About This Book

A Tale of Courage in the Face of Impossible Odds, Told by a Newbery Award-Winning Author!

Follow one soldier's path to safety through World War II's most lethal battle!

At the height of World War II, Scott Pendleton Collins signs up for the Army. After all, both his father and grandfather fought for their country. But at first the only enemy he faces is boredom. He and his unit want to be out in the fields, doing something to help the Allied forces, but instead they meet with endless delays.

There's a rumor that something big is coming, and finally Scott discovers what it is. In the dead of night, he and his comrades find themselves on a boat heading to Normandy, France. At last, as his boat approaches the beach, Scott suddenly realizes what they are up against. Nothing in basic training, nothing he's heard from other soldiers or from his father or grandfather, nothing he has ever experienced could prepare him for what awaits on Omaha Beach.

As D-Day rages around him, Scott is separated from his unit. Lost in the bloody chaos, he must find a way to live through the battle.

About the Authors or Illustrators

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers is the beloved and outstanding author of such children's and young adult books as Fallen Angels, Somewhere in the Darkness, Slam!, and Harlem, among many more. His many awards include two Newbery Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and the Michael J. Printz Award.

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