Island War by Patricia Reilly Giff
Published by Holiday House on October 23rd 2018
ISBN: 0823439542
Pages: 208
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Told in alternating chapters, Izzy and Matt form an unlikely alliance in an effort to survive and outwit invading soldiers during World War II.  Izzy’s father has recently died and Izzy’s mother, a bird lover, has delayed a family trip to the Aleutian Islands to study migration. Though hesitant to leave without her husband’s guidance and support for such a long trip from Connecticut, she and Izzy soon leave by boat for the island.  Matt and his father are making the same journey from Long Island though Matt’s father’s intentions are much more secretive and dangerous. Through a misadventure on the ship Matt and Izzy get off on the wrong foot and their relationship only worsens on the island. Though both are attending the same small island school, they avoid each other and Matt especially projects hostility toward Izzy.  Suddenly war is declared on the Japanese and within days, the island is taken over by Japanese soldiers. Every person on the island is loaded onto a ship and taken away yet Izzy and Matt have remained hidden. Next begins a tense time of staying out of sight of soldiers, keeping warm and fed, and finding a way off the island. Matt and Izzy come to depend on each other and ultimately will find their way home.  This novel could have benefitted from a map of the Aleutian Islands which could give readers a sense of clarity as to how far away from the United States this story was taking place. Overall a good middle grade historical fiction by a consistently reliable author but for students looking to learn more about World War II, this lacks breadth and depth.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook