Read along with my 5th grade daughter, who is a HUGE FAN of Alan Gratz books. And in her words, “this was the best one yet!” It follows two comic book loving friends whose fathers are both military pilots during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Historical fiction at its finest for middle graders and adults, alike.

I dearly love Alan Gratz and his books. This one is no different. He manages to take a horrific event in American history and make it accessible to middle grade students. There are very little books about Pearl Harbor for middle grade students. This will be a welcome addition to my classroom library. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this wonderful story!

I adore Alan Gratz...and so do my students. I'll pick up pretty much anything he writes, and he is by far one of the best middle grade historical fiction writers out there.

This one starts fast and never lets up. From the first bombs to fall to the horrible aftermath, readers are stuck in a constant state of anxiety and dread. It's honestly hard to catch your breath most of the time, as Frank and Stanley find themselves in one terrifying situation after another.

Probably the worst part for me was knowing what was coming thanks to Stanley's Japanese ancestry. I knew if the story covered the aftermath it was certain to touch on the reprehensible treatment of Japanese Americans following the attack. Gratz addresses it head on and without apology.

Another fantastic story.

While Heroes isn't my favorite by Alan Gratz, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! There's not much for historical fiction for kids about Pearl Harbor, despite it being something kids are really interested in. The way Alan Gratz made relatable characters in something so horrific is incredible. I'm excited to add it to my classroom and share Frank's story with students!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Scholastic Press, Alan Gratz, and Judit Tondora for allowing me to review this masterpiece. I love anything Alan Gratz writes. My preteen/teens do as well. He is such an amazing author who really knows how to bring history alive while creating a powerful and interesting story. This book might be my favorite of his so far though. I love how the author provides factual notes about what really occurred and the comic book at the end is such a perfect addition to the book. I didn’t want this book to end. I can’t wait to read anything he writes next! Thank you again for allowing me to review this breathtaking book.

I gave this book 4 ½ stars, but think the target audience of tweens would rate it a 5 star read. This action packed book will keep younger readers turning the pages to find out more about Pearl Harbor. The author also includes notes about the real story and the elements he changed to make his story flow. Once again Alan Gratz does not disappoint!
On the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, two boys from military families forge a bond over a shared passion for comic books and the dream of creating their own hero. Frank, haunted by a mysterious "Incident" that left him anxious and afraid, worries about everything from giant eels to flip-flops. Stanley, son of a flight crew chief and a Japanese mother, grew up on the island and becomes Frank’s closest friend.
Frank's older sister is dating Brooks, a seaman stationed on the battleship Utah. When he invites Frank and Stanley on a tour of the Utah, no one thought that December 7th, 1941 would become “a date which will live in infamy”. As the unthinkable unfolds, Pearl Harbor succumbs to a devastating attack, engulfing the Utah in a hailstorm of gunfire. Thrust into the heart of chaos, Frank and Stanley must fight for their lives, escaping the sinking vessel amidst the pandemonium. But even as they struggle to survive the initial attacks, the boys discover prejudice and suspicion cast upon Japanese Americans. Can Frank overcome his fears to stand by his friend?

As a die hard fan of Alan Gratz, I was so excited for his newest book. He always does such a wonderful job making history come alive for middle grade students and this book is no exception. Those readers with little to no knowledge of Pearl Harbor will be able to follow right along and learn about that fateful day.

Another amazing book by Alan Gratz to add to the collection. Gratz does such a great job delivering historical fiction to our younger audience and this book did not disappoint.

As a mom, I really enjoyed reading this book aloud to my 12-year-old. I didn’t know much beyond the basics about Pear Harbor prior to reading, but liked learning more about it through the book. I liked the main character, a boy named Frank who deals with intense anxiety surrounding getting hurt, and his best friend Stanley, a Japanese-American who wants to be a comic book illustrator. There is lots of conflict in this book, from the man-versus-man conflict of the attack itself, plus the man-versus-himself conflict as he works to overcome his fear in order to help in a time of crisis.

Most of the book was fairly believable and worked well for me, except for an odd scene featuring a giant eel that just seemed silly in comparison to the previously heightened suspense of the scene leading up to that point. The author may be trying to add humor during a tense moment for the sake of his younger readers, but I think it is a mistake.

I look forward to seeing the comic book sections of the book in the physical copy. It wasn’t formatted right in my review copy.

My son liked the story as well. Many chapters end in cliffhangers and he would often ask for one more chapter most nights.

