Island War — Patricia Reilly Giff

Two young Americans must evade capture by Axis soldiers--and outlast the brutal Alaskan winter--in this thrilling historical novel which shines a light on a little-known facet of World War II.

Fourteen-year-old Matt never wanted to come to the remote Aleutian Islands--he was dragged here by his father for reasons he can't understand. Eleven-year-old Izzy, on the other hand, loves it--the wild weather, the strange birds, all the new people she's meeting. The two have little in common, except their hometown--they certainly aren't friends.

But when Japanese soldiers land on the island, Izzy and Matt are the only ones who escape being shipped off to a prison camp. The two kids must put their differences aside and work together if they're going to survive. With a long, harsh winter ahead of them, they'll need to dodge Axis soldiers and withstand Allied bombing raids--and keep the village dog from giving them away to the enemy, too.

Told in alternating point-of-view chapters, Island War is set amidst the Japanese occupation of the remote Aleutian Islands--the only foreign invasion of the United States that took place during World War II. Fans of Hatchet and Julie of the Wolves will be riveted by two-time Newbery Honoree Patricia Reilly Giff's thrilling story of survival, resilience, and the power of cooperation.