(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Japanese Canadian Kaede's mother died recently in a car accident. Chapman effectively alternates Kaede's first-person narrative with letters he writes in a journal he begins keeping for school; it's his constant companion during a summer spent in Tokyo with his father and half-brother--neither of whom he's seen since his parents' divorce nine years ago. Rich with the sensory details of life in Tokyo and the complexities of a boy finding his way.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Mariko Ando. In Canada during WWII, Esther and Michiko are best friends. But when Esther receives a fancy princess doll and Michi doesn't, the friendship sours. Then Michi is sent to an internment camp, and Esther tries to help from afar. Schwartz deftly shows how a once-simple friendship can be complicated by class and race. Black-and-white illustrations depict important moments with depth and detail.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ruth Ohi. A cherry tree from Japan grows in Canada, beloved of a girl named Naomi. When war erupts, Naomi's family and other Japanese Canadians are "sent away." Naomi and the tree are reunited when they're both older. The text, though lyrical, can be difficult to follow. Beautifully textured illustrations are subtle and well composed. An afterword explains the "dispersal" of Japanese Canadians during WWII.

Reviewer:

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch & Stephane Jorisch. Strong-willed first-grader Suki decides to wear to school the kimono her grandmother gave her. Ignoring some classmates' laughter, she bravely demonstrates a Japanese dance and is rewarded with sincere applause. Suki's warm relationship with her grandmother comes through in the elegant, lively watercolors that extend the text, which is as light on its toes as Suki.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA In this sequel to War of the Eagles, fourteen-year-old Tadashi Fukushima and his close-knit three-generational family are exiled from their Japanese-Canadian fishing village to internment in Vancouver during WWII. Some episodes strain credulity, and dialogue is awkward at times. However, Tadashi elicits empathy, and many of the details of the camp are vivid and realistic.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) YA Son of a British fighter pilot and a Tsimshian Indian, fourteen-year-old Canadian Jed is proud of his heritage and his country--until his best friend, Tadashi, a Japanese Canadian, is slated to be interned along with his family during World War II. Jed's assumptions about war, ethnicity, and fairness undergo many changes in this engaging novel.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty