Pearl Harbor : Ready To Read Level 3

by Stephen Krensky, Larry Day (Illustrator)

Bringing a dramatic moment of World War II to vivid life, author Stephen Krensky answers questions about the historic importance of the military action at Pearl Harbor. Written in simple yet clear language, the book teaches readers about the political scene before and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in December 1941, and how this event shaped our country's place in the world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Japan

48 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Andrew Kiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was a quick easy read that gave an overall gist of the attack of Pearl Harbor. It had some good detailed pictures in the book also. If you want some quick facts about Pearl harbor I think you should read this.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

When people talk about reading more books about history and some suggest children literature it is books like this that allows me to agree with the fact.

Pearl Harbor starts off with a meeting between Secretary of State Cordell Hull and the Japanese diplomats, which is probably the point of most contention I have with this book since it didn't explain what was in the note. Otherwise from there the book explores the circumstances leading up to World War II in Europe, the reason for the United States' neutrality including due to not having enough military troops, the reason Japan chose to do the attack on Pearl Harbor and their hopes for its success, the unfolding of the attack and then a brief results form the attack on the American side as well as a nod to the memorial itself.

The writing itself is mostly simple and easy-to-follow along while the most graphic details have been left out since of the age of the supposed audience reading this book. The youngest of readers may struggle a bit more with the names of the Japanese more than anything when it comes to the whole book itself.

Furthermore the book is illustrated on every page with dulled colors to keep with the dour message and telling of this book's history.

All in all it does make for a great and brief introduction to the events of Pearl Harbor as well as the aftermath that woke the sleeping giant in more than one ways. Definitely a great starter book for those interested in history or trying to approach a tender subject with little ones.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is this book is excellent - both concise and through. However, the pictures are hard to see and discern - they are black and white watercolors in my copy and are a huge letdown.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Krensky did a fantastic job not over simplifying. The book traces the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and includes hard facts usually absent from beginning readers, or for that matter elementary school nonfiction: in 1940 the U.S. had 190,000 soldiers as compared to 320,000 in Japan and 800,000 in Germany. This is not a p.c. version: Japan is presented as an aggressor and their racial prejudice against America is mentioned: Americans were soft and aimless. Where I think this book really stands out is in not talking down to emergent readers. An embargo cuts Japan off from imported oil. The first strike is intended to cripple America until resource rich Pacific territories could be conquered by Japan; the bet being American's wouldn't fight and die to retake nations they couldn't even find on a map. I also appreciate the inclusion of direct quotes and vividly memorable scenes- Admiral Kimmel, commander of the fleet, is watching the destruction when a spent bullet shatters his window and bounces harmlessly off his chest. "Too bad it didn't kill me," he said quietly. This is just the kind of book my second graders will adore. There are lots of dramatic water color illustrations by Day that do include some diversity. Of course the Navy was still very racially segregated, but at least service persons of color are pictured. I wish this book had included a picture of Dorrie Miller, the African American who was one of the few to fight back during the attack, but as it is very short and no other service persons are featured I will let it go.

[Alyssa]

Written in a narrative style, this is a non-fiction account of the weeks leading up to, and the attack upon Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Besides the attack itself, this book is filled with facts about the countries involved and their key political individuals during the time of this conflict. The book gives great detail as to why the Japanese Empire chose to strike the United States, why Hawaii was the target and how events and communications that could have warned of the attack were not considered a serious enough threat.

This book falls into the genre of informational text because of the vast amount of facts it presents. Because World War II is not typically a topic studied at the elementary level, this book would be more appropriate for a lesson specific to Pearl Harbor Day. Because it is laid out into chapters, and contains so much information, this book would also work well for teaching students note taking skills.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise, yet comprhensive look at the events leading up to, during and immediately after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. It's a very serious subject, one that our girls have been exposed to several times, as we live within sight of the Arizona Memorial and we've visited it numerous times. This book is very good, although I recommend that parents read it with their children, to answer any questions that might arise. Well written and illustrated, this is a good introduction to studying WWII.

[Celeste Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it gave an easy to understand perspective about Pearl Harbor. I think Pearl Harbor is such an important event in history because it's one of the biggest attacks on America. I like that it's easy to read because students of all ages can understand the attack without facing the grim fact of how bad it actually was.

[Jagger Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The pictures were cool and the story gave me a quick overview of the event at Pearl Harbor.