My daughter and I both read this book during our vacation week, and we both had the same response to it. World War II Japanese internment is a favorite subject for my daughter, so she has read a few books about the subject. We waited for something riveting to happen during the course of this story, but nothing ever really did. The resolution also seemed to just happen, and was way too easy to me; it should have been a more difficult process to resolve the issues involved.
At the same time, I could tell that author Sandra Dallas worked hard to craft the story in simple language that younger students could read and understand. One line, mistakenly written in first person tells me the original draft was probably completely written from the main character's point of view. I wish she had stuck with that model, as the reader would have felt more a part of the story. As it is, the story doesn't take long to read, so I'd encourage you to read it, especially if you are not familiar with WWII internment camps. I did learn some information I previously did not know.
At the same time, I could tell that author Sandra Dallas worked hard to craft the story in simple language that younger students could read and understand. One line, mistakenly written in first person tells me the original draft was probably completely written from the main character's point of view. I wish she had stuck with that model, as the reader would have felt more a part of the story. As it is, the story doesn't take long to read, so I'd encourage you to read it, especially if you are not familiar with WWII internment camps. I did learn some information I previously did not know.
 | From the author's website: Tomi Itano,12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn’t speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. |
