Navajo is one of the hardest of all American Indian languages to learn, and only Navajos can speak it with complete fluency. There, “anything that belonged to the Navajo way was bad, and our Navajo language was the worst.” However, in one of the greatest ironies in American history, when WWII broke out, Navajos-victims of the US Army effort to destroy them in the 1860s and the harshness of the mission schools in the 20th century-were recruited by the Marine Corps to use their native language to create an unbreakable code. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website Ned Begay detested life in the Navajo mission school where he was sent. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief.

Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchacs poems, articles and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. Kirkus Reviews About the Author Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed childrens book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience. Telling his story to his grandchildren, Ned relates his experiences in school, military training, and across the Pacific. were recruited by the Marine Corps to use their native language to create an unbreakable code. Bruchac deftly sheds light on the harrowing circumstances that Indigenious people faced during an already arduous time period. Review Quotes One of TIME MAGAZINEs 100 Best YA Books of All Time Thought-provoking and action-packed. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. But now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who bes a code talker. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language.

Book Synopsis Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. About the Book Bruchac brings to life for young adults the stories of some of the unsung heroes of World War II-the young Navajo men who were a crucial part of the American effort in sending and receiving messages that used their native language.

Code talker bruchac