that Matt, an older boy from school, is also traveling to the same island.
Matt isn't at all happy about leaving his mom and traveling to an Aleutian Island with this remote father. He would much rather be rowing around Long Island Sound and cheering on his mom at her swim meets. And an encounter with Izzy on the boat doesn't help his attitude.
On the island, Izzy meets Maria, and the two girls immediately become friends, as well as the friendly but nameless village dog. Matt is given a kayak by his father, who is as remote as ever, holed up in his room all day long and giving Matt freedom to kayak and explore whenever he isn't in school.
But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and the United States enters the war, things change quickly. One Sunday morning, not long after Izzy and Matt's first Christmas on the island, Japanese soldiers arrive, shooting out the windows of everyone's home and rounding the people up inside the church. Matt's father has just enough time to hide the radio he has been using for a government job. After ransacking the homes and taking all the food, the Japanese soldiers send everyone back to their homes. From then on, the men go fishing everyday, and the barest minimum of their catch is given to the people, the rest kept for the soldiers. When Maria comes down with scarlet fever, Izzy is on her own.
Watching Matt, Izzy learns how he sneaks out of the village, through the barb wire wrapped around it, and begins escaping for a few hours of freedom, too. Matt's father suspects they will all be sent to a Japanese prison camp, and in September 1942, it begins to look imminent. One night, while away from the village, Izzy sees Matt's father being forced onto the Japanese ship. After realizing everyone is gone, Izzy believes she is alone on the island. Matt, who was out kayaking, believes the same thing when he returns.
Izzy and the village dog, whom she names Willie, head to Matt's house and find food there. When Matt arrives and accuses her of stealing, the two agree to stay away from each other. But when Izzy discovers some Japanese soldiers are still on the island, she realizes it's time to hide. Maybe she and Matt can find the cave her father had loved and told her about. When Matt falls and breaks his leg, the two are forced together in a battle for survival even as the island becomes a battleground between the Japanese and the Americans.
Island War is, without a doubt, an exciting story. Based on the actual occupation of two Aleutian Islands during WWII, Giff has woven a gripping story about two young, very different teens fighting for survival in the face of harsh elements and enemy soldiers. Ironically, their survival is helped by their absent fathers. For Izzy, it was the cave her father loved that provides shelter against the bitter winter cold and snow, while Matt's father provided him with skills to navigate the icy waters around the islands, among other life-saving measures.
The novel is narrated in first-person alternating sections by Izzy and Matt, so the reader knows exactly how each feels about what is happening to them and how they feel about each other. Interestingly, neither character particularly appealed to me at first, Matt felt like a moody, resentful teen, and Izzy too flighty and impulsive. So I particularly liked seeing how both characters grew and matured as the story went along and how the two former enemies had to learn to work together, and even begin to caring about one another, becoming more likable to the reader.
I've read a number of Patricia Reilly Giff's wartime novels now. She takes a real event and cleverly creates a story around it, presenting what life was like at each time and place during the war. In reality, the people living on the two Aleutian Islands occupied by the Japanese were all sent to prison camps in Japan, so Izzy and Matt's experience is strictly from her imagination, but still believable and certainly thought provoking.
I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII or simply historical literature. For an interesting, diverse look at life on the home front during WWII, I recommend this quartet of books by Patricia Reilly Giff: Island War, Willow Run (a young girl finds herself living in a village created for the war effort), Gingersnap (a young girl goes to Brooklyn looking for her unknown grandmother) , and Genevieve's War (an American girl visiting her grandmother finds herself living on the French home front).
And you could definitely pair Island War with Samantha Seiple's nonfiction work Ghosts in the Fog: the Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion for a well-rounded look at this little known part of WWII history.
Island War will be available on October 23, 2018
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss Plus
Matt isn't at all happy about leaving his mom and traveling to an Aleutian Island with this remote father. He would much rather be rowing around Long Island Sound and cheering on his mom at her swim meets. And an encounter with Izzy on the boat doesn't help his attitude.
On the island, Izzy meets Maria, and the two girls immediately become friends, as well as the friendly but nameless village dog. Matt is given a kayak by his father, who is as remote as ever, holed up in his room all day long and giving Matt freedom to kayak and explore whenever he isn't in school.
