Love in the Library
A moving, true story of Japanese American history, where hope and love triumph against all odds
Published on 1. August 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
40 pages
978-1-5295-2038-5 (ISBN)
Description
"Captures the resilience of human dignity and optimism. . . . A powerful must-read." - Booklist
During World War II, Tama is sent to live in an incarceration camp in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast - elderly people, children, babies - now live in camps like Minidoka. To be who she is has become a crime, and Tama doesn't know when or if she will ever leave. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the incarceration camp's tiny library, taking solace in pages bursting with colour and light, love and fairness. And she isn't the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before. As their friendship grows, Tama wonders: Can anyone possibly read so much? Is she the reason George comes to the library every day? Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Yas Imamura's beautifully illustrated, elegant love story features a photo of the real Tama and George - the author's grandparents - and an unflinching and necessary afterword that helps readers to learn more about a time in history that continues to resonate.
During World War II, Tama is sent to live in an incarceration camp in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast - elderly people, children, babies - now live in camps like Minidoka. To be who she is has become a crime, and Tama doesn't know when or if she will ever leave. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the incarceration camp's tiny library, taking solace in pages bursting with colour and light, love and fairness. And she isn't the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before. As their friendship grows, Tama wonders: Can anyone possibly read so much? Is she the reason George comes to the library every day? Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Yas Imamura's beautifully illustrated, elegant love story features a photo of the real Tama and George - the author's grandparents - and an unflinching and necessary afterword that helps readers to learn more about a time in history that continues to resonate.
Reviews / Votes
a story of hope, love and survival * Left on the Shelf * Maggie Tokuda-Hall's telling is beautifully crafted and together with exquisitely illustrated scenes by Yas Imamura in muted tones showing the harsh realities of the camp, highlight the injustice while at the same time celebrate the treasure of hope and love humans can find against all the odds. A book that deserves to be widely read. * Red Reading Hub * This is the story of the triumph of the human spirit over injustice and adversity. * The Letterpress Project *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 6 to 9 years
Dimensions
Height: 271 mm
Width: 240 mm
Thickness: 6 mm
Weight
188 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5295-2038-5 (9781529520385)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies, and the novel The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. She lives in Oakland, California.
Yas Imamura is the illustrator of The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I. Sanders, Winged Wonders by Meeg Pincus, and other books for children. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Yas Imamura is the illustrator of The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I. Sanders, Winged Wonders by Meeg Pincus, and other books for children. She lives in Portland, Oregon.