Hopkinson, Deborah. Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II. Scholastic / Scholastic Focus, 04/2023. 289pp. Non-Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-338-74616-7. GRADES 6 – 12. OUTSTANDING.
This dramatically told WWII history focuses on the era’s largest rescue of prisoners of war, who were held at Cabanatuan prison camp in the Philippines. The narrative non-fiction book begins with the collaborative relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines at the start of the war, the attacks by the Japanese, seeking refuge on Corregador, the Bataan Death March, and the torture and brutality suffered by both the U.S. and Filipino prisoners. The author introduces key participants, and often quotes them using material from their memoirs and other accounts, to bring this history to life. The voices of nurses, Filipinos, and many Latino soldiers from New Mexico as well as the majority white soldiers are included. The writing is top notch, making this a page-turner, and it is filled with b&w photos and maps. Significant back matter makes this a first choice for report writers because it includes source notes, a timeline, an index, and a list of resources.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool