The Unbreakable Zamperini: A World War II Survivor's Brave Story

by Nel Yomtov, Rafal Szlapa (Illustrator)

Overview

In the 1930s Louis Zamperini was a promising Olympic track athlete. But when World War II broke out, he enlisted and served as a bombardier with the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1943 Zamperini miraculously survived when his bomber crashed in the Pacific Ocean. But that was just the beginning of his ordeal. After surviving for more than six weeks on a raft at sea, he was captured by Japanese forces and sent to a POW camp. For the next two years Zamperini endured brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese officer who chose to make an example of him. But no matter how horrible things things became, Zamp refused to be broken. Learn all about Louis Zamperini and his unbreakable spirit as a prisoner of war in World War II.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781543573138
Publisher:	Capstone Press
Publication date:	08/01/2019
Series:	Amazing World War II Stories
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

Nel Yomtov is an award-winning author of children's nonfiction books and graphic novels. He specializes in writing about history, current events, biography, architecture, and military history. He has written numerous graphic novels for Capstone, including the recent School Strike for Climate, Journeying to New Worlds: A Max Axiom Super Scientist Adventure, and Cher Ami: Heroic Carrier Pigeon of World War I. In 2020 he self-published Baseball 100, an illustrated book featuring the 100 greatest players in baseball history. Nel lives in the New York City area.

Table of Contents

Bad Boy Makes Good 4

Bomber Down! 6

"I Broke Down and Cried" 12

Torture and Torment 18

Unbreakable 22

A Promise Kept 28

Glossary 30

Read More 31

Critical Thinking Questions 31

Internet Sites 32

Index 32

Interviews

1. Compelling World War II stories are a continual area of interest for young readers 2. Action-packed stories presented in an engaging, graphic novel format appeal to emerging and reluctant readers 3. Very few children's books about the Louis Zamperini 4. Examines the story of a strong-willed survivor and his experiences during the war