But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and the United States enters the war, things change quickly. One Sunday morning, not long after Izzy and Matt's first Christmas on the island, Japanese soldiers arrive, shooting out the windows of everyone's home and rounding the people up inside the church. Matt's father has just enough time to hide the radio he has been using for a government job. After ransacking the homes and taking all the food, the Japanese soldiers send everyone back to their homes. From then on, the men go fishing everyday, and the barest minimum of their catch is given to the people, the rest kept for the soldiers. When Maria comes down with scarlet fever, Izzy is on her own.
Watching Matt, Izzy learns how he sneaks out of the village, through the barb wire wrapped around it, and begins escaping for a few hours of freedom, too. Matt's father suspects they will all be sent to a Japanese prison camp, and in September 1942, it begins to look imminent. One night, while away from the village, Izzy sees Matt's father being forced onto the Japanese ship. After realizing everyone is gone, Izzy believes she is alone on the island. Matt, who was out kayaking, believes the same thing when he returns.
Izzy and the village dog, whom she names Willie, head to Matt's house and find food there. When Matt arrives and accuses her of stealing, the two agree to stay away from each other. But when Izzy discovers some Japanese soldiers are still on the island, she realizes it's time to hide. Maybe she and Matt can find the cave her father had loved and told her about. When Matt falls and breaks his leg, the two are forced together in a battle for survival even as the island becomes a battleground between the Japanese and the Americans.
Island War is, without a doubt, an exciting story. Based on the actual occupation of two Aleutian Islands during WWII, Giff has woven a gripping story about two young, very different teens fighting for survival in the face of harsh elements and enemy soldiers. Ironically, their survival is helped by their absent fathers. For Izzy, it was the cave her father loved that provides shelter against the bitter winter cold and snow, while Matt's father provided him with skills to navigate the icy waters around the islands, among other life-saving measures.
The novel is narrated in first-person alternating sections by Izzy and Matt, so the reader knows exactly how each feels about what is happening to them and how they feel about each other. Interestingly, neither character particularly appealed to me at first, Matt felt like a moody, resentful teen, and Izzy too flighty and impulsive. So I particularly liked seeing how both characters grew and matured as the story went along and how the two former enemies had to learn to work together, and even begin to caring about one another, becoming more likable to the reader.
I've read a number of Patricia Reilly Giff's wartime novels now. She takes a real event and cleverly creates a story around it, presenting what life was like at each time and place during the war. In reality, the people living on the two Aleutian Islands occupied by the Japanese were all sent to prison camps in Japan, so Izzy and Matt's experience is strictly from her imagination, but still believable and certainly thought provoking.
I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII or simply historical literature. For an interesting, diverse look at life on the home front during WWII, I recommend this quartet of books by Patricia Reilly Giff: Island War, Willow Run (a young girl finds herself living in a village created for the war effort), Gingersnap (a young girl goes to Brooklyn looking for her unknown grandmother) , and Genevieve's War (an American girl visiting her grandmother finds herself living on the French home front).
And you could definitely pair Island War with Samantha Seiple's nonfiction work Ghosts in the Fog: the Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion for a well-rounded look at this little known part of WWII history.
Island War will be available on October 23, 2018
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss Plus
December 7, 2018
Told in alternating chapters, Izzy and Matt form an unlikely alliance in an effort to survive and outwit invading soldiers during World War II. Izzy’s father has recently died and Izzy’s mother, a bird lover, has delayed a family trip to the Aleutian Islands to study migration. Though hesitant to leave without her husband’s guidance and support for such a long trip from Connecticut, she and Izzy soon leave by boat for the island. Matt and his father are making the same journey from Long Island though Matt’s father’s intentions are much more secretive and dangerous. Through a misadventure on the ship Matt and Izzy get off on the wrong foot and their relationship only worsens on the island. Though both are attending the same small island school, they avoid each other and Matt especially projects hostility toward Izzy. Suddenly war is declared on the Japanese and within days, the island is taken over by Japanese soldiers. Every person on the island is loaded onto a ship and taken away yet Izzy and Matt have remained hidden. Next begins a tense time of staying out of sight of soldiers, keeping warm and fed, and finding a way off the island. Matt and Izzy come to depend on each other and ultimately will find their way home. This novel could have benefitted from a map of the Aleutian Islands which could give readers a sense of clarity as to how far away from the United States this story was taking place. Overall a good middle grade historical fiction by a consistently reliable author but for students looking to learn more about World War II, this lacks breadth and depth.
