Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific by Deborah Hopkinson

This is an anthology of war stories told by the survivors for the most part.  Some survive, some don't make it.  This is non-fiction and it's war so there is no happy ever after for many of them.  My father fought in WWII, so these stories brought it home to me.  He was not a sailor but it was the same war.

Scholastic Press sent me an ARC of the book to read for review (thank you).  It was published yesterday so you can grab a copy now.

Besides my father being a reminder of this war, I found other connections as I read.  In the introduction, the author mentions visiting the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and seeing the submarine on display there.  I did that with a convention group before I moved.  My husband and I vacationed in Hawaii and took a trip out in the harbor to tour the Arizona monument.  I got to see big pictures of the damage done up close and personal.  In addition, we have Highway-70, through Southern New Mexico that was renamed the Bataan Memorial Highway.  Also a statue of American and Filipino Bataan survivors resides at Veterans Memorial Park, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The war might have been long ago but the memories are still alive.

The stories are heartbreaking in some instances.  There are a lot of facts on the boats and submarines used, lots of pictures, places to visit for more info or pictures on the web, a large bibliography at the back and an index to go to any particular reference.  This would be a good resource for writing a paper on the war for school.

I was pleased to see that many of them survived and managed to lead long lives despite the conditions they had endured.  I will say this:  Once you've read this book, you might find yourself ducking at the sound of low planes or any booms you might hear.  You really feel like you're there.