Skip to Main Content

Missing in Action

NOW $5.99 $9.99

About The Book

Dirty. Lazy. Good-for-nothing. Jay Thacker is used to being called names because his dad is half Navajo. But things are different after he and his mother move to a small town in Utah to stay with his grandparents during WWII. Jay makes friends and earns money working the fields for his well-respected grandfather—but he encounters a problem in Ken, a fellow worker who’s from the nearby Japanese internment camp. Ken’s a Jap. And Jay’s dad, who’s been fighting for the navy out in the Pacific, is missing in action. This moving story about an unlikely friendship deftly addresses themes of prejudice and intolerance, providing readers a glimpse of the past that enlightens the present.

About The Author

Photograph by Doug Martin

Dean Hughes is the author of more than eighty books for young readers, including the popular sports series Angel Park All-Stars, the Scrappers series, the Nutty series, the widely acclaimed companion novels Family Pose and Team PictureSearch and Destroy, and Four-Four-Two. His novel Soldier Boys was selected for the 2001 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list. Dean Hughes and his wife, Kathleen, have three children and nine grandchildren. They live in Midway, Utah.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (February 24, 2015)
  • Length: 256 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416999041
  • Grades: 5 - 9
  • Ages: 10 - 14
  • Lexile ® HL620 The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

“[A] wonderful novel that is sure to appeal on many levels…the issues explored will make many think.”

– Library Media Connection, Highly Recommended

“Subtle and engaging.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Awards and Honors

  • CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Book in Social Studies

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Dean Hughes