Hi everyone, this week I’m giving you a tween read with a bit of a change. I found this while delving into epistolary fiction in the library, and the simple cover image caught my eye. I’m afraid this is another one set during the Second World War years, but it held much more than simple letters.
Title: Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind
Author: Cynthia Grady
Illustrator: Amiko Hirao
Genre: Non-Fiction – History
Publication details: Charlesbridge; Watertown, MA, 2017
ISBN: 9781580896887 (Hardcover)
What this book is about: It’s 1942, after Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor during World War Two. All Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the US are being forcibly moved into internment camps. The US government has decided that anyone of Japanese descent might be dangerous. Miss Breed gives her young library patrons penny postcards, saying “Write to me”. The many children who loved their librarian began corresponding over the three long years they were interned. Meanwhile, Miss Breed writes articles and letters to point out the mistreatment of Japanese Americans. With extracts from these letters, author Cynthia Grady presents a difficult part of American history with honesty and hope.
My review: This was a poignant collection of letters and postcards which tell a tale of darkness and light. What made me love this book was because it told the true story of one librarian’s bravery and hope during those years. I had learned about these internment camps for Japanese Americans from other stories like Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban. This was the first one I read about Clara Breed’s amazing work during the war effort in not just campaigning, but in her correspondence with these young children. I found the images here by Hirao which accompanied the text lovingly portrayed those dark days with care. Those single lines and soft colour palette along with the poignant narrative brought many a tear into this librarian’s eyes!!. I truly enjoyed and loved reading this well-crafted book!! It’s a good one for all age groups to understand what happened over those years of internment.
My rating: 4 ⭐
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 