Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
During WWII, Jed's English father serves as a fighter pilot overseas, while Jed and his mother move back to her Tsimshian community on Canada's west coast. When the military sets up a naval base in town, Jed is hired to help out, honored it seems, for both his father's bravery and his own native skills as a hunter. Presented with a military jacket, Jed finds an allegiance to his country and a pride in his mixed heritage that he's never felt before.But one day Jed's world is shattered. His best friend Tadashi, along with the other members of the nearby Japanese village, are declared enemy aliens and told to prepare to leave their homes. Now Jed must ask himself where his allegiance really belongs to his country's rigid code, or to the truth that is buried in his Tsimshian soul.
War of the Eagles is the first of two books in a series.
Book two is Caged Eagles.
Shortlisted for the Ruth Schwartz Award and was picked for the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list for 1998.
Synopsis
Well-written historical fiction with two boys as the main characters, set in Canada as the war with Japan begins. Good character development, strong family emphasis, nice resolution - a good choice for a middle-grade study of WWII, Japanese culture, and Native American culture.
Children's Literature
Jed has a mixed heritage, with equal parts of Tsimshian and English blood, in this historical fiction coming of age story which takes place in Canada during Word War II. Jed resolves the conflict he feels about his mixed background and encounters racism when his best friend, Tadishi, of Japanese descent, is deported from their small fishing village to a detention center. Jed at first is naïve, but quickly learns to work around the bigotry and bravely saves Tadishi's home from looters. In a symbolic gesture he frees a wounded bald eagle from the Prince Rupert Military Camp. His initial naiveté appears a bit unrealistic, but the way he learns about the evils of racism is handled well. The story is filled with action-Jed hunts for meat for the camp and has several encounters with the soldiers. A good selection for units on WWII, racism and Canadian history.