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Manami faces drastic change after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942. Along with many other Japanese Americans, her family must leave their home on Bainbridge Island and relocate to a prison camp. She sneaks her dog, Yujiin, under her coat, but since no dogs are allowed at the camp, she has to let him go. She feels tremendously guilty because her grandfather had made arrangements for someone to take the dog back home, and now the dog will be abandoned. She is so torn up about Yujiin that she refuses to talk and learns to express herself through drawings.
A teacher takes a liking to Manami and gives her paper and pencils to draw pictures. She also writes her wishes on the paper and lets the wind carry the messages away. She wishes for her brother to join them and she wants her dog back. Soon, her brother drops out of school to join them at the camp. Other dogs arrive at the camp, but no Yujiin appears. She wonders if the wrong dogs keep getting her messages. Manami stays hopeful that her dog will return to her and make her and her grandfather happy again. Meanwhile, Manami’s family wants her to speak again.
Although PAPER WISHES is fiction, the author paints such a vivid description of the life and times that I felt like I was right there experiencing it with Manami.
I admire Manami’s parents’ patience in PAPER WISHES by Lois Sepahban; they give her all the time and support that she needs to find her voice. They never force her or tell her that she is silly. They keep a close eye on her to make sure that she feels loved. It’s powerful to see how a family’s love and support carry them through a difficult time.
Reading this book provides insight into what life must have been like in the Japanese-American prison camps. Although PAPER WISHES is fiction, the author paints such a vivid description of the life and times that I felt like I was right there experiencing it with Manami. Details spring to life, like how the mom saves seeds from her garden back home to replant in the desert-like conditions of the camp and the many women who work in the kitchen to make food for all the families. It was interesting to me that the family was able to maintain some of their traditions, like the tea ceremony. All these descriptions add up to a rich storytelling experience.
Teaser
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 and her grandfather's dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat and gets as far as the mainland before she is caught and forced to abandon Yujiin.
Promo
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 and her grandfather's dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat and gets as far as the mainland before she is caught and forced to abandon Yujiin. She and her grandfather are devastated, but Manami clings to the hope that somehow Yujiin will find his way to the camp and make her family whole again.
About the Book
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 and her grandfather's dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat and gets as far as the mainland before she is caught and forced to abandon Yujiin. She and her grandfather are devastated, but Manami 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 reclaim the piece of herself that she left behind and accept all that has happened to her family.
