Attack on Pearl Harbor

Ranger in Time #12

by Kate Messner, Kelley McMorris (Illustrations)

I Survived meets The Puppy Place in this thrilling adventure novel as Ranger -- a time-traveling golden retriever -- races to the rescue on the day of the Pearl Harbor attack.
Ranger travels back to 1941 Hawaii, where World War II is on everyone's minds. That includes Ben Hansen, a young sailor stationed at Pearl Harbor, and twins Paul and Grace Yamada who are making their weekly market trip when Japanese bombs begin to fall from the sky. As the surprise attack puts all of Ranger's new friends in danger, his search-and-rescue training kicks in to high gear. Can he help them survive against all odds?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Animals, Adventure, Time Travel, Historical

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 21, 2020

About the author

KATE MESSNER is the New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books for young readers. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Snow,The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story, and Axolotl-Ella; novels like All the Answers, The Trouble with Heroes, and Keep the Ghost Light On; graphic novels like Camp Monster; and the Ranger in Time and Wildlife Rescue chapter books. Kate also writes the popular History Smashers graphic nonfiction series and leads the multi-author team behind The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series.

Kate's titles have been honored with the American Booksellers Association Indies Choice Award, the E.B. White Read Aloud Award, the NAIBA Book of the Year Award, SCBWI's Golden Kite and Crystal Kite Awards and many state book awards. She's a frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and libraries around the world.

When she's not traveling, Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family and spends her free time hiking, kayaking, and listening to way too many Broadway cast recordings.

Reviews

[Angela]

My third grader has read all of these books and enjoyed them. This was a good brief summary of the events of Pearl Harbor. I appreciated the variety of perspectives and depictions of various demographics affected by the attack.

[Dawn]

Ranger, a search and rescue dog who is too distracted by squirrels to pass his test, finds a magical first aid kit which takes him back in time.

In this book, he goes to Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. He helps rescue a US soldier on a burning boat and a child trapped in his bombed out house. He is helped by Japanese-American siblings who are starting to feel the effects of racism on their family and friends.

Back matter include additional info on Pearl Harbor and the internment camps that Japanese-American were forced into. Source documentation and additional reading resources are provided.

Solid series. I would definitely recommend. Like the “I Survived” series, but I think the addition of a dog broadens the appeal.

[Cheryl]

4.5 stars -- I was really "in" to this book until it committed a faux pas, at least for me it did. Told from three perspectives: Ben Hansen's, Paul Yamada's, and Ranger's, this story focuses on "a day that will live in infamy": December 7, 1941 when the Japanese pulled the tail of a sleeping tiger and attacked America at Pearl Harbor. The author sets the scenes very well. Ben is on the USS Arizona. Paul, with his twin sister Grace, is in a rowboat in the middle of the harbor. And Ranger gets notice from the First Aid Kit that he is needed. Their lives all converge as Ranger is transported to the Arizona, he & Ben are flung from the exploding ship, and Paul & Grace save both of them from the oily, fiery water. When Paul & Grace reach shore, they put Ben, who is badly burned, in a cart to wheel him to their house. They hope their sister, who is studying to be a nurse, will be there. She is at the hospital, though, with their dad. As they head for the hospital, they run into their dad who helps them save Paul's best friend, Jimmy Abe, from his home which is on fire from the bombing. Right after that, two U.S. soldiers come to take Paul & Grace's father for questioning. NOT ONE THING is said about Ben. Poor burned Ben sits in his cart for a chapter and a half without being mentioned, even by the two soldiers who take Mr. Yamada! I thought, 'Hhhmmm...' and moved on. Still a good read for upper elementary and middle grade readers.

[Kathy]

The only thing Nathan and I didn’t like about this book is that it’s the last one in the series. He plans to write to the author to suggest she write another one set in COVID or maybe the Spanish Flu.

[Jeffrey]

Historical fiction, geared for 7-10 year old readers. I thought the book was well written, engaging and we'll researched. Included a chapter at the end explaining some of the actual events.

[aem]

Another adventure where Ranger helps kids in another time

[GheenGirls]

Turtle: great! Return to library.

[Panda Incognito]

This book has some confusing POV transitions that happen midstream, but I like how it focuses on the experiences of servicemen and Japanese-American civilians.

[Pete]

Good book for kids

[Andi]

i liked it

[Mark Geisthardt]

A fun read with a new reader who loves dogs and history!

[G_Spike]

I learned a lot about Pearl Harbor from this book.

[Ruth]

good series as an introduction to historical events

[Lupe]

Quick and easy. Shared some of the historical context of Pearl Harbor in a child-friendly manner. I think it's perfect between Magic Tree House and I Survived series.

[Emily]

Shelved by my 4th grader. She finally finished the series. Highly recommend!

[Alexis]

I love that Kate Messner is on a mission to bring history to kids in a real and fun format. Her Ranger in Time books are easily enjoyable because Ranger is simply wonderful. And then, her history woven in and the facts at the end pull it all together. Fantastic books.