In Harm's Way

May 28, 2018
In this well-researched, dramatic account of JFK’s life, with a particular emphasis on his naval career, Martin (Gettysburg: The True Account of Two Young Heroes in the Greatest Battle of the Civil War) reprises famous events in short, riveting chapters enhanced by abundant photographs, World War II facts and trivia, Kennedy family scrapbook items, and quotations from contemporary writings. Kennedy’s ambition to “make a difference” drove him from a cushy desk job to volunteering to command the new navy patrol boats at the age of 25. The tension-filled narrative of his assignment to the Solomon Islands in 1943, his rescue of the PT 109 crew, and the later rescue by PT 59 of stranded combatants from Choiseul constitute half the book. Martin argues that these events—along with “Survival,” John Hersey’s widely read 1944 story about them—were formative and crucial to Kennedy’s subsequent political success. Martin’s sympathetic, balanced rendering of Kennedy’s postwar career includes reconciliation with Japan, the two Melanesian islanders who played a determining role in the PT 109 crew’s survival, and the fate of each major figure in the story. Archival photos and illustrations, recommended reading, sources, and an index round out this offering. Ages 8–12.

May 1, 2018

Gr 4-8-In this account of John F. Kennedy's survival following the destruction of his patrol torpedo (PT) boat, Martin provides readers with an exciting and detailed tale. Kennedy, the second son of millionaire and ambassador to Britain, Joseph Kennedy, was a naval officer who sought combat duty. While he was patrolling in PT 109, his boat was damaged in a collision with a Japanese destroyer and set adrift. For the next six days, Kennedy and his surviving crew diligently tried to get rescued while stranded on a desert island. Coconuts were their only nourishment. Due to Kennedy and his crew's tireless efforts, the men were finally returned to U.S. lines. Martin's account is readable and complemented with photographs. However, readers may pause at Martin's reference to "pidgin English" in describing the linguistic abilities of the Solomon Islands' Indigenous people, as no context is provided. That flaw aside, this book provides an exciting read. For those whose interest in President Kennedy was piqued with Shana Corey's A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech, this title offers insight into the young man and how his war experiences affected his subsequent political career. VERDICT An engaging war story about a popular president, this title will entice those with interest in presidential and military history.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
The oft-told story of young John F. Kennedy's World War II heroism is recounted in a fast-paced, gripping narrative.The future president was serving in naval intelligence when the United States entered World War II. Frustrated by his father's use of political influence to have him assigned to noncombat posts, Kennedy lobbied hard for a combat assignment in the Pacific. He wanted to serve on a PT boat, the small but fast attack craft used in the South Pacific. Kennedy was sent to the Solomon Islands to command PT 109. The crewmen were dubious of the young, rich, Harvard-educated Kennedy but were quickly impressed by his willingness to do more than his share of the dirty, hard labor required to make the boat ready for combat. On Aug. 2, 1943, PT 109 was on a night mission to ambush an enemy supply convoy when it was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Severely injured himself, Kennedy pulled the most seriously injured crewman and led the other survivors to an uninhabited island in enemy territory. Martin tells the story in vigorous prose amply laced with quotations, taking care to include the stories of the Melanesian men who rescued Kennedy and his crew. The striking design incorporates archival photographs, with insets and sidebars offering further information.An admiring, inspiring portrait of a courageous and selfless natural-born leader. (maps, photos, further reading, bibliography) (Biography. 10-14)

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May 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 Martin deftly breathes new life into the familiar story of John F. Kennedy; the 1943 sinking of his boat, the PT-109, off the Solomon Islands; and the breathtaking survival of JFK and 10 members of his crew. A wealth of ancillary material?sidebar features, maps, photographs, and more?provides context for the main story, examining Kennedy's early life and supplying information about WWII in the Pacific. Martin's story continues through the end of the war and briefly covers Kennedy's political career and assassination. The text of this exercise in narrative nonfiction is extremely well written, thrilling in its evocation of the sinking of the PT boat and its aftermath, while creating a vivid, multidimensional portrait of the future president, who emerges as an authentic American hero who repeatedly faced danger in his efforts to save the lives of his crew. It's an epic story that deserves being discovered by a new generation of readers for whom it will be a revelation and may well inspire further reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)