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| The *STAR* of this week's Poetry Friday production is Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect. |
One of the best parts about being a debut
novelist has been connecting with other children's and YA authors in the class of
2016. We’ve had a great time sharing each other’s Advanced Reader’s Copies (ARCs). Among my
favorite books so far is the historical middle grade novel PAPER WISHES, by
Lois Sepahban.
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| PAPER WISHES is available for pre-order. |
“What does a historical middle grade novel
have to do with Broadway?” you may ask. I shall reveal all.
I read Lois’s book in September. It is the
story of Manami, whose family is forced to relocate to a Japanese internment
camp during World War II. Manami focuses much of her grief on the loss of her
dog, Yujiin, whom she feels guilty about leaving behind. The dusty camp and prison-like living
conditions physically and psychologically cause Manami to stop speaking.
I found this
character’s spare first-person voice to be poetic and deeply moving -- her
halting inner monologue reflects Manami’s reluctance to speak out loud about her pain and fears. PAPER
WISHES is a beautiful book about a dark period in American history.
Not long after I finished PAPER WISHES, my friend and fellow musical
theater lover Timanda Wertz and I had tickets to see a new musical in New York City. ALLEGIANCE is about ... a Japanese American family that is relocated to a World War II era internment camp.
I
have been following this show’s journey to Broadway for several years. It is the
creative brainchild of actor George Takei, whose family was relocated to an
internment camp when he was five. (Read about it in this NY Times article.) Takei is one of the stars of the show.
What serendipity to have Lois' wonderful book fresh in my mind when Timanda and I went to see this play. I nearly flipped out: the first big number is about writing wishes on slips of paper and releasing them into the wind! There were so many echoes between Manami’s story and this big Broadway musical: the connection to
family, people making gardens and growing their own food in the camps, and how
baseball became an outlet for young people there.
We had a great trip to New York, I finally met my editor and, for the first time in my life, I waited outside the backstage door for autographs.
A moving debut novel about a girl whose family
is relocated to a Japanese internment camp during World War II--and the dog she
has to leave behind.
Ten-year-old Manami did not realize how peaceful her family's life on
Bainbridge Island was until the day it all changed. It's 1942, after the attack
on Pearl Harbor, and Manami and her family are Japanese American, which means
that the government says they must leave their home by the sea and join other
Japanese Americans at a prison camp in the desert. Manami is sad to go, but
even worse is that they are going to have to give her dog, Yujiin, to a
neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat, but
she is caught and forced to abandon him. She is devastated but clings to the
hope that somehow Yujiin will find his way to the camp and make her family
whole again. It isn't until she finds a way to let go of her guilt that Manami
can accept all that has happened to her family.
PAPER WISHES is a middle grade novel, appropriate for third grade through middle school. Younger children may enjoy it as a read aloud. Either way, be prepared to answer a lot of questions.
In this time, when our
country is debating the definition of citizenship and whether we have enough
empathy for war victims to provide them refuge, PAPER WISHES is an important book to read with children.
Who will like it?
- History buffs.
- Readers who are interested in (or living) bi-cultural or first generation experiences.
- Kids who will recognize the strong bond Manami has with her grandfather.
- Groups who want a safe platform for discussing a complicated moral issue like xenophobia.
What will readers
learn about?
- What it was like to live in a Japanese internment camp.
- How to cope with loss, grief, and racism.
- Hope is possible, even in the most difficult circumstances.
The poem I'm pairing
with PAPER WISHES isn’t officially a poem. Instead, here are the opening lines from the song
“Gaman,” which is featured in ALLEGIANCE.
“Gaman” from
Allegiance
Words and Music by Jay Kuo
Gaman is a word to be
spoken and heard
In this place where
each face tells a story of pain.
Gaman we must say as
we get through each day
We will bear any
nightmare with a simple refrain.
Gaman. Gaman. Sturdy
and sure. Keep faith and endure.
Gaman. Gaman. Hold
your head high. Carry on. Gaman.
Learn more about
the Japanese word “Gaman,” and listen to amazing Lea Salonga singing the
song (<3 and="" has="" history.="" in="" insights="" into="" lea="" moment="" musical="" nbsp="" o:p="" salonga="" she="" some="" the="" this="" u.s.="" video.="" wonderful="">
