December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good. Their dads are Navy pilots stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the boys get a front-row view of the huge battleships and the sparkling water. Yes, World War II is raging in Europe and in Asia, but the US isn't involved in the war, and the boys are free to dream about becoming comic book creators. They've even invented a superhero of their own, in the style of Batman, Superman, Captain America, and other stars of the Golden Age of Comics. Maybe they'll even get their comic published someday. December 7th, 1941: Everything explodes. That morning, Frank and Stanley are aboard the battleship the USS Utah when Japanese planes zoom overhead and begin dropping bombs on the ships below. Chaos ensues as everyone scrambles to dive for safety. Frank and Stanley realize what's happening: Japan is attacking America! The war has come to them. As the boys fight to make their way home amidst the carnage, it's clear that everything has changed. Stanley's mother is Japanese American and he is suddenly facing a terrible prejudice that he's never known before -- he's now seen as the "enemy," and Frank, who's white, cannot begin to understand what Stanley will now face. Can their friendship -- and their dreams -- survive this watershed moment in history?
I read this because it was a Mark Twain nominee for 4-6 grades. This reminded me of an I Survived book, but was actually a lot more graphic. I couldn't believe all the death in this children's book, but I know that was a deadly attack on Peal Harbor. It was realistic about the perspective of Japanese Americans being treated differently. I love Alan Gratz, but this was not my favorite book of his.
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