Paper Wishes

Gr 4-6--In March 1942, 10-year-old Manami Tanaka's whole world changes. Her family is forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island along with all the other Japanese Americans in their community. Though arrangements have been made for a neighbor to care for their dog, Yujiin, Manami can't bear to leave him behind and tries to bring him along, hidden under her coat. When Yujiin is discovered, Manami is made to abandon him in transit to California. Full of guilt, uncertainty, and fear, Manami stops speaking. Her family makes what life they can in the "prison-village," but Manami cannot find her voice again. Her kind teacher gives her paper and pencils, and Manami draws what she sees and what she remembers of home. But mostly, she draws Yujiin, whom she continues to hear on the wind. She begins sending these drawings into the air, hoping that Yujiin will find one and return to her. All the while, the camp continues to grow as more and more Japanese Americans are forcibly relocated to Manzanar. This debut novel about one family's, and in particular one young girl's, experience in an internment camp shines with sensitivity and heart. Manami's story unfolds with spare and affecting prose, and the author trusts readers to truly make the connections between what the girl observes and experiences and her emotions and reactions. Her longing for Yujiin is heartbreaking and palpable, and readers see and, more importantly, feel along with the protagonist as she tries to find her voice again. An author's note provides more information on the history of Japanese immigrants to the United States and on the internment camps during World War II. VERDICT A superior story of survival and love set during this dark time in American history.--Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

First-person, present-tense narration gives voice to a voiceless child amid the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Ten-year-old Manami and her family are relocated from Bainbridge Island, Wash., to a California internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor; in a wrenching early scene, a soldier forcibly separates Manami from Yujiin, her beloved dog, after which she becomes mute, expressing her longing only in drawings. Manami's narration occasionally takes the form of short, poetic bursts: "So it is settled. Father will work. Mother will cook. Grandfather will sit. What will I do? Water plants. Sit with Grandfather. Wait for Yujiin." Sepahban, the author of several works of children's nonfiction, eloquently conveys the devastating effects of internment and a resilience undergirded by cultural traditions. In one quietly powerful scene, Manami acknowledges her depressed grandfather's return to family meals: "A ceremony to honor a special occasion. Mother is preparing tea." In depicting how Manami's college-age brother, Ron, must choose between internment or joining the army, Sepahban captures the contradictions of this bleak period. Engrossing and heartrending historical fiction. Ages 9-12. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Jan.)

"This historical debut speaks volumes of love and longing." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A superior story of survival and love set during this dark time in American history." —School Library Journal, starred review

"This engaging...book offers a personal perspective on events and reasons to care about the outcome. A fine selection for historical-fiction fans." —Booklist

"Engrossing and heartrending." —Publishers Weekly

"...with the memory of the internment camps being volleyed about in current presidential campaign rhetoric, comes Lois Sepahban's PAPER WISHES, a devastating and brave fiction debut that recounts the plight of Manami, a girl from Bainbridge Island, Wash., who is sent to the Manzanar camp in the California desert...What sets Manami's story apart is the delicate way Sepahban handles her obsession with and guilt about leaving the dog behind. An introvert who is made mute by the trauma she experiences, Manami expresses herself by drawing pictures, including the images of Yujiin that she throws in the Manzanar winds as prayers or wishes for the dog's return. We watch as she negotiates the unknown through a generous teacher and family members, including a grandfather who is with her at the "prison-village," a stroke of luck, since most nisei did not have that advantage...although the tone is sober and sad, it's also a -novel in which a mute child finds her voice, -at last." —The New York Times

"Lois Sepahban presents a somber but emotionally true story of WWII Japanese American internment in Paper Wishes. In 1942, ten-year-old Manami and her family are forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, for Manzanar, an internment camp in the California desert. Grandfather has arranged for their beloved dog Yujiin to stay with their pastor, but Manami hides the pup in her coat instead. On the mainland, a soldier discovers him, and he is left behind in a crate, his fate unknown. Heartbroken, Manami becomes mute. Her emotional trauma is sensitively portrayed, but she recovers her voice when she needs it most, and the story closes on a hopeful note." —The Horn Book