Salisbury, Graham.
HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT
New York : Random House Publishing, 2014
IL YA
ISBN  0375940707

How much of your life would you give for your country? Would you enlist with the Army to be a spy even though you are only 15 and have no training at all? Would you put yourself in harm’s way for the good of your country? That is what Zenji Watanabe did at the beginning of World War II. Zenji was a smart student and fluent in Japanese and English so the Army needed him to become an invisible spy and transfer information to the Government and translate documents. This exciting book is based on the true story of Richard Sakakidas who did just that in 1941. This book gives a vivid picture of the beginnings of the war through the eyes of a scared 15 year old who called on courage he did not know he possessed to survive an unspeakable situation. He endured torture and loneliness for 5 years before going home to resume his life as a “normal” teen. If you like war stories, this book is especially good because it is based on a true story and it vivid descriptions and details will make the war come to life. (Prepared by: Candi Vaughn, James F. Byrnes Freshman Academy, candi.vaughn@spart5.net   South Carolina Young Adult Book nominee 2017)