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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
A good story for 3rd - 6th graders about the Japanese internment camps in the US during WWII. The story is told by a young girl who has to leave her dog, Dash, behind when her family is forced into a camp. Her neighbor agrees to take care of the dog and sends her updates from her dog about life back home. This book is based on a true story and it gives kids an age appropriate look into what life was like for Japanese Americans during WWII.
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First off, the big spoiler for those who need to know the fate of the dog before reading... Dash is reunited with Mitsi at the end of the book, no sadness here!
Dash is a sweet dog companion to "Mitsi" Mitsue Kashino, a young girl living in Seattle at the time of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Because her family has Japanese ancestry in an instant the way her family and friends were viewed changed, her friends at school abandon her and she starts getting nasty notes hidden in her desk. Boys call her "Jap" and push her around on her way home. There are still a few people how remain kind, her teacher at school and a friendly neighbor Mrs. Bowker, remind Mitsi that not everyone has turned against her.
When their family, along with many many others, receive letters instructing them to leave their houses and report to incarceration camps. The worst news is that pets are not allowed in the camps, Mitsi has to leave Dash, the friend that has stood by her side the whole time, behind. Even a letter to General DeWitt himself doesn't save Dash.
The story follows Mitsi as she struggles to adjust to life in the internment camps, along with the rest of her family, including her brother Ted, who has his own lessons to learn. Ted and Mitsi's relationship was one of the aspects of this story I enjoyed most, I was also very close to my brother growing up, inside a very tight knit family unit as well, so I could empathize with Mitsi's fear when her brother started going off on his own and having his own friends.
The graphic novel [b:Gaijin: American Prisoner of War|18781037|Gaijin American Prisoner of War|Matt Faulkner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393218955s/18781037.jpg|26690498] is very similar to Ted's story if you'd like to read more of a guy's perspective on life in the camps.
I thought that the novel did a very good job of bringing history to life in an accessible way for children. Although the hardships that Mitsi faced weren't dumbed-down the addition of Dash's letters to the story (and the reveal at the end) made reading about a scary and tough time in U.S. history much more relate-able for modern kids. Kids will also enjoy the fact that the story is based on an actual person, which will add to the realism of the story.
I would recommend this to kids of all ages, those who enjoy true stories, dog stories and historical fiction especially. Though the book's main character is a girl, both boys and girls would be interested in this book. For those who enjoy the I Survived series, The Mighty Miss Malone, or Rooftoppers among many many other great historical fiction reads.
Dash is a sweet dog companion to "Mitsi" Mitsue Kashino, a young girl living in Seattle at the time of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Because her family has Japanese ancestry in an instant the way her family and friends were viewed changed, her friends at school abandon her and she starts getting nasty notes hidden in her desk. Boys call her "Jap" and push her around on her way home. There are still a few people how remain kind, her teacher at school and a friendly neighbor Mrs. Bowker, remind Mitsi that not everyone has turned against her.
When their family, along with many many others, receive letters instructing them to leave their houses and report to incarceration camps. The worst news is that pets are not allowed in the camps, Mitsi has to leave Dash, the friend that has stood by her side the whole time, behind. Even a letter to General DeWitt himself doesn't save Dash.
The story follows Mitsi as she struggles to adjust to life in the internment camps, along with the rest of her family, including her brother Ted, who has his own lessons to learn. Ted and Mitsi's relationship was one of the aspects of this story I enjoyed most, I was also very close to my brother growing up, inside a very tight knit family unit as well, so I could empathize with Mitsi's fear when her brother started going off on his own and having his own friends.
The graphic novel [b:Gaijin: American Prisoner of War|18781037|Gaijin American Prisoner of War|Matt Faulkner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393218955s/18781037.jpg|26690498] is very similar to Ted's story if you'd like to read more of a guy's perspective on life in the camps.
I thought that the novel did a very good job of bringing history to life in an accessible way for children. Although the hardships that Mitsi faced weren't dumbed-down the addition of Dash's letters to the story (and the reveal at the end) made reading about a scary and tough time in U.S. history much more relate-able for modern kids. Kids will also enjoy the fact that the story is based on an actual person, which will add to the realism of the story.
I would recommend this to kids of all ages, those who enjoy true stories, dog stories and historical fiction especially. Though the book's main character is a girl, both boys and girls would be interested in this book. For those who enjoy the I Survived series, The Mighty Miss Malone, or Rooftoppers among many many other great historical fiction reads.