Paper Wishes Paperback – May 9, 2017

This is a middle grade historical fiction about a young Japanese American girl and her family and their relocation to a prison camp in California following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My favorite quote from the book is something that is personal to me and how I've been feeling this year. "He will not replace Yujiin in your heart. But he will make your heart bigger to fit himself inside, too." I've lost my two kitties this past year within 9 months of each other. I've been having a hard time with it. Yesterday, we caught a wild kitten. I told my kids that I don't know if I'm ready for another kitten. This quote really struck something with me and the difficult time I've been having since I lost them.Besides dealing with the loss of a pet, it also brings to light a tragic time in US history. It's so sad what so many went through.

I just finished reading this book to my son and daughter, ages 10 and 8. My father, their grandfather, and his entire family were interned at Topaz in Delta, Utah during the war, ripped from their home in Oakland, CA. While I have tried to explain the camps to them many times, this thoughtful book, told from the perspective of a girl, really struck a cord with them and gave them insight as to what the camps really meant to families, to a child in particular. They could empathize with the hardship and guilt of having to give up a loved one and part of the family.We all had tears in our eyes after several chapters.They now have a better understanding of a part of Amercian history that should never be forgotten. And they learned that the human spirit is strong and resilient, and that love keeps people together.

A historical, thought-provoking novel about a young girl mentally trying to survive her family's relocation to a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Although this story could be used as summer reading, I sure wish I had used it for instructional purposes with my 4th graders this past school year. If you end up using this book with students, make sure to check out the author's website which provides Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Level 1-2 and Level 3-4 comprehension/discussion questions.IG: @goodreadsformiddlereaders

Rating: 3.5/5You know what? A book about a kid getting sent to a prison camp isn’t sad enough. Nope, nope, nope. In order to make it truly sad, you have to pry the kid’s beloved pet away from her while she’s on the way to the prison camp.Needless to say, this book is not one of those “let’s gloss over this dreadful topic for the sake of kids’ sensitivities” books. And that is one thing I appreciate about this book. I recently read some excerpts of an E.B. White interview in which he talks about writing for children. In it, he said, “Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth. They accept, almost without question, anything you present them with, as long as it is presented honestly, fearlessly, and clearly.” Lois Sepahban seems to follow this line of thinking.There are some beacons of light (Manami’s sweet and supportive best friend, her loving family, her understanding and generous teacher), but the book doesn’t look at what a s***ty situation the prison camps were (the climate, the living conditions, the losses, the lack of freedom) through rose-colored glasses. It’s a good (if brief) introduction to a very heavy topic for kids.

This is such a good book for young readers to learn about the internment camps for Japanese Americans during WW2. I used these with my fifth graders for a book club. Most of them had no idea that these camps existed. The story grabbed them and opened up an opportunity to discuss this difficult time in our history.

A beautiful little book that highlights the detainment of Japanese Americans in the U.S. during WWII. The accessible main character, imagery, and ease of reading make it ideal for middle grade students while maintaining interest for adults as well. I cried so much while reading this emotional story of a girl bewildered by what has happened and mourning the loss of her home, freedom, and beloved dog.

Paper Wishes is about a Manami, a Japanese-American girl who is relocated from her island home to an internment camp in the middle of the desert during WWII. The shock of her new life in a prison camp combined with the trauma of being forced to abandon her dog, takes the words away from Manami, and she spends much of the book in silence.Life in the prison camp is nothing like life back on the island where she walked on the beach with her dog and Grandpa. Where she loved her school and playing with her friends. Where she didn’t have to share a small room with her parents and grandfather, and other families too. Where there is only dust and soldiers and not enough tea.As much as your heart will break for Manami, Lois Sepahban is masterful at weaving hope and love and friendship into this story. The book is rich in details – you can feel the dust on your skin and the heat of the harsh sun. Beautifully written, this is a book that belongs on everyone’s shelves.

I loved Manami's story! It perfectly expressed the sadness and uncertainty of a very scary time in our history. Manami's voice reminds us of the cost in human suffering of events like this lest history repeat itself.