The Unbreakable Code Wins Governor of Arizona Award!

About the book:

John is scared. His mom has married the man from Minnesota, and now he has to leave the Navajo Reservation. John has never lived off the Reservation. What will it be like? How will he measure up to the people who live outside of the Four Sacred Mountains?

John's grandfather tells him he will be all right, for he has something very special to take with him; he has the unbreakable code - the code that saved the lives of thousands of Americans in the Pacific during World War II, invented using the unwritten Navajo language.

From the Author:

Researching and writing this book about the Navajo code talkers was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Many of the men who invented and used this code, which was never broken during World War II, still live on the Navajo Reservation in a beautiful corner where Arizona meets New Mexico. Julie Miner, the illustrator, and I spent many hours listening to the stories and meeting the families of these modest, softspoken men who left a world they knew because they were desperately needed for a secret project.

Because the code was not declassified until almost a quarter of a century later, they could not tell anyone about it. There were no parades when they came home from the war. In fact, many were still discriminated against when they applied for jobs off the Reservation.Now, their story is becoming better known and they are at last receiving the recognition they deserve.

For some, it came too late. I first heard the story of the Navajo Code Talkers from a close college friend, Heather Wilson, who was a Nez Perce Indian. She died during the writing of this book and it is to her that the book is dedicated. She exemplified the same strength, humor, and spirit as the code talkers. Hers, like theirs, is a life to be celebrated. ~Sara Hunter

Order a copy of The Unbreakable Code today

Click here to read the article in The Arizona Republic