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What Members Thought
A Japanese American girl is relocated to an internment camp during World War II. Not only does Manami lose her home, but she loses her beloved dog - and the trauma of the experience causes her to lose her voice. She uses her artistic talents to express herself, sending messages to her older brother and her dog on the wind. Her older brother seems to receive those messages ... Maybe her pet can, too?
A sad, beautiful middle grade book. I loved how kind so many characters are in this book: the teac ...more
A sad, beautiful middle grade book. I loved how kind so many characters are in this book: the teac ...more
Beautifully written, this novel shines a new light on the Japanese internment during WWII. Manami is an interesting narrator, considering her silence through most of the book. I liked this device, although her family's ability to know just what she was thinking without talking about it was a bit too convenient. I was also interested to learn about the differences between the internees, those from the city and those from the country. Each device demonstrating the families loss, from the dog to th
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A quiet, often sad story that would make a good introduction to Japanese internment camps. Manami's dog, left behind, is a key emotional part of the story, so it might be a good fit for dog lovers who don't mind the ambiguity of what happens to him. The story takes us from March to December of 1942, so Manami's story also doesn't have an ending, although the end is still emotionally satisfying. An author's note gives an overview of how the camps came about and what happened after the war.
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Manami loses almost everything when Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and her family is sent to an internment camp in the dessert, far from their lush Bainbridge Island home. The hardest thing to lose is her little dog - the loss hits Manami so hard she stops speaking.
Told in very spare language, this is a bittersweet tale about despair and regaining strength. Manami is bolstered by drawing, gardening, a loyal friend, her tight family, and a sweet teacher. An author's note addresses the historical facts ...more
Told in very spare language, this is a bittersweet tale about despair and regaining strength. Manami is bolstered by drawing, gardening, a loyal friend, her tight family, and a sweet teacher. An author's note addresses the historical facts ...more
The story of a Japanese family in an internment camp during WWII. The ten year old daughter, Manami is traumatized by a painful separation which results in selective muteness. This book is on Mock Newbery lists. While it is an engaging read, I don't see it walking away with the big prize.
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A wonderful chapter book about Japanese interment camps during WWII. How Baseball Saved Us would pair nicely with this book.
So "right" that, even though it pained me, I handed it to a student this morning despite knowing I still had 15 pages to go. She needed it more. Manami rings deftly true - and her voice lead you to look outside of the book to things in our communities now. Brilliant book.
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This book tells the story of one family who is sent to a Japanese internment camp. This is a part of our history that I feel like is brushed under the rug a lot so I was very glad to see a book present this in a format suitable for younger readers! Plus it was an engaging read.
Great book- shows courage, overcoming devastation and hard luck. I love the historical references and Japanese- American culture that is portrayed. Great for grades 4-6.
Dec 20, 2015
J.j.
marked it as to-read
Jan 17, 2016
Maria
marked it as to-read
Jan 24, 2016
Margo Jantzi
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Jan 30, 2016
Julie
marked it as to-read
Feb 11, 2016
Kris Springer
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Apr 05, 2016
Jenny
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Apr 13, 2016
Wendy
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May 07, 2016
Dan
marked it as to-read
May 31, 2016
sharon
marked it as to-read
Mar 04, 2017
Celeste
marked it as to-read
Jun 04, 2022
alisonwonderland (Alison)
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
middle-grade,
japanese-incarceration
