I’ve been looking at the faces of Japanese people. I see them online everyday, in news reports of the astonishing triad of catastrophes there—earthquake, tsunami, and radiation from the damaged nuclear plant. I’ve been impressed by their heroic response to unimaginable loss.
Japan is a fascinating land with a history and culture that goes far beyond Hello Kitty and anime
Read In a Single Sitting recommends:
Hiroshima Dreams by Kelly Easton Lin can’t explain the knowledge she has of the future, of what people will say or what will happen. It’s a gift she shares with Obaasan, her grandmother, who has recently come from Japan to live with Lin’s family. But seeing the future is more than knowing whether or not a boy will call. What is Lin to make of the visions she has of a day long ago, when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima? Acclaimed author Kelly Easton’s poignant coming-of-age novel about a girl with psychic abilities is rich in imagery and memorable characters.
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn In his palace at Inuyama, Lord Iida Sadamu, warlord of the Tohan clan, surveys his famous nightingale floor. Its surface sings at the tread of every human foot, and no assassin can cross it. But 16-year-old Otori Takeo, his family murdered by Iida’s warriors, has the magical skills of the Tribe—preternatural hearing, invisibility, a second self—that enable him to enter the lair of the Tohan. He has love in his heart and death at his fingertips. The stunningly powerful bestseller, “Across the Nightingale Floor,” is an epic story for readers young and old. Set in a mythical, feudal, Japanese land, a world both beautiful and cruel, the intense love story of two young people takes place against a background of warring clans, secret alliances, high honour and lightning swordplay.
Cynthia Leitich Smith recommends:
Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith (Little Brown, 2003). Elias, Shohei, and Honoria have always been a trio united against That Which Is The Peshtigo School. But suddenly it seems that understanding and sticking up for a best friend isn’t as easy as it used to be. Elias, reluctant science fair participant, finds himself defying the authority of Mr. Ethan Eden, teacher king of chem lab. Shohei, all-around slacker, is approaching a showdown with his adoptive parents, who have decided that he needs to start “hearing” his ancestors. And Honoria, legal counsel extraordinaire, discovers that telling a best friend you like him, without actually telling him, is a lot harder than battling Goliath Reed or getting a piranha to become vegetarian. What three best friends find out about the Land of the Rising Sun, Pygocentrus nattereri, and Galileo’s choice, among other things, makes for a hilarious and intelligent read filled with wit, wisdom, and a little bit of science. Ages 10-up. Read The Story Behind The Story from Greg Leitich Smith. Don’t miss the companion book, Tofu and T. Rex.
Primary Source recommends:
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum by Katherine Paterson
A teenager comes to know himself through contacts with social ills and political unrest while searching for his father in Japan’s capital during the Heian period.
Of Nightingales that Weep by Katherine Paterson
The vain young daughter of a samurai finds her comfortable life ripped apart when opposing warrior clans begin a struggle for imperial control of Japan.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
Fourteen-year-old Seiki, a tea merchant’s son who longs to be samurai, attempts to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel
Hachiko Waits by Lesléa Newman
Professor Ueno’s loyal dog, Hachiko, waits for him at the train station every afternoon, And even after the professor has a fatal heart attack while at work, Hachiko faithfully continues to await his return until the day the dog dies. Based on a true story; includes an author’s note and glossary of Japanese words.
Booklist recommends:
Blue Fingers: A Ninja’s Tale by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel Grades 5-8. Twelve-year-old Koji’s life is transformed when he is captured in a forest and forced to attend a mysterious ninja training camp high in the mountains near his home. At first he mistrusts and is mistrusted, but soon he becomes a fully trained “blade of grass” and takes part in dangerous raids against a corrupt lord. The most engaging passages of the novel describe these raids and the warriors’ sometimes brutal training regime: infants’ joints are temporarily unhinged to accustom them to pain, increase their overall agility, and allow them to hide in unlikely places. Whitesel includes a lot for readers who like action stories, but she also delivers enough ninjutsu philosophy to give older middle-graders something to think about. An author’s note provides interesting insight into the mystery surrounding ninjas and explains their evolution from fighting farmers to dark-garbed terrors in the night. Includes a glossary of Japanese terms.
The Master Puppeteer by Katharine Paterson. Who is the man called Sabura, the mysterious bandit who robs the rich and helps the poor? And what is his connection with Yosida, the harsh and ill-tempered master of feudal Japan’s most famous puppet theater? Young Jiro, an apprentice to Yosida, is determined to find out, even at risk to his own life. Meanwhile, Jiro devotes himself to learning puppetry. Kinshi, the puppet master’s son, tutors him. When his sheltered life at the theater is shattered by mobs of hungry, rioting peasants, Jiro becomes aware of responsibilities greater that his craft. As he schemes to help his friend Kinshi and to find his own parent, Jiro stumbles onto a dangerous and powerful secret.
done. So I gathered up my courage and grabbed the tiny glass vase and bolted downstairs and to the sink, I dumped out the water as quickly as I could and launched the flower and its remnant leaves into the trash. I remember how my hands were shaking and how I longed for the burden to be gone. As soon as I threw it away I rushed upstairs to my bed and started to cry.
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