It's hard for Alan Gratz to live up to the success of Refugee, and this story only earned 3.5 stars from me. Similar to Ground Zero, it was hard for me to believe that our protagonists would survive as many obstacles as they did, and it felt like Gratz used a fast pace to distract readers from this disbelief. MG readers will like the comic book references but will not understand some of the other references like "Real McCoy."

Friends and neighbors with dads who are in the Navy, two young boys, Stanley and Frank find themselves aboard the USS Utah when Japanese planes start dropping bombs. The boys must fight to find their families and Frank must overcome his fears to be learn what it means to be a real hero.

The authors note is very powerful and full of nuggets for readers. Alan Gratz has done a great job with this novel.

The latest from Alan Gratz is an ideal addition to my middle school library. The story is fast-paced, culturally sensitive, and brings younger readers into the realities of historical events. Many a reader has become a World War II buff after reading an Alan Gratz work and this one is no exception.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Alan Gratz is probably the most popular historical fiction author with my 5th and 6th students. This time is he writing about Pearl Harbor. I like the focus on a one day event. Heroes was shorter than most of his other books. The characters were OK and the action kept the story moving. Overall the book felt a little rushed to me. That be said, Gratz is still the man. Kids can’t wait for this book and it will be read by and enjoyed by many students.

My son has never loved to read and then last year at the Scholastic book fair his middle school librarian recommended Alan Gratz to him. He purchased a book and before the fair was over had finished that first book (!!!!) and asked to buy a second book (of course, yes). He then binged every.single.one of Gratz's books!

We were both so excited to see a new book coming and even more excited to get an ARC of it. My son (now 14) loved this one just like all the other Gratz books. He recommends his books to all of his friends. As a mom, I'll forever be in debt to Gratz for the impact he's made on my son and the fire of the love of reading his books has stoked.

Talk about a book that really pulls the reader in emotionally! The intensity of Heroes actually made my dreams the night I finished it full of the same high stress feelings I felt while reading. There is NOTHING boring about the way Alan Gratz writes historical fiction. Even when you have familiarity with the circumstances surrounding the history, the stories are entrancing and keep you flipping the pages to see how the characters fare in the end. Reading about the experiences at Pearl Harbor by way of two young boys and being able to see what it might have been like both on land and out on the water was incredibly special to read. I can’t wait to share this with my students in February.

I will be ordering this book for our teen book club. Grantz's novels are always loved by our juvenile audience at the library. This novel begins with two boys from different backgrounds. One is white and the other is a Japanese American. Of course after the attack, one of the children is treated differently due to his ethnicity. This book highlights a bleak time in our history where racism, prejudice, and fear were rampant. Grantz's books are a great way to discuss our past with juveniles in a way that engages their spirit.

This arc was provided by Netgally.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. It shared part of the complicated history of the United States in an interesting way. The author shares the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the impact that it had on Japanese Americans during that time.

This book was so good! I love this author, and this book did not disappoint! It was super intense, and I couldn't put it down! I also loved all the emotion, you could really feel what was going on!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Heroes. This isn't my first Alan Gratz book, nor will it be my last, but it is the first Gratz title I finished in one sitting. I could not stop reading, and I kept looking forward to more -- more action, more quiet moments, more story -- so much so that I was sad when I came to the end.

A wonderful addition to my Gratz collection. I can't wait to share it with both my history-loving son and my students.

It is December 6, 1941 and Stanley and Frank (best friends, neighbors, military kids) are spending the day working on writing their own superhero comic book, when several bullies show up and start hitting Stanley. Frank freezes in fear and doesn't help Stanley so naturally Stanley us upset with Frank. The next day, Brooks, Frank' sister's boyfriend offers them a chance to tour the USS Utah when the Japanese airplanes arrive and start bombing the ships in the harbor and chaos ensues.

@alan.gratz puts his readers right in the middle of the action, dodging bullets and bombs along with Stanley and Frank. This is typical Gratz--lots of action, short chapters that end on a cliffhanger, and relatable characters. Even with all the action, Gratz tackles several issues, especially the racism towards Japanese Americans after the attack. Finally, this book, like his others are not too long for middle school which is a HUGE plus and why his books fly off the shelf.
The comics at the end were a fabulous plus, and the author's note at the end is full of information providing background knowledge for his readers.

I can't say this enough--more middle school authors need to realize that you can write a great book in under 300 pages, and Gratz proves it again and again. Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for the e-ARC