A sincere novel providing insight into the lives of Japanese Americans during World War II.
A young Japanese American girl from California faces the hardships of incarceration.
It’s 1942, and Kokoro Marie Hayashi has been on a train for four days with her mom and older sister, Shirley. They’ve already been through a lot—spending three months in a horse stall at an assembly center in Pomona—and now she hopes they will finally get to live in a real house. However, Koko’s dreams are squashed when the train stops in windy Heart Mountain, Wyoming. The unknown future weighs on her as well as the sadness of not truly knowing where her father is: While her mother says he’s on a photography assignment for the government in Santa Fe, clues that hint otherwise cause her to believe something more serious has happened to him. From entering sixth grade in a new school without her White best friend to finally getting to join the Girl Scouts (something she couldn’t do before because the Scout leader’s racism soured her mother on the organization), Koko must learn to survive. Readers will see strength in her acts of bravery, and her letters to her father authentically convey her emotions. Artwork by Ishigo, a White woman who entered Heart Mountain with her Japanese American husband, enhances the text; the Ishigos appear as characters in the story as well.
A sincere novel providing insight into the lives of Japanese Americans during World War II. (authors’ notes, timeline, further reading, image credits) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 1, 2022
ISBN: 979-8-98523-743-6
Page Count: 214
Publisher: CHB Books
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism.
A summer spent summiting the Adirondacks allows a teenager to reckon with grief.
Thirteen-year-old Finn Connelly’s summer is off to a rocky start. In addition to several incomplete class assignments—including a poetry project about heroes—he’s facing vandalism charges after an angry outburst at the local cemetery. To avoid paying thousands in fines that his family can’t spare, he reluctantly agrees to the proffered alternative: climbing all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4,000 feet by Labor Day accompanied by Seymour, the enthusiastic dog who belonged to the woman whose headstone he damaged. As Finn attempts the hikes, he wrestles with what it means to be a hero, a term often used for his deceased father, a local hockey legend, New York City firefighter, 9/11 first responder, and paramedic who died on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. This verse novel is engaging and easy to follow. It encompasses varied structures, like haiku, sonnet, and found poetry. Other ephemera, such as letters, recipes, and school progress reports, create visual breaks evocative of a commonplace book. The first-person narration vividly conveys a disgruntled teenager’s feelings, including moments of humor and contemplation. The novel wrestles with loss and legacy intertwined with weighty events, challenges, and themes—PTSD, alcoholism, toxic masculinity—and their resulting impact on Finn’s emotional well-being. The supporting characters are encouraging adult role models. Characters present white.
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781547616398
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Brava!
From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.
Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.
Brava! (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
SEEN & HEARD
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