Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War [Hardcover]

Harry Mazer (Author)

Book Description

"I WANTED TO SERVE, TO BE PART OF THIS THING MY FATHER HAD GIVEN HIS LIFE FOR. I DIDN'T WANT THE WAR TO END, AND ALL I'D BE ABLE TO SAY WAS, NO I DIDN'T SERVE, I WAS RIGHT HERE THE WHOLE WAR, SAFE IN BAKERSFIELD."

Adam Pelko witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that killed his father, a lieutenant on the USS Arizona. Even though Adam is underage, he defies his mother's wishes and enlists in the Marines. Sent first to boot camp, then to Okinawa, he experiences the stark reality of war firsthand -- the camaraderie and the glory as well as the grueling regimen, the paralyzing fear, and death. And at every turn, Adam must confront memories of his father.

In the concluding volume of his World War II trilogy, Harry Mazer masterfully illustrates Adam's journey as he navigates brutal circumstances that no boy should know.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9–In this final entry in a trilogy about a boy coming of age during World War II, Mazer shows how his hero handles actual military service. The book brings a sense of completion to Adam Pelko's story, which began in Honolulu just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Determined to fight as a Marine, Adam, now 17, talks his grandfather into letting him enlist, although he knows his mother will be furious. Boot camp, with its indignities and hardships, is vividly portrayed, and when Adam arrives in the Pacific arena as a full-fledged soldier, Mazer does a good job of depicting the mind-numbing slog of war. More realistic than many novels about combat for this audience, violence is present without being glorified or unrealistically softened. Adam's first-person narrative brings immediacy to his experiences, but most of the other soldiers and civilians lack focus. Characters who were important in previous titles stay mostly offstage, making it possible to appreciate this offering without reading the others. A historical note covers the basic facts for those wanting to know more. A quick, action-packed read.–Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. In the final part of Adam Pelko's story, which began with A Boy at War (2001) and continued in A Boy No More (2004), Adam, now 17, lies about his age so that he can join the marines in 1944. Mazer did the same thing (though he served in Europe), and much of the power of this novel lies in the factual details, first of rough boot-camp training and then of battle. This novel stands alone, but readers familiar with the previous books can't help but recognize Adam's haunting sorrow about his dad, killed at Pearl Harbor, and his longing for his distant Japanese American friend. The climax is the brutal battle with the Japanese on Okinawa ("We had to kill every one of them"), where Adam is wounded and sees comrades killed. A note fills in some background history. The clear first-person narrative is terse and gripping, graphic about the slaughter and heartfelt about the loss. Readers older than the target audience may also want to read this hard-hitting, heroic story. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (June 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689855346
• ISBN-13: 978-0689855344
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,715,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harry Mazer is the author of many books for young readers, including A Boy at War and A Boy No More, which introduced Adam Pelko; The Wild Kid; and Snow Bound. His books have won numerous honors, including the Horn Book Honor List and the ALA Best Books for Young Adults citations. He is the recipient of the ALAN Award. Harry Mazer lives in New York City and Montpelier, Vermont.

Harry Mazer says, "After I finished A Boy at War, I wanted to write about Adam Pelko again, but what was the story to be? It wasn't until after the tragedies of September eleventh that I found the focus I needed to continue his story." Periods of war and national emergency have never been kind to personal liberties. In the aftermath of September eleventh many Arab and Muslim Americans find themselves under suspicion and their rights jeopardized. In some ways this is what happened after Pearl Harbor, when Japanese Americans were demonized and their rights were trampled. I know that history never simply repeats itself, but I hope that through Adam and Davi's story readers will recognize the parallels--and the perils."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ending to a good series!, June 14, 2006

By 

JB "JBH" (Durham, N.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (Hardcover)

The first two books of this series "A Boy at War" and "A Boy No More" were decent but didn't grab my intrest that well! "Heroes Don't Run" is a spectacular ending or "trilogy" to this series of books! This was one of those books were I had a very hard time putting it down!
The main character "Adam Pelko" goes behind his mother's back and joins the marines! While he is at boot camp he sometimes questions his decision of joining the military. The battle scenes are graphic but not too bloody so I think this book would be good for younger people once again!
The ending is also very good because you can feel the happiness and pride Adam has when he returns home!
The very back of the book also has a summary of the Pacific War with Japan.
I hope my review was helpful to you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heros Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War, February 7, 2006

By 

B. Conner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (Hardcover)

This World War II experience is told through the eyes of a 17 year old boy who wishes to enlist in the Marines because both his grandfather and father fought in a war. Because his father died at Pearl Harbor, his mother will not sign for him join, so he goes to his grandfather and talks him into it. He then tells his story of a young boy going through bootcamp and war. Along the way he learns about friendship, fear, respect, and life, all while almost instantly chaning from a boy to man.

This story has the pace of a war, going from one incident to the next without dwelling on anything for too long. I usually do not like war stories, but I think this is a great war novel for older children to read and experience what war is like for children. It will open your eyes to the harsh reality of children fighting wars and what they have to go through. My copy of the book also has a brief historical note of the last major battle of WWII along with literature circle questions for teachers that follow Bloom's Taxonomy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heroes Don't Run, October 17, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (Paperback)

I Bought thus book @ a book catlog and, I've read 2 chapter of the book so far and i think it s a very intersting book. I think Adam is a very courgos boy, he is daring to go to the war and His friend Davi Mori is right now and they were planning to go to the war together but he went ahead and Adam is plannning to tell his mother. He is 3rd genation and His father died in the war and His grandfather lose an arm. This book give me a other new view to the war and specially he people that parcepte in the war.. i give it a 4 (so far) because he explain how is a day into a ''kid'' that whats to be a heroe.