Missing in Action — Dean Hughes

Dirty. Lazy. Good-For-Nothing.

Jay Thacker is used to being called names because his dad is half Navajo. But he gets a chance at a new life and a new identity when he and his mom move from Salt Lake City to the small town of Delta. In Delta, Jay's grandfather is a beloved and well-respected man. And in Delta, Jay can convince everyone, and maybe even himself, that his dad, who is Missing in Action as he fights in World War II, is really a POW and military hero, and not gone forever.

But the bubble Jay has built around himself begins to burst when he has to confront his prejudices toward Ken, his new friend. Ken, the Japanese American from the nearby Topaz internment camp. Ken, the Jap. Sure Ken has been coaching Jay in baseball, bringing him one step closer to his dream of playing in the major leagues, and has also been coaching him in the latest dance moves, bringing him one step closer to the prettiest girl in town. But how can Jay learn to trust Ken when there is a war on?

As the summer wears on and Jay finds himself growing up a little faster than he expected, he learns to look at some truths that had previously been impossible to face. Truths about his father, about Ken, and about himself, too.

In this understated and moving story about an unlikely friendship, Dean Hughes provides a glimpse at the choices a boy must make as he decides what kind of man he'll one day be.