Navy Seals: Elite Operations (Military Special Ops)

By: Patricia Newman
Publisher: Lerner Publishing
Publication Date: August 2013
ISBN: 978-0761390800
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: December 2013

Do you think you have what it takes to be a Navy SEAL? When you learn about all the physical requirements, you just might be ringing that brass bell. Any candidate who can’t cut the mustard “may drop out of training by ringing the bell three times.” Only the best of the best can make it through to the end and receive their tridents. You not only have to have brains, but brawn to go with it. Do you think you can “complete seventy push-ups in two minutes?” If that sounds easy, you just might have what it takes to consider applying to the Navy SEAL program. In case you don’t know, which you probably do, SEAL stands for (Se)a, (A)ir, and (L)and.

On May 2, 2011, it was “go day” for a Navy SEAL’s team. They had trained for a very special mission and they were after Osama bin Laden, “public enemy number one.” He was responsible for a lot of deaths on American soil and he had to be captured. A chopper was lowering a team to the ground of bin Laden’s compound, but wait … something was terribly wrong! It lurched and “began to fall to the ground.” You’ll read about how the SEAL team made it through that horrifying ordeal and got their man. If you’re into military special ops, you’re going to love reading about how the Navy SEAL teams approach an operation, the history of the group, the different operations, the SEAL kits, how they train, and you’ll learn much more about this elite operations group!

This is an excellent overview of the Navy SEALs young readers will love. The layout of the book will be a big draw for many readers, especially the reluctant ones or those interested in special ops. The book is generously illustrated with full color photographs and one black and white one of a WWII underwater demolition tam (UTD). There are numerous informative sidebars and captions that add to the text. For example, one outlines those difficult physical fitness requirements. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: If you have a youngster who is a fan of military special ops, the Military Special Ops series will definitely draw them in!