May 8, 2019
This is an excellent upper middle-grade historical novel. The World War II Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, off of Alaska, is told through the eyes of two characters, an eleven-year-old girl and fourteen-year-old boy who escape capture but must hide from enemy soldiers and survive in a harsh climate. It's not only a wonderful story of courage but of family relationships. Giff keeps the reader hooked.
December 5, 2025
I am left a blobbering, sobbing mess after finishing this one. Somehow these children's raw feelings in the middle of a humanitarian crisis just grip you at your very core. The author does know how to convey despair, loneliness, and, best of all, hope. Hope that things can get better—need to get better.
A very short, yet overwhelmingly beautiful, read.
4/5☆
A very short, yet overwhelmingly beautiful, read.
4/5☆
December 24, 2019
Disappointing story from a good middle school author. Set on one of the Aleutians Islands during WWII, Japanese invade and 2 children manage to escape the roundup that sent villagers and mainland visitors to Japanese camps. Very low believability on how the characters made it through.
February 24, 2019
I thought I would love this: Island of the Blue Dolphins set in Alaska, a place that currently holds my imagination in thrall.
The premise is good, and there are some very interesting historical and cultural details, plus it shows a part of WWII that doesn't get a lot of press.
Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.
I didn't really connect with the characters. I think the alternating first person POV might have contributed to that, because the voices felt too similar and the structure seemed mostly so they could be foils to each others' perceptions. This can work really well, but it just didn't work here.
The setting was interesting, and I would have thought it would have caused a lot of culture shock and adaptation for the two main characters who are from a very different place (the same town on the East coast…a hard-to-swallow coincidence that seemed completely unnecessary). I wanted to see them adapting. I wanted to see the true effects of the cold and the barrenness and the isolation, but most of that was really skimmed over.
The time gaps were confusing and distancing. Months would pass in a line or two, and sometimes this led to confusion. For example, when the Japanese invaded, I thought it was early spring. I may have been wrong because of all the zipping forward in time. But then Izzy and her mom sat in their house, where all the windows had been knocked out by the Japanese, and put on their jackets and huddled there all night. Um…wouldn't early spring nights in the Aleutian Islands require more than jackets? And later, could Izzy and Matt have really survived months of winter in a cave, with not even a fire? Or maybe they didn't survive for months in winter…I may have lost track.
I found many other things unrealistic. For example, at one point Matt turned over in the kayak to hide from the Japanese and stayed underwater as long as he could, until they left. Then he paddled to shore and sat there to wait for a safe time to venture out again. Even if this were summer, wouldn't he have died of hypothermia, sitting there in his wet clothes? Or at least suffered a bit? That water is COLD even in summer. I thought the first rule of survival in such situations was that you have to immediately get out of your wet clothes. Then you need to do some rigorous exercise, light a fire, put on dry clothes, or whatever you must to warm back up. But he did none of that and didn't even seem too uncomfortable. Then, while hiding in the cave for months during winter, unable to fish or forage, it seemed that Izzy and Matt's food came from one suitcase that Izzy carried once over the several miles from the village. Maybe I lost track and she went back more than once, but one suitcase isn't a lot of food to last you for months, especially when the cold temperatures require more calorie intake. Speaking of that food, they found it when they finally looked where Matt's dad hid the radio. For months Matt didn't think to see if the RADIO was still there and working? The radio he could maybe use to call for help? Many things just felt so unrealistic that I had a hard time really putting myself into the story. Maybe it's my own perceptions of reality that are off. Still, I needed some sort of explanation of these hard-to-believe situations.
There were some really nice moments, like some of the interactions with the dog and one Japanese soldier. Though I thought Matt and Izzy's initial dislike was quite forced, I liked how their relationship developed slowly and fairy realistically. What survival details we got were cool.
I think people who can more easily suspend their disbelief might really like this.
The premise is good, and there are some very interesting historical and cultural details, plus it shows a part of WWII that doesn't get a lot of press.
Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.
I didn't really connect with the characters. I think the alternating first person POV might have contributed to that, because the voices felt too similar and the structure seemed mostly so they could be foils to each others' perceptions. This can work really well, but it just didn't work here.
The setting was interesting, and I would have thought it would have caused a lot of culture shock and adaptation for the two main characters who are from a very different place (the same town on the East coast…a hard-to-swallow coincidence that seemed completely unnecessary). I wanted to see them adapting. I wanted to see the true effects of the cold and the barrenness and the isolation, but most of that was really skimmed over.
