Alan Gratz has done it again. This book was engaging, fast paced, and relatable. Even though the historical context happened far before the readers were born, the descriptions of the dramatic events are imaginable. The main character's development will also connect many readers to the plot. Gratz has written another gripping page-turner that will hopefully enlighten a young generation about the historical contexts and lessons all humans must learn about treating all humans with respect.

Alan Gratz has done it again! I am adding Heroes to my classroom library. After book talking, I have students already signing up to read it first!

Heroes is another amazing middle grade historical fiction by the talented Alan Gratz. Hand this to fans of Gratz's other titles or to fans of historical fiction. This is a must purchase for all middle grade/middle school collections. This will fly off your shelves!

Alan Gratz does it again! The action starts early and doesn't slow down. The depiction of the bombing of Pearl Harbor is intense, but not inappropriate. The friendship between Frank and Stanley shows room for both their growth and the difference in their experiences as a white American (Frank) and Japanese American (Stanley). The use of the comic book origin story is a smart way to demonstrate to readers what Frank and Stanley are navigating as young boys in a turbulent time and how they come to a definition of what a true hero is. This book will be a bit hit!

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Alan Gratz, you have done it again. This is now the fourth of his books that I have read, and it is one of my favorites. Heroes follows Frank and his Japanese-American friend Stanley and their journey right before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Frank is afraid of everything, and I truly mean everything. From falling down to giant eels to flip flops, Frank deals with a lot of anxiety for a thirteen-year-old. However, he and Stanley are put in an impossible situation that asks them to find the strength to be heroes during the attack.

After the attack, more trouble is stirred up for the two as Frank must wrestle with the effects of prejudice and racism as it affects his best friend.

Throughout the story, the two boys discuss their love of comic books and superheroes; Frank as the writer and Stanley as the illustrator. The novel's end features a 10-page comic that is charming and such an interesting and heartwarming addition to this story.

This was such a great read, and I can't wait to recommend it when it comes out to my middle-grade readers, although this book would be enjoyable for all readers alike!

Heroes is one of my most-anticipated Middle Grade releases of 2024, and it did NOT disappoint! Alan Gratz is the GOAT when it comes to Middle Grade Historical Fiction, and I know that my students (and my sons) are going to absolutely love this book. I’ve preordered two copies already - one for my school library and one for our home!

Frank is a Navy kid stationed with his family at Pearl Harbor who struggles with debilitating anxiety after a traumatic childhood experience (yay for a mention of my hometown of Pensacola, even if it involves some trauma!). His neighbor and best friend, Stanley, is also a Navy kid but is Japanese-American. Together they share a love of comics and a dream of creating their own in the future. On the day that lives in infamy, they find themselves caught right in the middle of the Pearl Harbor attack and must confront their own fears and biases, as well as the biases of others, in order to make it through the disaster.

Gratz is SO GOOD at taking historical events and making them read like thought-provoking action movies with incredible themes and characters. The action starts quickly and doesn’t let up through the book, and yet the author expertly weaves in anxiety representation, death and loss, racism, propaganda, and even tackles lack of Asian-American representation in superhero culture. What’s really incredible is that these themes are incorporated seamlessly into the story so that at no point does it feel that the reader is being preached or condescended to.

This book is fast-paced and action-packed, so don’t be surprised if a student devours it in a day or two. There’s also a great comic at the end of the book that gives the reader a glimpse of what happens to Frank and Stanley after the events of Pearl Harbor. I loved it from start to finish, and I know lots of other readers will as well!

One day life as a military brat at Pearl Harbor is great, then the next day your world is turned upside down. Stanley Summers and Frank McCoy are living the life: baseball practice, boating, watching planes take off and land where they live on the Ford Island Naval Air Station in the middle of Pearl Harbor. When Frank’s older sister’s boyfriend offers to give the boys a tour of the battleship he is stationed on, the USS Utah, Stanley and Frank are thrilled. Too bad the date for the tour is December 7, 1941. Travel back in time with this action-packed work of historical fiction by acclaimed middle grade author Alan Gratz.

I have been a fan of Gratz’ writing since 2018 and Heroes certainly did not disappoint. Heroes is about Frank, a teenage boy who is afraid of everything. His whole world changes when he and his friend, Stanley, get caught in the middle of the Pearl Harbor attack. Frank must find the courage to fight for his survival during the terrifying attack.

This book is engaging, thought-provoking, and incredibly well-written. It is sure to be a hit with middle level readers and is a must buy for classrooms and libraries. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this story early.

Alan Gratz is such a fantastic author of historical fiction for older elementary age or middle schoolers. I was excited to read his newest novel about Pearl Harbor. I must admit that I haven't read many books about it, which is surprising because I love WWII books. I can't wait to recommend this book at our next book fair.

This is the story of best friends, Frank and Stanley whose Dad's are Navy fighter pilots stationed at Pearl Harbor. They love to dream of super heroes and write their own comics. Life changes dramatically for them as they are aboard the USS Utah when Japanese bombers began to attack. The boys fight to make their way back home but realize things have changed drastically. Stanley's mother is Japanese American and now their family is seen as the enemy. I love their friendship. I love how the Frank had to overcome some of his anxiety. I love how it address racism toward the Japanese during this time. Overall it is a great read that I am sure the kids will love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the advance read copy.

Another fast-paced and engaging novel from Alan Gratz. Heroes follows best friends Stanley and Frank through the “Day the will live in Infamy” the bombing of Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. As if it wasn’t enough that both of their fathers serve in the Navy, Stanley is also Japanese-American. In the days following the bombing his whole world changes. Alan Gratz explores what it truly means to be a hero in this powerful novel about friendship, racism, war and loss.

