Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America's First Black Paratroopers

by Tanya Lee Stone

Overview

“An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted, and important tribute to unsung American heroes.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

World War II is raging, and thousands of American soldiers are fighting overseas against the injustices brought on by Hitler. Back on the home front, discrimination against African Americans plays out as much on Main Street as in the military. Tanya Lee Stone examines the little-known history of the Triple Nickles, America’s first black paratroopers, who fought in an attack on the American West by the Japanese. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, in the words of First Sergeant Walter Morris, “proved that the color of a man had nothing to do with his ability.”
Front matter includes a foreword by Ashley Bryan. Back matter includes an author’s note, an appendix, a time line, source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763665487
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	402,459
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1090L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

 

Read an Excerpt

What did it take to be a paratrooper in World War II? Specialized training, extreme physical fitness, courage, and — until the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (the Triple Nickles) was formed — white skin.
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Courage Has No Color, The True Story of the Triple Nickles"
by .
Copyright © 2013 Tanya Lee Stone.
Excerpted by permission of Candlewick Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Rich with detail, the pictures not only complement the narrative, but also tell a stirring story of their own, chronicling the triumphs and frustrations of the soldiers as they pursued their dreams. Complete accessibility to a wide range of readers, coupled with expert research and meticulous care, makes this a must-have for any library.
—School Library Journal

An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted and important tribute to unsung American heroes.
—Kirkus Reviews

A captivating look at a small but significant piece of military and civil rights history.
—Publishers Weekly

Written with great immediacy, clarity, and authority, Stone’s vivid narrative draws readers into the Triple Nickle’s wartime experiences. Many well-chosen quotes enhance the text, while excellent black-and-white illustrations, mainly photos, document both the men of the 555th and racial prejudice on the home front...This handsome volume documents the sometimes harrowing, often frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experiences of the Triple Nickles.
—Booklist

Editorial Reviews

Rich with detail, the pictures not only complement the narrative, but also tell a stirring story of their own, chronicling the triumphs and frustrations of the soldiers as they pursued their dreams. Complete accessibility to a wide range of readers, coupled with expert research and meticulous care, makes this a must-have for any library.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted and important tribute to unsung American heroes.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A captivating look at a small but significant piece of military and civil rights history.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Written with great immediacy, clarity, and authority, Stone’s vivid narrative draws readers into the Triple Nickle’s wartime experiences. Many well-chosen quotes enhance the text, while excellent black-and-white illustrations, mainly photos, document both the men of the 555th and racial prejudice on the home front...This handsome volume documents the sometimes harrowing, often frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experiences of the Triple Nickles.
—Booklist (starred review)

This will appeal to readers who like history, adventure, and the military. ... [Stone's] strength as an author is that she makes rereading the text a joy.
—VOYA

The book’s focus is wide: there are excellent sections on segregation and stereotypes in American history, Japanese American internment camps, Japanese balloon bombs, the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Firefly, brought to life with archival photographs and Stone’s always clear prose.
—Horn Book

Richly illustrated with photographs, this compelling story of the Triple Nickles’ training and Pacific coast mission will be of particular interest to young teens who have read Shelley Pearsall’s Jump into the Sky (BCCB 10/12), and the appended bibliography, timeline, notes, and index will guide their further exploration of these heroes.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The well-researched book includes interviews with many of the original paratroopers. ... This would be a good book for use in a study of World War II, a look at the civil rights movement, or a unit on discrimination.
—Library Media Connection

Stone opens her new book with what it felt like to be a paratrooper — the thrill and the fright of jumping out of an airplane, ready for battle… Facing racial intolerance and raging fires, pushing for integration and opportunity, the Triple Nickles make clear that courage has no color but many facets.
—The Washington Post

Stone weaves the story of these brave men and their wartime efforts within the larger story of discrimination within the military and the nation itself...This is outstanding nonfiction and is a real curriculum gem as well as being a deeply compelling reading experience.
—Booklist's Blog Bookends

