Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II
This compelling and compassionate story delineates the plight of American and Filipino soldiers and medical personnel through the Bataan Death March and prison camp experiences in the Philippines. Primarily told through first-person accounts, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ending with the rescue mission in January 1945, each chapter tracks the events chronologically, often returning to the same voices. Archival photos, maps, and drawings made by soldiers and inmates are scattered throughout. The fast-paced narrative does not shy away from horrors experienced under the Japanese occupation of the island. The successful rescue operation outlines the critical role of Filipino resistance/guerilla efforts and assistance of local farmers. In rich detail, Hopkinson illuminates an important, and oft-forgotten, episode in the Pacific theater of World War II. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
20th Century
Activism and Resistance
Filipinos and Filipino Americans
History (Nonfiction)
Jail and Prison
Soldiers/Military
Survival
Trauma
World War II
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publishers:
Scholastic, Scholastic Focus
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 289
ISBN: 9781338746167
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 940 Hopkinson