The time gaps were confusing and distancing. Months would pass in a line or two, and sometimes this led to confusion. For example, when the Japanese invaded, I thought it was early spring. I may have been wrong because of all the zipping forward in time. But then Izzy and her mom sat in their house, where all the windows had been knocked out by the Japanese, and put on their jackets and huddled there all night. Um…wouldn't early spring nights in the Aleutian Islands require more than jackets? And later, could Izzy and Matt have really survived months of winter in a cave, with not even a fire? Or maybe they didn't survive for months in winter…I may have lost track.
I found many other things unrealistic. For example, at one point Matt turned over in the kayak to hide from the Japanese and stayed underwater as long as he could, until they left. Then he paddled to shore and sat there to wait for a safe time to venture out again. Even if this were summer, wouldn't he have died of hypothermia, sitting there in his wet clothes? Or at least suffered a bit? That water is COLD even in summer. I thought the first rule of survival in such situations was that you have to immediately get out of your wet clothes. Then you need to do some rigorous exercise, light a fire, put on dry clothes, or whatever you must to warm back up. But he did none of that and didn't even seem too uncomfortable. Then, while hiding in the cave for months during winter, unable to fish or forage, it seemed that Izzy and Matt's food came from one suitcase that Izzy carried once over the several miles from the village. Maybe I lost track and she went back more than once, but one suitcase isn't a lot of food to last you for months, especially when the cold temperatures require more calorie intake. Speaking of that food, they found it when they finally looked where Matt's dad hid the radio. For months Matt didn't think to see if the RADIO was still there and working? The radio he could maybe use to call for help? Many things just felt so unrealistic that I had a hard time really putting myself into the story. Maybe it's my own perceptions of reality that are off. Still, I needed some sort of explanation of these hard-to-believe situations.
There were some really nice moments, like some of the interactions with the dog and one Japanese soldier. Though I thought Matt and Izzy's initial dislike was quite forced, I liked how their relationship developed slowly and fairy realistically. What survival details we got were cool.
I think people who can more easily suspend their disbelief might really like this.
March 2, 2023
I wanted to love this book which had all the elements of success: a fascinating location, and interesting time period, and a character with interests and thoughts to make a compelling read. Instead, I was disappointed beyond measure by the lack of research, poor writing, and simplistic plot. It should have been so much better.
October 21, 2018
3.5 for this one, another book by this always-reliable storyteller. It is late in the year in 1941, and two youngsters arrive for what is supposed to be a brief stay on the Aleutian Islands. For Izzy and her ornithologist mother, it's a chance to heal and savor some of the spots Izzy's father loved before he died in an accident. For Matt, it's a chance to maybe get to know the gruff father he barely knows. The two youngsters, one 11 and one 14, don't become friends. In fact, Matt despises Izzy on sight and thinks she deliberately bumped into him on the boat when they first arrived. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor makes the area part of the war with Japanese soldiers arriving to round up all the residents and take them to a prisoner of war camp. Matt and Izzy are missed in the round-up, and must fend for themselves for several months. At first, they do so separately, but eventually they team forces, finding food and shelter, and drawing comfort from Willie, a stray dog on the island. The two of them are resilient and determined to survive, making this a book that many will compare to Julie of the Wolves, Hatchet, and My Side of the Mountain. And while the survival theme is important here, one of the best parts of the story, told in alternating sections from Izzy and Matt, is how one of the Japanese soldiers notices Izzy and her generosity toward Willie, and then quietly leaves her gifts of food to help slake her hunger. She had assumed those foods were from Matt, but their inclusion reminds her and readers that just because two sides are at war, it doesn't mean that they have to be enemies or cannot feel compassion toward others. This short, gripping read aloud will have many readers wondering what they would have done in the same situations faced by Izzy and Matt.
January 16, 2019
Izzy and Matt have both come to an island off the coast of modern-day Alaska (at the time a U.S. territory). Matt is there against his wishes to reconnect with his father. Izzy has come with her mother to connect with a place that was special for her deceased father. The two children attend school and church with the native Aleut people and each learn to love the windswept, treeless island in their own way, but they clash with each other and do not get along. Matt learns to kayak and Izzy searches for a cave that her father wrote about. Then WWII begins and the island is thrust into chaos. Japanese soldiers arrive and take occupation of the island, controlling the food supply and eventually taking all the island inhabitants off to a Japanese prison camp...except for Izzy and Matt. Izzy and Matt are left alone on the island to fend for themselves, along with a dog named Willie. Can the two children put aside their differences and help each other survive?
