Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
sjkirschenman's review against another edition
5.0
The BeForever central series books are written quite differently from the other central series book. There was a lot more detail about a shorter time frame- and no pictures! I got to know the characters quite well- I hope for more political commentary/historical world building in the next one!
absireads's review against another edition
3.0
Great book for younger readers. It taught me things about Hawaii in 1941 that I didn't know, either! Most importantly, it got to the heart of how hard war is on all of us. I imagine this being a bit of a difficult read, emotionally, for 9 and 10 year olds. And, as with all AG historical books, it made life in the past feel relevant to the experiences of girls today. I can see this book being a great conversation starter for tough topics like xenophobia. It could also open doors into discussing America's appropriation of the Hawaiian islands, and its imperialist attitude in other nations, too. At the same time, it celebrates the way all Hawaiians--and all Americans--help one another in times of crisis, and the beauty of the human spirit. Not as strong as some of the other AG books in terms of characterization, and there were a few plot points I felt were a little blurry, but definitely recommended.
booktothepointe's review
5.0
Good insight into a child’s perspective of living through the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. It was a good conversation starter about why we don’t discriminate based on ethnicity — Japanese internment camps — and also being helpful and providing humanitarian aid.
It was interesting to be reading this as the Ukrainian conflict was starting… lots of questions by the girls
It was interesting to be reading this as the Ukrainian conflict was starting… lots of questions by the girls
tmadryga's review against another edition
3.0
This was ok. The setting was interesting, both due to the location and the pivotal moment in history addressed in the book. But I felt like the dialogue was a bit forced and the characters weren’t super well developed. Nanea’s father commented on how much she had grown but I didn’t see much of a change in her. She always wanted to be helpful from the beginning of the story, so this was nothing new for her.
michellesbookishlife's review
Thanks to SLJ for a review copy of this book.
Nanea is a young girl living in Hawaii in the 1940s, when Peal Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, the event that initiated the United States in the Second World War. Her father works at the naval base that was attacked, and she has to deal with the fact that some of the members of her family and friends are missing after the act of war. She relies on her spirit of aloha to get her through the tough times that lie ahead.
Nanea is a young girl living in Hawaii in the 1940s, when Peal Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, the event that initiated the United States in the Second World War. Her father works at the naval base that was attacked, and she has to deal with the fact that some of the members of her family and friends are missing after the act of war. She relies on her spirit of aloha to get her through the tough times that lie ahead.
lupinegarden's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this book with my kids. I had never given much though to WW II specifically from a child’s perspective, living in Hawaii. The story was engaging for my 6 and 11 year olds.
daumari's review against another edition
3.0
Continuing my reads of historical American Girls that showed up after I aged out of the target demographic! The newest of the historical line girls, Nanea's story is a different take on WWII than Molly McIntire's, a Hawaiian girl living in Honolulu when the Pearl Harbor attack happens.
Given how I felt about my last middle grade WWII historical fiction from Kirby Larson ([b:The Fences Between Us|8848996|The Fences Between Us|Kirby Larson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328838161l/8848996._SX50_.jpg|11103189]), I was peeking between my fingers hoping this wouldn't be as disrespectful a take. Luckily, AG consulted with an advisory board to make sure Nanea's world felt true to life, and Nanea's far more sympathetic to the plights of her friends than Piper Davis was (I did wonder if Piper's brother was going to cameo, but no).
Nanea is tired of being treated like a baby as the youngest, and wants to be responsible and help her friends and family. When war comes home, she faces opportunities to help all while her world gets tightened under martial law. Some of the dialog felt younger than 9, but I'm two decades past that point so take a chunk of salt with my judgement there.
It looks like starting in 2015, historical line books got condensed into two volumes instead of six, and with illustrations removed- perhaps to appeal to more of a middle grade audience? I couldn't discern split points if this were to be one, and maybe this gives authors more flexibility to flesh out a story in >80 pages. I do feel like illustrations are a classic part of American Girl, though, especially putting faces to the names of friends and family (and earlier this year they announced that illustrations are being added to these in reissues). I don't recall previous books being as on-the-nose describing some of the outfits and things which are surely available for purchase in a catalog...! I also think this could've been a great #ownvoices opportunity, but fine I guess Kirby can keep writing books about youths in WWII because this wasn't terrible.
Given how I felt about my last middle grade WWII historical fiction from Kirby Larson ([b:The Fences Between Us|8848996|The Fences Between Us|Kirby Larson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328838161l/8848996._SX50_.jpg|11103189]), I was peeking between my fingers hoping this wouldn't be as disrespectful a take. Luckily, AG consulted with an advisory board to make sure Nanea's world felt true to life, and Nanea's far more sympathetic to the plights of her friends than Piper Davis was (I did wonder if Piper's brother was going to cameo, but no).
Nanea is tired of being treated like a baby as the youngest, and wants to be responsible and help her friends and family. When war comes home, she faces opportunities to help all while her world gets tightened under martial law. Some of the dialog felt younger than 9, but I'm two decades past that point so take a chunk of salt with my judgement there.
It looks like starting in 2015, historical line books got condensed into two volumes instead of six, and with illustrations removed- perhaps to appeal to more of a middle grade audience? I couldn't discern split points if this were to be one, and maybe this gives authors more flexibility to flesh out a story in >80 pages. I do feel like illustrations are a classic part of American Girl, though, especially putting faces to the names of friends and family (and earlier this year they announced that illustrations are being added to these in reissues). I don't recall previous books being as on-the-nose describing some of the outfits and things which are surely available for purchase in a catalog...! I also think this could've been a great #ownvoices opportunity, but fine I guess Kirby can keep writing books about youths in WWII because this wasn't terrible.
readermarianne's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0