by Alan Gratz
That shut everybody up, and they starting thinking again about what was coming when they hit the beaches.
“They say it’ll be even worse than Peleliu, and we got the holy crap kicked out of us there.”
“I hear the Japs are waiting for us behind a ten-foot concrete wall with machine guns every six feet.”
“I bet eighty percent of us don’t make it off the beaches.”
Ray’s arms and legs felt weak. Shaky, like at the end of a day working hard on the farm when he’d skipped lunch.
Sergeant Meredith patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry, kid. Just keep your head down and move as fast as you can.”
Ray nodded anxiously, and his oversized helmet slid down over his eyes.
The boat’s motor shifted down, and they could all hear it and feel it. They were slowing to run up on the beach.
No—I’m not ready, Ray thought. I’m not ready. I’m not—
“All right, Marines!” Sergeant Meredith yelled. “This is it! Stay low, don’t bunch up, and run like hell!”
The boat lurched to a stop, and suddenly the ramp at the front dropped into the water with a splash.
Ray grabbed his rifle and ran like hell.
Like Dee at D-Day, I was helped by many allies in the writing of this book. Huge thanks to my ever-patient and always wise editor, Aimee Friedman; my publisher, David Levithan; copyeditor Jessica White and proofreaders Jody Corbett, Jackie Hornberger, and Bethany Bryan; and everyone else behind the scenes at Scholastic: Ellie Berger, president of Trade Publishing; Tracy van Straaten and Amy Goppert in Publicity; Mindy Stockfield, Rachel Feld, and Julia Eisler in Marketing; Lizette Serrano, Emily Heddleson, Michael Strouse, Matthew Poulter, Jasmine Miranda, and Danielle Yadao in School and Library Marketing and Conventions; Aimee’s assistant editor, Olivia Valcarce; Josh Berlowitz, Elizabeth Krych, Erin O’Connor, Leslie Garych, Joanne Mojica, and everyone in Production; Yaffa Jaskoll and Stephanie Yang for the terrific cover and interior layout; map artist Jim McMahon; Jazan Higgins, Stephanie Peitz, Jana Haussmann, Ann Marie Wong, Kristin Standley, Robin Hoffman, and everyone with the Clubs and Fairs; Jennifer Powell, Hillary Doyle, Bryan West, and Rachel Weinert in Rights and Co-Editions; Alan Smagler, Elizabeth Whiting, Jackie Rubin, Alexis Lunsford, Alexis Lassiter, Dan Moser, Nikki Mutch, Sue Flynn, Chris Satterlund, Roz Hilden, Terribeth Smith, Randy Kessler, Betsy Politi, Charlie Young, and everyone in Sales; Lori Benton, John Pels, and Paul Gagne for their amazing work, as ever, on Allies the audiobook; and all the sales reps and Fairs and Clubs reps across the country who work so hard to tell the world about my books.
Thank you to Trent Reedy and Linda Hervieux, who read my manuscript and gave me notes. Your comments were invaluable, and any mistakes that remain are my own. Thanks as always to my great friend Bob. And big thanks to my literary agent, Holly Root at Root Literary, and to my publicists and right-hand women Lauren Harr and Caroline Christopoulos at Gold Leaf Literary—the work you do allows me to do the work I do. And thanks again to all the teachers, librarians, and booksellers out there who put my books into the hands of young readers—you’re awesome! And last but never least, much love and thanks to my wife, Wendi, and my daughter, Jo.
We are stronger together.
Alan Gratz is the New York Times bestselling author of several acclaimed books for young readers, including Refugee, a New York Times Notable Book and an Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year; Grenade, the 2018 Freeman Book Award winner; Projekt 1065, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; Prisoner B-3087, winner of eight state awards and included on YALSA’s 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults list; and Code of Honor, a YALSA 2016 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.
Also by Alan Gratz
Grenade
Refugee
Projekt 1065
Prisoner B-3087
Code of Honor
Ban This Book
Copyright © 2019 by Alan Gratz
Map copyright © 2019 by Jim McMahon
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While inspired by real events and historical characters, this is a work of fiction and does not claim to be historically accurate or portray factual events or relationships. Please keep in mind that references to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales may not be factually accurate, but rather fictionalized by the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
First edition, October 2019
Jacket art © 2019 by Hitandrun
Jacket design by Yaffa Jaskoll
e-ISBN 978-1-338-24574-5
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