Gratz has done it again. This is a phenomenal book to help bring history alive. The characters are thoughtful and open students up to new ideas and understanding of the experiences of the times. I would highly recommend this book.

A great balance of action and emotion in this book about the attack on Pearl Harbor. The comic book-loving duo witnesses the attack from a fighter boat and they have a daring escape and then go on to help others. It defies the imagination of an adult reader, but the target age group will love how the boys are able to be heroic. Gratz did not shy away from addressing the issue of Japanese-Americans and their war experience and this makes for an all-around balanced read with plenty of experiences a reader today might find relevant.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I know my 11 year old grandson will eat it up!

Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for the advance Kindle copy of this book. It’s out on 2/6/24! All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for Gratz’s newest, which takes place during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This one is told in a single voice, thirteen-year-old Frank McCoy. His family is stationed in Hawaii with the Navy, and Frank is overly scared of EVERYTHING after an incident back in Florida, where they lived prior to Hawaii. When he fails to stand up for his best friend when a bully picks a fight, he is desperate to make it up to him. As the sky opens up on December 7, Frank and Stanley both test what it really means to be brave. Stanley is Japanese-American, and Gratz touches on the implications of that toward the second half of the book. Some of the boys’ heroics are a bit far-fetched, but this will surely fly right off the shelves. Order multiple copies, librarians.

ARC generously provided by NetGalley & publishers in exchange for review.

Alan Gratz can truly do no wrong, and I know my students will feel the same. Like all Alan Gratz novels, I devoured this novel and was so glad to read a historical fiction novel set in WWII, but not Europe!

Pearl Harbor is rarely written about, especially for middle grades, and Gratz did a wonderful job bringing this time period to life for middle school students. I would highly recommend this novel for middle grade students an excerpts could certainly be used in a social studies classroom.

Heroes was the third and my favorite book of Alan Gratz that I have read. Like his other books, the danger and the reality of the experiences that Gratz is writing about evoke so much emotion that I can't help but get so sucked into the book. I love how his writing causes the reader to reflect on issues. I have never studied the events of Pearl Harbor in depth, but I knew the basics and it was so intense to feel like I was there living the moments with these boys in the story. It was scary and intense and though emotional, wonderful to read. I really like how Gratz took two issues that could still be experienced by youth today and made them a part of the story, I don't want to say specfically what they are to avoid spoilers, but I felt that the way it was done can cause connections for youth reading the book or lessons to see what it is like for someone who lives those trials to help the reader become a more compassionate person. I look forward to reading and sharing with my kids even more by Gratz.

This book was Action-packed with a capital A. I read it out loud to my eleven-year-old daughter, and we both couldn't get enough of Stanley and Frank and their experience during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I loved the way the themes of this book came through so clearly, and by the end of it I felt I had gained a new understanding of what it means to be a hero and the importance of standing with those who are discriminated against. The comic epilogue touched my heart. This story is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is told in such a way to make it appropriate for middle grade audiences. I can see why Alan Gratz is a favorite of not just my daughter, but several of the young men and women in my neighborhood!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Best friends, Frank and Stanley are motoring their boat back to Ford Island military base where their families are stationed. Both fathers are military pilots. Stanley is Japanese American. Frank is white. The boys love comics and superheros, and are penning a comic book in their heads. Frank has a secret from his past that causes him to be overly cautious about everything confounding his friend. In fact it nearly ruins their relationship when he doesn’t come to Stanley’s aid when he is bullied. Frank’s sister Ginny is hoping to marry Brooks who works on The USS Utah. He invites Frank and Stanley to come aboard and he’ll show them around. The next day dawns beautiful and the boys are on board the boat. When the planes begin to arrive, at first all seems like a routine military drill. Then the whole world falls apart as the torpedoes drop and bullets strafe the land.

Most men have just awakened and the artillery guns are covered. It takes a crane to lift the covers. No one is prepared, Hawaii was supposed to be safe. The Utah is one of the first ships hit and as it sinks, Frank and Stanley must abandon ship and swim back to Ford island. Get ready for relentless intense scenes one after another.

Though an American citizen, just like Frank, Stanley must face a new reality of racism because of his appearance and Japanese ancestry. The Japanese Americans are literally digging holes in the yard to bury any relic of ancestry.

This is such a well penned novel, one I couldn’t put it down and read the whole novel all in one day.
Historical, heart pounding, informative, heroes, sad reality

This book will be devoured by my students. They love Alan Gratz and this book did such a good job of showing what it was like to be the child of a soldier in Pearl Harbor before, during, and after the attack. It will have them on the edge of their seats.

This is an exciting story of the attack of Pearl Harbor, as told by a boy who has grown up in Hawaii and who's family is part of the military community. It tackles themes of courage, grief, and fear as well as the racism faced by Japanese people in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. Students will enjoy this riveting account.

On Dec 6th best friends Frank and Stanley have a great life living in Hawaii, their dads work together at the Naval Air base, and Franks sister’s boyfriend is stationed on the battleship USS Utah. On the morning of Dec 7th they are onboard the battleship when the Japanese attack, the Utah is hit and chaos is the only way to describe the rest of the day. Frank and Stanley have to be brave and make it to their families.
I love how Mr Gratz can bring tough subjects to life without toning it down to much for to middle grade set. This book is full of action and suspense it will hold even the most reluctant of readers interest. I also have to admit it did not end the way I thought it would, it was better.