3. Code Talker: A novel about World War II

Six-year-old Ned Begay leaves his Navajo home for boarding school where he learns the English language and American ways. At 16, he enlists in the Marines during World War II and is trained as a code taker, using his native language to radio battlefield information and commands in a code that was kept secret until 1969. Ned tells of his experiences in Hawaii, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The book, addressed to Ned's grandchildren, ends with an author's note about the code talkers as well as lengthy acknowledgments and a bibliography.