A Boy No More

by Harry Mazer

Book Overview

"WHAT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID TO MY FATHER?...
THE JAPS KILLED HIM!"

Adam Pelko witnessed something horrible: the sinking of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor -- with his father aboard. Since then, Adam and his mother and sister have moved to California, where they are trying to rebuild their lives.

But no matter where Adam goes, he can't get away from the effects of the war. His best friend, Davi, has asked...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416914048
• ISBN13: 9781416914044
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

My Son Loved This Book!!!

I have bought all 3 of the books in this series for my 10 yr old son...and he has loved them all.....I'm sorry there aren't more lol...So this year for Christmas I am buying any other books written by Harry Mazer...Just this week we cleaned out my sons closets and packed away things he no longer uses or plays with...and he said he wanted to keep this series of books so when he has a son, his son can read them...when a 10 yr old is planning to save a book for that lenght of time then the book made an impression....

Reprinted from the Aug 2006 "The Historical Novels Review"

In this sequel to "A Boy at War", author Harry Mazer picks up the story of young Adam Pelko after the attack on Pearl Harbor, where he witnessed his father's death on the USS Arizona. Now evacuated to San Diego with his mother and sister, Adam is faced with the task of rebuilding his life. However, the effects of the new war follow him in many ways, most of all in the form of a letter from his best friend in Hawaii, Davi Mori. Davi's father has been arrested and he needs Adam's help. This letter launches him on a mission to get word to Davi's uncle in Fresno. On the subsequent journey Adam not only is forced into conflict with his mother, but learns first hand of the nation's new fear and hatred of the Japanese. When he finally reaches the uncle, Adam finds his friend and his entire family have been relocated to the forbidding internment camp at Manzanar. The author does a masterful job of blending the issues of a boy becoming a young man with the larger reality of the nation's treatment of its citizens of Japanese descent. Mr. Mazer was inspired by the tragedies of September 11, and he wished to have his readers recognize "the parallels and perils" of the prejudice and guilt by association mentality that gripped the nation after Pearl Harbor. I believe he has succeeded in this, telling a story that is at once historical and deeply human. He also includes several pages of factual background, an excellent addition for young readers who are probably not familiar with this period of history Having visited an internment camp similar to Manzanar, I find the author's descriptions to be accurate. The thoughts and actions of Adam Pelko also ring true. This is a wonderful book, well suited to its intended audience of ages 10 to 14.

A Great Book With A Wierd Ending

A Boy No More is a great book. I would recomend this book to any one who has read A Boy At War becuase A Boy At War is the first book. It is about a kid named Adam who is trying to get over the death of his father at Pearl Harbor. Later in the book he goes to visit his Japenese friend in prison. His friend did not do anything at Pearl Harbor. Just because he looks Japanese he was sent to a prison but he wasn't treated as bad as a prisoner. So when Adam comes back home his mom is furious because he goes to a friends prison camp called Manzanar that is at least a days journey away and his friend is Japanese without even telling her. He didnt even tell her either that he was going. So she isn't even speaking to him any more. Later in the book Adams mom is over that and they're talking again. So Adam wants to go to his grandfathers for some reason. The reason is becuase his mom won't sign for him to get into the marines. So he's going to go down and ask. Will his grandfather say yes for him to come down? And will his grandfather say yes to letting him go into the marines? Find out by reading Heroe's Don't Run. This book is the last book to the trilogy of the World War II series!

A Boy No More

This book was a very historical book. It talks about Pearl Harbor and World War 2. There are five main characters, there names are Nancy, Adam, Davi, Bea and Babe. Nancy is a some what girl who wants to be a teacher. Adam is a boy who likes to have adventures to many different places all around the world. Davi is one of Adams friends who lives in hawaii. Bea is Adams little sister who is very smart in the book. She wonders if her father is alive and that hes coming home from the war but what she doesn't understand is that hes dead and hes never coming home again. Babe is a bully in the book who picks on Adam because he is a new student and that he looks weird. Adam is formally from Hawaii but he moved to San diego. Adam sometimes wishs he went home back to Hawaii. This book really describes Adam as somewhat of me. I like to have adventures all around when I can. I would most likely reccommend to History and English. I reccommend this book to History because it talks about Pearl Harbor and World War 2. I reccommend this to English because it is a great book to keep your attention and it's not boring like others, it acually has a point to it. I can't wait to read all of his books that are out.

a boy no more

A like the way Adam takes things into his own hands and tries to give Davi's dad the letter.I also like the way he stand up and tries to prove to Babe that his dad was in the Pearl Harbor bombing.I'm not all the way finished with it but I am close and I hope that in the end Adam's mom is proud of him for doing it.