Through interviews with World War II veterans such as Walter Morris, Tanya Lee Stone's illustrated history tells the little-known story of the Army's 555th Infantry Battalion of black soldiers, who had to fight racism within the military for the right to jump out of planes.
—USA Today

A fascinating, thorough and inspiring account.
—Shelf Awareness

Consider this a fine bit of research and history that deserves praise and honors galore.
—A Fuse #8 Production (SLJ blog)

[A]n inspiring tale that fits into curriculum units on American history, WW2, black history, civil rights history and even a discussion on bullying and racism. ... But this is a book for adults as well. Meticulously researched using primary source material, the story comes alive against the background of segregation, American values vs. Hitler's monstrous acts, and the passions of young American men who were frustrated in demonstrating their loyalty to their country by the color of their skin.
—Huff Post Impact (blog)

Balancing a rich mix of photos and illustrations, Courage is narrative-focused — perfect for introducing inquisitive schoolchildren to America's complicated history with race and the military.
—Scooter Magazine

From the Publisher

Sometimes history is what didn't happen—and why…Courage Has No Color movingly demonstrates that opportunity is the first prerequisite for great achievement.

The Washington Post - Abby McGanney Nolan

Stone (Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream) opens with an enticing question, “What is it like to jump out of an airplane?” The answer, which lets readers imagine doing just that as a paratrooper, will immediately draw them into this thorough story of the U.S. military’s first black paratroopers. More than just an account of their endeavors during WWII, the narrative takes on a broader perspective as it contextualizes the story of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Set against the entrenched racism of the 1940s, the nine chapters include asides about media stereotypes regarding African-Americans and how photographs of black soldiers were often left out of the military record. Myriad quotations from personal interviews and more than 100 b&w photos reveal the heroism and perseverance of these groundbreaking men. While they didn’t see combat (they were instead sent out West to become smoke jumpers), Stone’s final chapters reveal how the Triple Nickles’ service helped integrate both the military and society at large. A captivating look at a small but significant piece of military and civil rights history. Ages 10–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Stone’s historical work describes what it meant to serve in WWII as an African-American soldier. JD Jackson’s performance melds with the text, further strengthening a solid piece of nonfiction. His pacing matches the moment, whether describing incidents of discrimination or the exhilaration of training to become the first black paratroopers. He highlights emotional peaks with short silences that let the listener live each experience before moving on. The story covers a lot of ground—from details of the Roosevelts to the internment of Japanese-Americans and the irony of African-Americans fighting for justice abroad while not being recognized as full citizens at home. Jackson’s smooth voicing buffs the edges of a few rough transitions. Notably, the book is introduced by African-American picture book writer/illustrator—and WWII vet—Ashley Bryan. A.M.P. SYNC 2015 © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2013 - AudioFile

The fascinating untold story of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, America's first black paratroopers. While white American soldiers battled Hitler's tyranny overseas, African-Americans who enlisted to fight for their country faced the tyranny of racial discrimination on the homefront. Segregated from white soldiers and relegated to service duties and menial tasks, enlisted black men faced what Ashley Bryan calls in the foreword "the racism that was our daily fare at the time." When 1st Sgt. Walter Morris, whose men served as guards at The Parachute School at Fort Benning, saw white soldiers training to be paratroopers, he knew his men would have to train and act like them to be treated like soldiers. Daring initiative and leadership led to the creation of the "Triple Nickles." Defying the deeply ingrained stereotypes of the time, the Triple Nickles proved themselves as capable and tough as any white soldiers, but they were never used in combat, serving instead as smoke jumpers extinguishing Japanese-ignited forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Stone's richly layered narrative explores the cultural and institutional prejudices of the time as well as the history of African-Americans in the military. Her interviews with veterans of the unit provide groundbreaking insight. Among the archival illustrations in this handsomely designed book are drawings Bryan created while he served in World War II. An exceptionally well-researched, lovingly crafted and important tribute to unsung American heroes. (photographs, chronology, sources note, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews