War of the Eagles

by Eric Walters

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551430997
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	01/01/1998
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.55(d)
Lexile:	690L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

A member of the Order of Canada, Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his fifth-grade students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. Eric has published more than ninety novels and picture books. He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per year in schools across the country. One of his most common themes, which involves the Canadian heroes featured in his novels, is helping students to become aware of the greatness of their country. He lives in Guelph, Ontario. For more information, visit www.ericwalters.net.

Editorial Reviews

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.

Children's Literature - Wendy Pollock-Gilson