{My thoughts} – Danny is a young boy who has his life flipped upside down. His mom decides she doesn’t like him hanging with the group of kids he has been and moves them from New York to Hawaii.

She didn’t come upon this decision lightly. Danny and a close friend of his had gotten into some trouble and his friend got hurt really bad. After that his mom had a choice to make and she’d hoped by getting him out of that kind of environment she’d be able to keep him safe.

There was no way she could have known that moving to Hawaii was going to be nearly as dangerous as living in New York. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japan Military had come as a complete surprise. They’d crippled all of Hawaii’s defenses. Had they decided to attack again there was no way Hawaii could defend itself.

Danny saw first hand what was going on. He’d saw so many get hurt and lose their lives. He’d saw his mom help as many as she could along with her co-workers. He’d learned that even though he was finding it hard to be happy in Hawaii, that he was happy to have his mom there with him.

This book was amazingly written. It pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Thank an huge fan of historical literature based on the WW2 period and this book helped to fill a small void. I look forward to sharing this book and the many others in the series with my littles when they are old enough to read them. ( )

This was my first I Survived book. I can see why they are so popular with some of the students, especially reluctant readers. It was short and action packed. Danny and his mom moved to Hawaii and had been there about 3 weeks. He's contemplating making a run for it to go back to New York to check on his best friend who is hospitalized. A run on in with a local neighborhood boy whose family is Japanese puts a spin on the action of the book. Author's notes and a timeline at the end of the book offer additional historical perspective. ( )

Love these books! To hear from a survivors perspective ( )

There are 17 books in the I Survived series. Each book tells a fictional account of a historical event through the eyes of a child eyewitness. The series is well researched and age appropriate for middle grade students. From modern events like 9/11 and the Joplin, MO tornado to more ancient disasters like the destruction of Pompeii, the series gives historical facts and tells great fictional accounts for kids.

I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor is the 4th book in the series. Danny Crane and his mother just moved from New York to Hawaii. His mother works as a nurse at the military base hospital. Danny misses his best friend Finn, who was severely injured in an accident just before they moved from NYC. He's feeling a bit lonely when he meets a young Japanese boy, Aki. Aki introduces Danny to his mother. The next day Aki comes to Danny's house early, saying he hears airplanes. The Japanese are bombing the Harbor. Can Danny survive and find his mother at the hospital?

I like this series. The books would definitely be useful in a classroom situation for reluctant readers or to teach/supplement history lessons. The stories are action-packed and interesting. The cover art is definitely eye-catching.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Narrated by Michael Goldstrom, the audio is just over an hour long. Goldstrom reads at a nice pace with good inflection. I have hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the audio.

I will definitely be reading more of this series. I like to read children's books as a break from adult literature. Sometimes I just like to read for enjoyment and want a short book for a relaxing reading break. This series fit that need perfectly. The books are well-written and interesting but short enough to be a quick, easy read.

For adults reading this series, always keep in mind that this series is written for children. The length is shorter, details softened a bit, and the main characters are children. Don't expect in-depth more adult coverage of these historical events as adults are not the target audience for this series. ( )

Wow, this is the first book I've read in this series and I was amazed at how I got roped in and wanted to know what would happen next. This book is part of a series where real events are described/happen through the eyes of a child. The author of this book is Lauren Tarshis and it is recommended for grades 2-5. I liked how the book wasn't too graphic/violet as to scare kids. I could see how a student would read it and then could have many questions if they understand that Pearl Harbor is a real place and the attach was a real part of history. I also think that there are elements/characteristics of the characters that students could relate to such as having to move to a new place when you don't want to, having a parent that works a lot, or even having a neighbor kid who acts like a little sibling. I have had a TON of students request this book as well as many from the whole series. I look forward to reading more myself. I could see how for some kids it might be a good book to read with parents so that they and talk about things as questions come up while reading the book and/or the parent could explain in a little more detail or in certain details to comfort the student.