The book alternates between Izzy and Matt's perspectives and effectively shows their slow realization that they must work together to survive. Giff also humanizes the enemy in this book. Giff's afterword explains the truth behind the novel; while two children were not left behind on the island, the occupation and imprisonment of American citizens in Japanese prisons did happen. This is a short, quick read that will fascinate history fans.
I wanted more about how the two kids survived the winter. I love survival stories, but that element wasn't a big part of the book (and it's part of modern-day Alaska so it's definitely cold!). Over two years pass in the span of 200 pages so a lot is skimmed over.
The book alternates between Izzy and Matt's perspectives and effectively shows their slow realization that they must work together to survive. Giff also humanizes the enemy in this book. Giff's afterword explains the truth behind the novel; while two children were not left behind on the island, the occupation and imprisonment of American citizens in Japanese prisons did happen. This is a short, quick read that will fascinate history fans.
I wanted more about how the two kids survived the winter. I love survival stories, but that element wasn't a big part of the book (and it's part of modern-day Alaska so it's definitely cold!). Over two years pass in the span of 200 pages so a lot is skimmed over.
December 21, 2021
This book is about a boy named Matt and a girl named Izzy who are left alone on an Alaskan island when the Japanese army takes the rest of the Island's Residents prisoner including Izzy's Mom and Matt's Pop. The book is about being brave and caring for one another and enjoying nature while keeping your friends and family safe.
I gave this 4 stars because I really loved the book but I was hoping for a part 2 but its still a great book without a part 2. If there was a possible part 2, I would hope for it to come from the parents point of view. I also gave this 4 stars because you are left on a big cliffhanger. I also didn't really think that only staying to one topic in the book was a good idea like Survival or Nature.
I would have given this book a 5 star rating if there wasn't such a big cliffhanger. I also would have given it 5 stars if it had more topics like situations the kids or the parents went through throughout the book. Also maybe if there was more characters or more setting changes in the book. Overall I am happy with my rating on this book.
I think that the theme is Selflessness and Hope. All throughout the book the main characters are caring for one another and they are hoping for freedom. Izzy and Matt both have hope for each other all through the book.
My favorite quote was "What if... NO!" (Giff 56). I really liked this quote because it really relates to the theme and it means a lot about the characters personality to each other. I thought this stood out to me as a reader and it made the character's personalities feel more clear to me.
I really recommend this book to new readers or grades 8-10. It is a great book for new readers because it has a great hook and story. It drew me in with its hook and the first 2 pages of the book!
I gave this 4 stars because I really loved the book but I was hoping for a part 2 but its still a great book without a part 2. If there was a possible part 2, I would hope for it to come from the parents point of view. I also gave this 4 stars because you are left on a big cliffhanger. I also didn't really think that only staying to one topic in the book was a good idea like Survival or Nature.
I would have given this book a 5 star rating if there wasn't such a big cliffhanger. I also would have given it 5 stars if it had more topics like situations the kids or the parents went through throughout the book. Also maybe if there was more characters or more setting changes in the book. Overall I am happy with my rating on this book.
I think that the theme is Selflessness and Hope. All throughout the book the main characters are caring for one another and they are hoping for freedom. Izzy and Matt both have hope for each other all through the book.
My favorite quote was "What if... NO!" (Giff 56). I really liked this quote because it really relates to the theme and it means a lot about the characters personality to each other. I thought this stood out to me as a reader and it made the character's personalities feel more clear to me.
I really recommend this book to new readers or grades 8-10. It is a great book for new readers because it has a great hook and story. It drew me in with its hook and the first 2 pages of the book!
August 25, 2018
Patricia Reilly Giff usually takes on tough subjects in her books and Island War (read from an eARC from Edelweiss) is no exception. Izzy and her Mom move to a remote Aleutian island in 1941 as they mourn the death of Izzy's father. He had visited this island and her Mom who studies birds knew from his stories that it would be an amazing place to see birds and perhaps give them both a fresh start. At the same time Matt and his father move to the same island. Matt is not enthusiastic as he isn't close to his father but his father insists (and we find out that his father is actually there to gather information for the government as war with Japan draws closer). Although there are not very many people who live on the island and Matt and Izzie arrive in the fall at the same time they are not friends and in fact avoid each other.
War does come to the U.S. with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December and as this remote island is closer to Japan than most of Alaska it is not long before Japanese soldiers arrive to take it over. All of the residents are fenced in and eventually evacuated to be imprisoned in Japan. Matt & Izzy have taken to slipping outside the fence and they are not with their families when the Japanese take everyone and they are left by themselves on the island.
Although this is not a true story, the far island of Attu in the Aleutians was invaded by the Japanese and those living on the island were taken to Japan. The author has woven an exciting survival story for middle graders which they will enjoy reading.
War does come to the U.S. with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December and as this remote island is closer to Japan than most of Alaska it is not long before Japanese soldiers arrive to take it over. All of the residents are fenced in and eventually evacuated to be imprisoned in Japan. Matt & Izzy have taken to slipping outside the fence and they are not with their families when the Japanese take everyone and they are left by themselves on the island.
Although this is not a true story, the far island of Attu in the Aleutians was invaded by the Japanese and those living on the island were taken to Japan. The author has woven an exciting survival story for middle graders which they will enjoy reading.
March 23, 2020
Izzy and Matt travel to a distant Aleut island on the same boat. Izzy is a squirmy, upbeat girl hoping to find her father's special cave and see the birds he wrote about. Matt is a paddler and goes unwillingly to Alaska with his father who hopes to build a relationship with his son. Soon Izzy and Matt find themselves alone on the island after they were out wandering when Japanese soldiers took everyone else away. They have to find food and keep warm through the winter and survive the battle that is coming.
I loved Izzy in this- she is spunky and determined- and although reading doesn't come easy to her, the experience turns her into a reader and a writer.
Matt was harder for me to love. His passion was kayaking and he spent most of the book brooding and irritable in his boat. His development is interesting to watch though as he realizes that Izzy's impression of him is the same way he feels about his own father, and as he comes to realize that he needs Izzy, not just to problem solve and gather supplies, but also as a friend and for emotional support.
Hand this to any child who likes survival stories or World War II stories. This is interesting as a lesser told WWII tale (with a author's note about what really happened on that island in the war).
I loved Izzy in this- she is spunky and determined- and although reading doesn't come easy to her, the experience turns her into a reader and a writer.
Matt was harder for me to love. His passion was kayaking and he spent most of the book brooding and irritable in his boat. His development is interesting to watch though as he realizes that Izzy's impression of him is the same way he feels about his own father, and as he comes to realize that he needs Izzy, not just to problem solve and gather supplies, but also as a friend and for emotional support.
Hand this to any child who likes survival stories or World War II stories. This is interesting as a lesser told WWII tale (with a author's note about what really happened on that island in the war).
February 19, 2019
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
Eleven-year-old Izzy has come to the island of Attu, off the coast of Alaska, with her mother who is studying birds. Fourteen-year-old 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
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f') Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Eleven-year-old Izzy has come to the island of Attu, off the coast of Alaska, with her mother who is studying birds. Fourteen-year-old 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
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
October 20, 2018
During WWII the Japanese actually invaded the United States by taking over two islands in the Aleutian Island chain. Residents were sent to prisoner-of-war camps in japan. Using this as a launching point, the author posits a situation where two children were left behind and had to survive the Japanese occupation. Izzy is practically blind without her glasses, which may explain her clumsiness. Teen-aged Matt is having to deal with father issues. Both have relocated to the island, and when the rest o the residents are taken prisoner and removed, they are left behind with the Japanese who control the island. This is a taut story of survival and burgeoning friendship written by a talented author. Add it to your adventure shelves.
November 25, 2018
“What if... Mrs. Dane has said it a hundred times a day. That’s how you begin a story. That’s how history might have been changed.”
•
In September of 1941, Izzy moves to the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska with her mom. The place her late dad loved and spoke of often.
Matt is dragged there by his dad begrudgingly. Leaving his mom on her own near the Sound, the home he loved.
•
While living on the islands, WW2 begins and the island gets a huge surprise. Japanese soldiers arrive and take over their little remote village.
Overnight, everyone is taken and put on a Japanese ship. Everyone except Matt & Izzy...
How will the two of them work together to get along and survive alone?
#WW2
#teacherswhoread
#MGlit
#teachersfollowteachers
•
In September of 1941, Izzy moves to the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska with her mom. The place her late dad loved and spoke of often.
