Like all Alan Gratz books, this one was just as good and didn't disappoint. Too many historical fiction seem to almost glamorize war and these terrible atrocities, and Gratz is great at maintaining realism. His stories are gripping and timeless keeping kids on edge and turning pages and this one certainly kept me going, to!

Gratz has a unique ability to allow anyone to feel connected to characters who are different from them. Heroes is an accurate, insightful, and emotional look at real life during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
And I definitely cried at the end.

Yet again, Alan Gratz brings history to life in a way that draws in both teens and the adults who love them. In this telling, Gratz brings to light a story of those often omitted in the retellings of this fateful and tragic day. These characters, like so many others created by Gratz, will not easily forgotten.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Press for an ARC copy of Heros: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Alan Gratz. This book is fantastic! Very age appropriate. It focuses on Frank and Stanley, best friends, who find themselves smack dab in the middle of the attack on Pearl Harber. It weaves history and action together seamlessly which will keep kids reading and turning those pages. I highly recommend this to middle-grade readers, but I think older readers would enjoy it as well. Alan Gratz is a wonderful writer! I can't wait to read more of his books with my kiddos.

This was so moving and well done! The friendship was beautiful and it added so much emotional weight to the journey. The book did not back away from the horrors of the day, but it wasn't overly descriptive either- I think it found the perfect balance. Highly recommend!

Another great historical fiction novel from Alan Gratz. This was is full of action and moves very quickly. I particularly liked the comic book tie-in and how Frank and Stanley’s relationship developed during the course of the book. My students will surely enjoy reading this one.

Alan Grantz is a very popular author in my classroom. I taught his book, Refugee, for years. Many students in my classes have read every single Grantz book out there or are working on it. Therefore, I will definitely be getting Heros for my classroom.

Grantz does an amazing job writing realistic historical fiction that kids can understand, and this book is no different. Heroes takes us through the story of 2 boys trying to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor. One of those boys is a Japanese American, and the book is able to show how Japanese Americans were treated after the attack. It's heartbreaking and such an important read.

This is my second book by Alan Gratz and I’m still amazed about how we can so realistic historical fiction like this! The action and deeply meaningful twists kept my attention the entire story.

December 1941 best friends Stanley and Frank are best friends who’s fathers are Navy pilots stationed in Pearl Harbor. They spend their days discussing comic books and heroes hoping they’ll have their own published one day.

After a big fight the 2 boys are off to tour the USS Utah with Frank’s sisters sailor boyfriend. While on board Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese. Chaos ensues as plans drop bombs on the Pacific fleet made to protect them.

The boys have to encounter obstacles and heartbreak to make their way home and once they do they realize everything has changed - Stanley’s mother is Japanese American and terrible prejudice he faces now makes him the enemy when all he wants to be is a hero.

Gratz pulls on your heart strings and drags you right into the middle of the carnage and aftermath of Pearl Harbor from the point of you of a young man. Great book for young teens to adults.

Heroes is another great title from Alan Gratz! My middle students love his other books and this one will not disappoint! Thank you NetGalley!

Alan Gratz did it again! My readers love his books and are so excited about this one. My hold list is already long- yay! I love how it was exciting, historically accurate and also touches on the racism of the time. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Alan Gratz's latest historical fiction for middle grade is one that will fly off the shelves!
Middle Graders love reading about World War II, and this novel will fill both their minds and their hearts!
The story follows Will and Stanley - friends who live in Pearl Harbor while their dads serve in the Navy. Will struggles with crippling fear and is thrown into the midst of his worst nightmare when he is on a ship in Pearl Harbor on December 7.
Will and Stanley witness unimaginable horror as the bombs and bullets fly and they fight to stay alive and rescue others. Alan Gratz doesn't pull punches with his description of soldiers fighting for their lives and the destruction that is everywhere.
The horror doesn't end after Will and Stanley save the lives of soldiers, it's just beginning for Stanley as a young Japanese American who is now under suspicion!
I can't wait to share this important story with our students . . . I'll be sure to order several copies!

Alan Gratz does it again! This is a fast-paced, compelling historical fiction narrative that weighs in at just over 200 pages making it a perfect read for both avid readers and reluctant ones. Gratz uses short chapters to keep kids hooked as this story dives into (no pun intended) Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. Characters are diverse, and the issue of racism toward Japanese-Americans falling the declaration of war is explored. I would have loved to see more "different perspective"-style chapters like Gratz's other books, but it was a great read nonetheless!

A must-purchase for all upper elementary and middle school collections. You can't go wrong with a Gratz novel!

A moving and intense story about two boys caught in the throes of the Pearl Harbor attack and the affects it has on their personal life. Alan Gratz is an absolute master at writing about two characters in one historical event. He writes about said event and how it adversely affects each person so differently. He brings such a unique perspective to these books. It is vitally important to know these stories and to know that things could be uncomfortable and that history isn’t always black and white.

Me and my boys will ALWAYS read these books and come away with such a greater understanding about events and the people it hit!

Gratz narrates a fairly simple story of two friends trying to survive the attack that drew the US into WWII. Frank and Stanley navigate the bombing of Pearl Harbor, trying to get back to their families and safety. Meanwhile they are navigating an awkwardness in their friendship and the painful realization that Stanley's Japanese ancestry now suddenly means more than it used to. I found it slightly odd that they found time, while dogding bombs at an airfield, to discuss anxiety from past traumas, but with the story contained to just a few days, I suppose the character development had to happen fast. This was a quick read and should find an audience.

Oh man!! The action started on page one and didn’t stop until the very end. I flew through this because I just couldn’t put it down — I was so stressed and nervous for Stanley and Frank!

Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Alan Gratz is a great addition to middle grades offerings about World War II because of its focus on the beginning of the war for the US in the Pacific. Just as the themes of friendship and acceptance run throughout, descriptions of the violence of the Japanese attack do too. Heroes will appeal to readers who are interested in historical fiction and comic books and have enjoyed previous titles by Gratz. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Heroes is a wonderful way to teach middle school about Pearl Harbor. Gratz does a good job explaining how things would have been on the island. I enjoyed the friendship between the two boys. It was pretty eye-opening how things were for certain people during this time. Fans of I Survived will love this book. I know quite a few of my middle school students will devour this book.

I love Alan Gratz, and this book is high on the list of my favorites. This one is told in a bit simpler, straightforward way that I loved. Gratz normally writes with multiple points of view across different timelines. Instead, this one is told only from pre-teen Frank McCoy's perspective and has a linear timeline that is easy to follow.

Frank and Stanley are just two normal preteens whose dads are stationed at Pearl Harbor. They idolize the superheroes featured in popular comics and dream to publish their own comic one day. When the Pearl Harbor attacks suddenly happen, they find that they have plenty of bravery and courage and sometimes even the average person can be a hero.

The story tackles topics like anxiety, worry, and bravery, and there is a deep evaluation of how Asian Americans, especially Japanese Americans, were treated during this time period. Stanley is Japanese-American, and Frank must find ways to support and sometimes defend him in the aftermath of the attacks.

I would highly recommend this to readers who are interested in Gratz but may be intimidated by the length and complexity of some of his other books. There are still very graphic descriptions of war and intense realistic topics and events discussed, but it feels younger. I also really liked the comic strip included at the end of the book (no spoilers, but it's so fun!).

Action packed historical fiction for middle grade readers set during World War II. Thank you for the chance to read early

Wow. Wow wow wow. All I can say is Alan Gratz has done it again. So excited to get this one in kids' hands soon!