We were there at Pearl Harbor

We Were There

by Felix Sutton, Frank Vaughn (Illustrator), Willard A. Kitts (Contributor)

We Were There books are easy to read and provide exciting, entertaining stories, based upon true historic events. Each story is checked for factual accuracy by an outstanding authority on this particular phase of our history. Though written simply enough for young readers, they make interesting reading for boys and girls well into their teens.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Fiction, Childrens, War

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

He graduated from the University of Virginia, College of Journalism. He was a newspaper reporter, author, sports writer and editor. He contributed many short stories to national magazines in both the United States and Europe. He was the author of many adventure stories about the old west and early American history, as well as many novels especially for young people.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one!

About the We Were There Books
“We Were There books are easy to read and provide exciting, entertaining stories, based upon true historic events. Each story is checked for factual accuracy by an outstanding authority on this particular phase of our history. Though written simply enough for young readers, they make interesting reading for boys and girls well into their teens.” - from the dust jacket

Each book in the series is a fictional retelling of an historical event, featuring one or more tween children as primary characters. Although children most likely would not have been present or able to participate in the action like these characters do, it makes for great story-telling and enables the reader to see history develop right along with the character. The narrative flows like an action adventure tale; it is pretty gripping, with cliffhangers at the end of most chapters.

I highly recommend these books!

Ages: 10+
Reading Level: 4th - 7th grades
Pages: approx. 160-200
Published: beginning in the 1950s
How many titles: 36
Illustrations: yes
Price Range: $4 – $200+ depending on the title's rarity.

Cleanliness: The word "Japs" is used throughout the entire book. "Those little slant eyes" is used, referring to the Japanese. "Holy cow" "gosh" "golly" "gee" "doggone" are used throughout the book. Mentions someone smoking. The word "bl**dy" is used to mean lots of blood. Two children lie in order to get a little closer to the action.

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[J.L. Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read every single one of these as a child, time and time again; as an adult I have sought them out as treasured mementoes of my childhood. These books, the adventures and places they took me and the history I learned from them; they WERE my childhood!

They can be hard to find, but THANK GOD publishers are beginning to re-publish many editions from the series and believe you me I am buying them in book form AND on my Kindle.

If you have children or nieces and nephews, BY every book in this series and give the gift of adventure, education and appreciation of literature!

[Holly Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my 7 year old son. I enjoyed it as much as he did !

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother and I read this together as children and it began my lifelong interest in Pearl Harbor, which I visited within eight years of reading this book. It is based upon the story of an actual thirteen-year-old boy who witnessed the attacks during a hiking trip. All of the We Were There books featured male and female kids, usually teenagers, as fictional characters meeting famous characters in history. There is a vivid scene of the boy, as a Hawaiian who was used to scuba diving, diving into the capsized boats and sharing his oxygen mask before guiding soldiers to safety. I would like to find this and other books in the series, which is out of print.

[Jane Korsberg]

1958. My “gateway” book from Jefferson elementary school library that made me a lifelong reader.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well written and exciting with lots of realistic detail about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. However, it only gets three stars because the plot concerning 14-year-old Mike Morrison is so preposterous. He is the son of a Navy captain and has turned 14 on Dec. 7, 1941. As he and his brother, Jeff, a lieutenant in the Air Force, sail on his birthday present, a new sailboat, with their neighbor, Mary Jane, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. They are shot at a lot, but rescue men who have been blown off ships and then Mary Jane helps care for the wounded because all the nurses seem to be hurt. Later Mike gets on a boat going to rescue some men trapped underwater in their ship--and he's the only one small enough to go through a porthole and bring the men to safety. At the end, Mike and Mary Jane find a sailor off a Japanese midget sub, effectively capturing the first Japanese prisoner. The concluding sequence is at a banquet where a nurse wants Mary Jane to wear her Purple Heart and a captain wants Mike to wear his Navy Cross. And the president of the United States sends Mike a letter telling him that when he's old enough he can attend either Annapolis or West Point.

[H Loose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about the battle of Pearl Harbor from this book. I liked that the boy in the book, even thought he was just 14, wanted to help in the war.

[Gina Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction. I read this to my 8,7,5, and 3 year olds and it was quite good. Filled with rich, descriptive language and solid facts along with a story line that they could easily follow and enjoy.