Matt is dragged there by his dad begrudgingly. Leaving his mom on her own near the Sound, the home he loved.
•
While living on the islands, WW2 begins and the island gets a huge surprise. Japanese soldiers arrive and take over their little remote village.
Overnight, everyone is taken and put on a Japanese ship. Everyone except Matt & Izzy...
How will the two of them work together to get along and survive alone?
#WW2
#teacherswhoread
#MGlit
#teachersfollowteachers
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2021
Told alternatively from the viewpoint of a boy and girl that, by coincidence, have come to live on an Aleut island each with one parent right before WWII, experience invasion, and evade capture while their parents and other villagers are removed to a Japanese Prisoner camp. Having to rely on each other, although they had formed an instant dislike, in order to survive, makes for an interesting story.
But I am bothered that the story was not told by Aleut children but instead by two children oddly both from Long Island. There truly was an island invaded and its villagers captured but the story of the children is fictional, so why not tell it from the children that may have actually lived there?
But I am bothered that the story was not told by Aleut children but instead by two children oddly both from Long Island. There truly was an island invaded and its villagers captured but the story of the children is fictional, so why not tell it from the children that may have actually lived there?
February 12, 2019
Aleutian Islands, 1941...Izzy and her mother come to this remote area (for her mother to study rare birds) as do Will and his distant father (to share some much needed bonding time.) What they never expected was that after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, war would come to this isolated shore and eventually the people would be taken away to Japanese prisoner-of-war camps unknowingly leaving Izzy and Will to fen for themselves. With grit and determination, eleven year old Izzy shows Will just what one can do when SHE puts her mind to it! Another spare yet spunky historical tale from the exceptional Patricia Reilly Giff.
November 18, 2018
Izzy comes to the island with her birder mother after the death of her father; Matt reluctantly accompanies his aloof father, engaged in military intelligence. Izzy and Matt are secretly left behind while the Japanese soldiers evacuate and occupy the island, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Will Matt and Izzy survive? Or will the soldiers discover them? This book is part history, part survivalist fiction, part dog story, and all gripping. Quick, fascinating and heartfelt, written by one of our master storytellers.
November 29, 2018
A middle grade book about 2 children (12 & 14) left behind on an Aleutian Island during WWII. Japanese soldiers overtake the island and round up the villagers in the night, taking them to prison camps in Japan. Two children who had snuck out of the village that night to hide among the cliffs, were missed and left behind. They had to find ways to survive while avoiding the soldiers that were still encamped there.
Very compelling read and a different angle on a war that has much written about it.
Very compelling read and a different angle on a war that has much written about it.
June 7, 2019
This survival story is based loosely on historical events. Izzy,11, comes to live on an Aleutian island with her mother after the death of her father. Matt, 14, is dragged to the island by his father who is secretly working with the military. When the Japanese invade and then evacuate the island, the two children are left behind and must work together to survive until help (American soldiers) arrives. Fans of Giff’s other historical novels will enjoy this one, but an opportunity to explore this story from an Aleut point of view was lost. Recommended.
September 21, 2021
This is a charming little tale and I loved the graphics included with the text and I deeply appreciate that Ms. Giff chose the Aleutian Islands for the setting of her story but the author rushed through what would have been a long period of time thereby losing impact and drama. In the end I felt cheated. There was so very much lost potential and I felt cheated when the story ended so abruptly. Yes, I know I'm not a "tween" but I was reading serious books by that age and feel this audience could have handled an expanded story.
November 26, 2018
An engrossing read for kids who are interested in suspenseful war stories and what it might be like to fend for themselves on an island where the sun only shines 7-9 days out of the year. The male and female characters, each strong-willed and resourceful with their own lessons to learn, will appeal to young readers. An excellent choice for a book club.
August 22, 2019
not quite convinced that they were able to survive in an unheated cave for the winter, and not quite convinced there wasn't more useful stuff left behind in the houses, and it took a bit too long for the two kids to become friends.....I would have liked more "My side of the mountain" detail and less build-up....
September 27, 2019
Two kids are left alone on one of the Aleutian Islands, near Alaska, when the Japanese round up the inhabitants during WWII. A story of bravery and resiliency (with quite a bit of feeling of Island of the Blue Dolphins). Giff is a master, and this is a skillfully told story. Lots for kids to love -- a dog, two unlikely friends who survive on bravery and brains.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews