WEEDFLOWER by Cynthia Kadohata

(Book Cover: Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN:-13: 978-0-689-86574-9; ISBN-10: 0-689-86574-0.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Weedflower is the story of a Japanese family who owned a flower farm in California prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were a happy family; proud to be living in America. Some members of the family had been born in America and were citizens of the United States. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government arrested or otherwise confined people of Japanese descent, even those who had been born in America. This is the story of one such family and the struggles they endured during years of internment.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The main character is Sumiko, a twelve-year old, sixth grade girl. This story is told from her perspective. She deals with loneliness, ethnic diversity and issues relating to popularity prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. All of these are issues that other middle school age children can identify with. The remainder of the book concerns events that today’s children, thankfully, cannot relate to on a personal level. The reader must simply learn about these events from Sumiko’s perspective. They will be able to understand her feeling of loss when she has to move, her fear of the unknown, and her crush on an American Indian boy. The reader can only imagine the feelings they would have if they lost all their worldly possessions and had to live in a 100 foot by 20 foot barrack with three other families. Sumiko’s narrative is told from a very youthful point of view and will no doubt draw the reader’s full attention.

The plot of this story is very realistic. It explains the way in which Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants were imprisoned in Poston, Arizona. There is no way to sugar coat the facts involved with that period of our history and Ms. Kadohata doesn’t try to do so. She also weaves in, as a sub-plot, the plight of the Native Americans. She points out, through the relationship Sumiko makes with Frank, a Native American boy, how similar the plight of the two peoples was. She leads the reader to conclude that although the Japanese were treated poorly by the American government, their plight was still better than the Native Americans. The behaviors and feelings of the characters are very believable. For example, the sadness exhibited by Sumiko’s aunt because of the separation from her husband; the anger and rage exhibited by the members living at the camp when they were asked to go to work outside the camp due to a shortage of American workers; and the silly games played by the children to fill the days at the camp are all very realistic behaviors.

The setting of the book changes through time. In the beginning, the characters are on a farm in California. Ms. Kadohata clearly describes the California location so that a picture can be formed in the readers mind. One can see the beautiful fields of flowers and understand the joy the characters would have in living in such a place. Providing this visual image of the character’s home helps the reader to visualize the location of the place where the family is sent. Ms. Kadohata does a good job of describing the desert wilderness of Poston, Arizona in the 1940s. She further clearly lays out for the reader a depiction of the physical aspects of the camp in which the family was imprisoned.

There is a great deal of dialogue in this book. The dialogue is written much like someone would speak today. I especially appreciate the way in which Ms. Kadohata uses Japanese words in the dialogue between the characters. It gives a sense of authenticity to the words being spoken. The words are clearly described so that there is no question as to their meaning. The style of writing is very much typical of a fictional book. This may make the book more attractive to some readers who are reluctant to read historical novels. Even with the fictional style of writing, the historical information comes through loud and clear.

This story tells of the injustice done to the Japanese people during World War II and to the Native American people before them. The theme of the book is this injustice as well as the perseverance of these people. Sumiko sums up the strength of these people when she finally agrees to leave camp to start a new life in Chicago. She didn’t really want to go because the camp was safe. She thought about her grandfather and how he had had the courage to come to America years before. She remembers him telling her that he didn’t do it for himself; he did it for his future grandchildren. Living our lives to benefit the future generations is a universal theme that will speak to all readers.

The authenticity of the information contained in this book is documented for the reader at the front of the book, in the section titled “Acknowledgments”. Ms. Kadohata describes and names the many people whom she interviewed in the process of writing of this book. Most of these people are Japanese Americans who suffered through the internment in Poston. Others are people who have researched the topic and are experts in their field. It is also interesting to note on the jacket cover of the book that Ms. Kadohata’s father was held in the Poston camp during World War II.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 52, no. 7 (July 2006) 106: “[Sumiko] is a sympathetic heroine, surrounded by well-crafted, fascinating people. The concise yet lyrical prose conveys her story in a compelling narrative that will resonate with a wide audience”

THE HORN BOOK 82, no. 4 (July/August 2006) 443-4: “The writing is mostly, though not consistently compelling, with numerous details of camp life seamlessly woven into the story. Kadohata also adds some depth with a friendship between Sumiko and a Mohave boy. . .”

MULTICULTURAL REVIEW 15, no. 4 (Winter 2006) 87: “The writing is simple, in places a bit odd, or just not particularly lyrical. It reads not like good writing for children but writing as children write. But the feelings are acute and accurate and they stab through the writing all the way to the reader's heart."

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
* Older students could research more about the Japanese internment and the Native American’s move to reservations. Students could compare and contrast the two situations using information from this research.

* The teacher or librarian could tape off a 100 foot by 20 foot space on the floor. Students could be grouped into families and see how it would “feel” to have four families housed in this one space.

* Students could locate Poston, Arizona on the map and research information about Poston today.

* When reading the book, students could be instructed to write down Japanese words as they are found in the book. This will help them as they read the book because the words are used throughout the book but only defined during the first usage. This list would be useful reference tool for the students while reading the book and is a skill that they could use for other books.

OTHER RELATED MATERIALS:

* Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. CD. New York: Random House/Listening Library.

* Holm, Tom. 2007. Code talkers and warriors: Native Americans and World War II. New York : Chelsea House.

* Stone, Monica I. 1979. Nisei Daughter. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

THE RIVER BETWEEN US by Richard Peck

(Book Covers: Peck, Richard. 2003. New York: Dial Books. Photo Sources: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Peck, Richard. 2003. The river between us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN: 978-0-803-72735-9

2. PLOT: This story, has two plot lines. The first is set in 1916 and involves a trip taken by fifteen year old Howard Hutchings with his father, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr. and twin brothers, to Grand Tower, Illinois. The trip first appears to be a simple trip of a dad taking his children to the place where he grew up. The trip is anything but simple. Dr. Hutchings had an agenda. He wanted Howard to learn about his ancestors who were anything but typical. The second plot is a flashback to 1861 during the time when Abraham Lincoln was first president and the Civil War was just beginning. This part of the story focuses on the struggles facing Howard Hutchings’ ancestors during this period of history. It specifically tells the story of young Delphine Duval who was a Creole from New Orleans and how she came to be involved in the lives of the other characters. The two plot lines come together in the end of the book to give Howard Hutchings the true picture of his family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: So much history is told in this one hundred sixty-five page book through the characters that make up one family. As with any family, the relationships are intertwined. The book is a bit confusing at first because it begins with a detailed story of a trip taken in 1916 with the main characters being Howard Hutchings, 15 year old son; Howard’s dad, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr.; and Howard’s twin brothers (age 5), Raymond and Earl Hutchings. This first part of the story is historically accurate and interesting for children. Mr. Peck describes what it was like to travel by car in 1916. He includes details that children would never think of such as: taking two days to prepare for a trip; strapping as many gas tanks as can fit to the side of the car because there is no gas station along the way; cracking an egg on the radiator to repair leaks along the way; fixing four flats in one day of traveling and having to pump the tire using a hand pump; and finding trees to sleep under during the overnight stop that must be made along the way. Although the story of the car trip is a bit different from what a child would experience today, the characterization of a family trip is well within the realm of things we would do today with our family. It is realistic and believable to a child reader.

For most of the book, the story is a flashback to 1861 and an entirely new set of characters appear. These characters include: Tilly and Noah, 15 years old twins; Cass, 12 year old sister to Tilly and Noah; Tilly’s mother; Delphine Duval, a young woman from New Orleans; Calinda, a young woman who appears to be Delphine’s slave; and Dr. William Hutchings. It is through these characters that the historical aspects of the story are told. At first, this flashback is disconcerting. The reader is not sure how the second chapter of the book has anything to do with the first. It doesn’t take long, however, to forget about the first chapter of the book and immerse oneself in the world that existed in 1861. The reader realizes, in the end, why the first chapter was included. It all comes together quite clearly when the story concludes with all the characters being part of William Hutchings’ family.

The setting of the main part of the book is 1861 at a time when the main characters were teenagers. The young reader will relate to the concerns and feelings expressed by the characters in the novel. For example, Tilly’s mother sends her and Delphine away to look for Noah who had gone to fight in the Civil War. The mother saw a vision of Noah being hurt and told Tilly that she could spare Tilly but she could not lose Noah. Tilly was extremely hurt by her mother’s words. There are times when children feel that a parent may favor one sibling over another. In another example, Tilly’s sister Cass is seen as different and has emotional issues. She sees visions. Tilly protects her which is something that many children can relate to.

The setting is described in great detail throughout the book. It is in the time of the Civil War when President Lincoln was “newly elected”. Descriptions of how Illinois needed the goods brought to it by Southern boats up the Mississippi are given as well as the devastation that happened when President Lincoln ordered a blockade of those ships. The divide of our country between North and South is depicted. The Mississippi River separated the town of Tower Rock, Illinois, such that one part was fighting for the South and one part was fighting for the North. Thus, the title of the book. The agony of having to fight one’s neighbor or even family member is depicted when the men of the town were having to choose sides; a choice which most people in the United States found easy because of their geographic location.

This book teaches young readers about various topics, including: the Civil War and the physical and emotional impact it had on people who lived through it; information about some of the famous battles during the Civil War; the history of the Creole people of New Orleans; how wealthy, white, southern men would sometime have second families with black women and how those relationships affected the children born from them; the impact of the Mississippi River in terms of trade, travel and entertainment to the people who lived along its banks; and the early traveling adventures using the automobile. It is presented accurately in terms that children will understand. The details contained in this story are many but they are not so overwhelming as to discourage a child from reading this book. The story reflects the attitudes, values and morals of the time during the Civil War. It weaves a story of relationships that, at the time, were forbidden. It describes the social troubles for those who do not fit perfectly into what society believes to be proper. Therefore, the universal theme from the book seems to be that love and relationships can surpass all odds.

The author’s writing style is easy to read. He uses some terminology that would be used in the late 1800s such as “Paw” for father and “kin” for relatives. There is some dialogue but most of the story is written as a narrative told by Tilly to Howard. When dialogue is used, it is always dialogue that involves Tilly and is believable for her character. The author finishes the book with an end note about his research. He describes what part of the material is factual and what part is from his imagination. He also provides acknowledgement for those who assisted him in his research. A list of literature circle questions and activities are included. These would be helpful for teachers or librarians who would like to use this book for class.

4. REVIEW EXERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 45, no. 5 (May 1999): “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families.”

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 57, no. 3 (November 2003) 119: “Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list.”

5. CONNECTIONS:

* Read the poem “A moment in time” by Allison Mull. This poem and others about the civil war can be located at http://home.att.net/~lah-rbh/civilwar/home.html, accessed November 5, 2008.

* This would be a wonderful story to read prior to a class discussion about how different people in this country are. Children could learn more about the Creole people of Louisiana. Learning more about Creole people could lead to a general discussion about other mixed races. A teacher could use this discussion to lead further into a study of genealogy, particularly in a school with mixed racial population. There is a great website that might be helpful. It is http://www.frenchcreoles.com/index.html (accessed November 5, 2008). Further links can be found within this website. A YouTube video titled “Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White” would also be interesting for students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfVpHYyDcY, accessed November 5, 2008).

* I included pictures of the two covers of this book. I like that it has two covers because they provide appeal to both girls and boys. If a library had a class set of these books, it might be good to include both covers.

Other titles by Richard Peck:

Peck, Richard. 2001. Fair weather. New York: Dial Books.
Peck, Richard. 2000. A year down yonder. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Peck, Richard. 1998. A long way from Chicago. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry

(Book Cover: Lowry, Lois. 1989. New York: Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the stars. New York: Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 0-395-51060-0; 978-0-395-51060-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY: This is a story of two young girls living in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Nazi occupation of the 1940s. One of the girls, Annemarie Johansen was a Lutheran and the other girl, Ellen Rosen, was Jewish. They are best friends who live the life of innocent children until the day the Germans begin to round up Jews in Copenhagen. Through a series of well planned and often frightening events, the Johansen family hides Ellen from the Germans. Annemarie and her mother help Ellen, her family and other Jews flee from Denmark to Sweden where they will be safe for the duration of World War II.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The main characters, ten year old Annemarie and Ellen, are very real and believable to the young reader. These readers can understand the innocence and freedom from worry these girls have in the very beginning of the book. The reader can relate to how the two girls race home from school and get upset because a younger sibling can’t keep up. By the end of Chapter 1, the young reader will be interested because this story is about children just like them.

Ms. Lowry does not overwhelm the story with the details of World War II but creates a seamless story that one could believe is biographical. The actions of the characters are so believable; the reader will be wondering if they would have the courage to do the same things. For example, Annemarie must carry a basket, with an envelope hidden inside, envelope inside to her uncle who is smuggling Jews out of the country. She must make it to the boat before he leaves; but she is stopped along the way by German soldiers. The reader can easily believe that Annemarie would try to get this envelope to her uncle and can feel her fear when she is stopped by the soldiers. It is a remarkable act of bravery. She risks her own safety for the safety of the Jewish people. It is an act that every reader will probably agree that they would do the same thing if they were in Annemarie’s position.

The setting of Copenhagen, Denmark during the time of German occupation is vividly described. The author includes many facts and realistic dialogue between characters to set up the setting for this story. Historical information is given throughout the book, such as: no butter or sugar for a year; no fuel for warming homes; electricity had to be rationed; people ate mostly potatoes for food; no leather for shoes; and much more. Ms. Lowry does not overwhelm the story with details but provides just enough detail to give the young reader a sense of what it was like to be living in Denmark during this time in history.

In the “Afterword”, Ms. Lowry includes a paragraph written by a twenty-one year old man who was part of the Danish Resistance. He wrote, on the night before the German’s executed him, these words: “. . . the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one.” It is clear that Ms. Lowry wrote this book with these words in mind as it is this theme of kindness and humanity that runs throughout. The “Afterword” is an especially good addition to this book because it is used to tell the reader what parts are true and what parts are from the author’s imagination. This is something young readers will find fascinating.

I must add that I strongly disagree with the New York Times Book Review listed below. This is a historical fiction book for young children, perhaps 3rd or 4th grade. It is written with enough factual information to take away some of the innocence of these young children who are probably only learning about World War II and its atrocities for the first time. I find it perfectly acceptable for a young child to see the German occupation as “little more than an invasion of bad-tempered bores”. I see no reason that nine- and ten-year old children need to learn the true horrors of the German army at such a young age. Isn’t it bad enough that there were a generation of children that had to learn those horror first hand?

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

THE HORN BOOK, 65, (May/June 1989) 371: “The heroism of these ordinary folk is commemorated in a noteworthy novel, scaled to the comprehension of elementary school readers without sacrificing elements of style. . .”

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, 94 (May 21, 1989) 32: “The German occupation seems little more than an invasion of bad-tempered bores. . . . Annemarie is, after all, a Danish Christian citizen in good standing, and her innocent viewpoint keeps us at too great a distance to see clearly either the scale of the evil or the magnitude of the courage from which this story springs.”

BOOKLIST, 85 (March 1, 1989) 1194: “While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime.”

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

· A journal writing activity could be used with this book. Because the chapters are fairly short, a teacher could read one chapter per day and then give the students a few minutes afterward to write their thoughts about the chapter. A general discussion about the chapter could then follow.
· In addition to using this book as part of a lesson on World War II or the Holocaust, it could also be used in conjunction with a lesson about Denmark, King Christian X (King of Denmark), the Danish Resistance or Sweden and its neutrality during World War II.
· Share additional books, video, audio, or poetry on the subject matter with children.

Other Related Items:

· Deedy, Carmen. 2000. The yellow star: The legend of King Christian X of Denmark. Ill. Henri Sorensen. Atlanta: Peachtree.
· Waterston, Sam, Mia Farrow, Justin Whalin. Miracle at midnight. 1998. VHS. Elk Grove Village, Illinois: Disney Educational Productions.
· Elmer, Robert. 1994. Into the Flames. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers.