Japanese Americans / Canadians See also Asian Americans
	Bryan, Nichol. Japanese Americans / Nichol Bryan. Edina, Minn. : Abdo Pub. Co., c2004. 1591975298 Ages 6-10. Japanese Americans by Nichol Bryan is a good starting point for looking at the Japanese American experience. It introduces young readers to Japan and the history of Japanese immigration. It takes care to note that while many Japanese stayed, but many others come/came for a while and return to Japan. Japanese culture, religions, and food are touched upon. Famous Japanese Americans like Daniel Inoue, Kristi Yamaguch, and Seijo Ozawa, etc. are noted. The historical photos are good but some stock photos of (non-famous) Japanese Americans look dated making them look out of style. The explanation of written language could have been better. It inaccurately states that each kanji is a syllable and doesn’t mention kana. This is a good book to add to a collection when multiple sources are available. There is a glossary, pronunciation guide, index, and publisher updated web link.
The Dancer by Fred Burstein	Burstein, Fred. The dancer / by Fred Burstein ; illustrated by Joan Auclair. New York : Bradbury Press, 1992. Ages 2 - 4. Interesting look at what is presumably a Japanese/Hispanic American family as a father takes his young daughter to dance class. The very simple text is presented in English, Spanish, and Japanese. Excellent book for introducing a child to a few words in another language.
	Cooper, Michael. Fighting for honor : Japanese Americans and World War II / Michael L. Cooper. New York : Clarion Books, c2000. Ages 10+. What was it like to be a Japanese American when America and Japan were at war? Some Japanese Americans were forced to live in camps and others fought bravely for America. This book is a good introductory discussion of the experience of Japanese issei and Japanese Americans nisei and sansei who were relocated during WWII. I noticed what looked like a few small spelling or historical errors, but overall a well-balanced non-fiction book with relevant photographs.
	Crutcher, Chris. Ironman : a novel / by Chris Crutcher. New York : Greenwillow Books, c1995. Ages 12+. Bo Brewster is training for the Ironman Triathlon. He tells a teacher off and ends up in an anger management class run by a Japanese American cowboy. Bo finds new challenges and some unlikely new friends.
	Crutcher, Chris. Whale talk / Chris Crutcher. New York : Greenwillow Books, c2001. Ages 12+. A multiracial Japanese American starts a swim team for the school outcasts.
	Falwell, Cathryn. Butterflies for Kiri / by Cathryn Falwell. New York : Lee & Low Books, c2003. Ages 4-10. I wish I had this book when I was little and tried origami. Tells how Kiri learns to make origami and explains how to read instructions in an origami book. Illustrations include origami and torn paper that mirrors the story as well as instructions for making an origami butterfly.
	Hoobler, Dorothy. The Japanese American family album / Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler ; introduction by George Takei. New York : Oxford University Press, c1996. Ages 10+. Filled with primary sources and photographs. Informative for all ages.
	Igus, Toyomi. Two Mrs. Gibsons / story by Toyomi Igus ; pictures by Daryl Wells. San Francisco : Children's Book Press, 1996. Ages 4-8. Young Japanese African American girl tells of the two Mrs. Gibsons in her life. Her mother from Japan and her grandmother from Tennessee.
	Iijima, Geneva Cobb. The way we do it in Japan / written by Geneva Cobb Iijima ; illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye. Morton Grove , Ill. : A. Whitman, 2002. Ages 4-8. Tells of Gregory moving to Japan with his mother from Kansas and his father from Japan. While a bit too sweet and optimistic, The Way We Do It in Japan does show everyday Japanese culture and school activities. Billin-Frye's illustrations are appealing and well researched.
	Kids explore America's Japanese American heritage / Westridge Young Writers Workshop. Santa Fe, N.M. : J. Muir Publications ; New York, NY : Distributed to the book trade by W.W. Norton ; Bothell, WA : Distributed to the education trade by the Wright Group, 1994. Ages 8+. Children research Japan and Japanese American heritage. Excellent variety of topics covered.
	Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-kira / Cynthia Kadohata.New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2004. 0689856393. Ages 10+ This beautifully written Newbery Award winner chronicles the childhood of Japanese American sisters growing up in the segregated south.
	McDaniel, Melissa. Japanese Americans / by Melissa McDaniel. Chanhassen, Minn. : Child's World, c2003. 1567661548 (lib. bdg.) Ages 8-12. Simple, basic and slightly uneven introduction to Japanese Americans. Starting with life in Japan in the late 1800 and then immigration to Hawaii and the west coast. Japanese Americans discusses the hardships and discrimination that they faced. Also deals with relocation camps and the Japanese Americans who fought in WWII. McDaniel lists accomplishments of some famous Japanese Americans. While the historical photographs excellently show the experience of the Japanese Americans several of the newer photos look too much like stock photographs.
	Mochizuki, Ken. Heroes / written by Ken Mochizuki ; illustrated by Dom Lee. New York : Lee & Low Books, c1995. Ages 6-10. A boy is bullied for being a Japanese American some years after WWII. He learns that a hero's actions speak louder than words.
	Say, Allen. Home of the brave / Allen Say. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Ages 6+. Say's nightmarish "memory" of the Japanese internment camps during WWII.
	Say, Allen. Music for Alice / Allen Say.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Ages 6+. With Alice, Say puts a face on the experience of the Japanese American's who were relocated during WWII. Alice and her husband, Mark Sumida's, first "relocation" was to a cow stall at the stockyards. From there they "volunteered" to be farmhands. They were sent to the deserts of eastern Oregon were they were encouraged to grow crops as part of the war effort. Mark studied agronomy and tried to improve the soil by growing alfalfa in the off-season. Through hard work, they became the largest gladiola bulb growers in the US after the war. This is a subtle and delicate family story the reminds all Americans of the injustices that Japanese Americans faced during WWII.
	Terasaki, Stanley Todd. Ghosts for breakfast / by Stanley Todd Terasaki ; illustrated by Shelly Shinjo. New York : Lee & Low Books, c2002. Ages 6-10. A boy and his father investigate a report of ghosts in the neighborhood.
	Uegaki, Chieri. Suki's kimono / Chieri Uegaki ; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. Tonawanda, NY : Kids Can Press, c2003. Ages 4-8. Independent and self-confident (yonsei?) Suki proudly wears her summer kimono (yukata) to her first day of school. Slightly forced multiculturalism. Cartoonish ethnic faces non-discriminatorily waver between edgy and unappealing.

Japanese Americans / Canadians See also Asian Americans

Bryan, Nichol. Japanese Americans / Nichol Bryan. Edina, Minn. : Abdo Pub. Co., c2004. 1591975298 Ages 6-10.

Japanese Americans by Nichol Bryan is a good starting point for looking at the Japanese American experience. It introduces young readers to Japan and the history of Japanese immigration. It takes care to note that while many Japanese stayed, but many others come/came for a while and return to Japan. Japanese culture, religions, and food are touched upon. Famous Japanese Americans like Daniel Inoue, Kristi Yamaguch, and Seijo Ozawa, etc. are noted. The historical photos are good but some stock photos of (non-famous) Japanese Americans look dated making them look out of style. The explanation of written language could have been better. It inaccurately states that each kanji is a syllable and doesn’t mention kana. This is a good book to add to a collection when multiple sources are available. There is a glossary, pronunciation guide, index, and publisher updated web link.

The Dancer by

Fred Burstein

Burstein, Fred. The dancer / by Fred Burstein ; illustrated by Joan Auclair. New York : Bradbury Press, 1992. Ages 2 - 4.

Interesting look at what is presumably a Japanese/Hispanic American family as a father takes his young daughter to dance class. The very simple text is presented in English, Spanish, and Japanese. Excellent book for introducing a child to a few words in another language.

Cooper, Michael. Fighting for honor : Japanese Americans and World War II / Michael L. Cooper. New York : Clarion Books, c2000. Ages 10+.

What was it like to be a Japanese American when America and Japan were at war? Some Japanese Americans were forced to live in camps and others fought bravely for America. This book is a good introductory discussion of the experience of Japanese issei and Japanese Americans nisei and sansei who were relocated during WWII. I noticed what looked like a few small spelling or historical errors, but overall a well-balanced non-fiction book with relevant photographs.

Crutcher, Chris. Ironman : a novel / by Chris Crutcher. New York : Greenwillow Books, c1995. Ages 12+.

Bo Brewster is training for the Ironman Triathlon. He tells a teacher off and ends up in an anger management class run by a Japanese American cowboy. Bo finds new challenges and some unlikely new friends.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale talk / Chris Crutcher. New York : Greenwillow Books, c2001. Ages 12+.

A multiracial Japanese American starts a swim team for the school outcasts.

Falwell, Cathryn. Butterflies for Kiri / by Cathryn Falwell. New York : Lee & Low Books, c2003. Ages 4-10.

I wish I had this book when I was little and tried origami. Tells how Kiri learns to make origami and explains how to read instructions in an origami book. Illustrations include origami and torn paper that mirrors the story as well as instructions for making an origami butterfly.

Hoobler, Dorothy. The Japanese American family album / Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler ; introduction by George Takei. New York : Oxford University Press, c1996. Ages 10+.

Filled with primary sources and photographs. Informative for all ages.

Igus, Toyomi. Two Mrs. Gibsons / story by Toyomi Igus ; pictures by Daryl Wells. San Francisco : Children's Book Press, 1996. Ages 4-8.

Young Japanese African American girl tells of the two Mrs. Gibsons in her life. Her mother from Japan and her grandmother from Tennessee.

Iijima, Geneva Cobb. The way we do it in Japan / written by Geneva Cobb Iijima ; illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye. Morton Grove , Ill. : A. Whitman, 2002. Ages 4-8.

Tells of Gregory moving to Japan with his mother from Kansas and his father from Japan. While a bit too sweet and optimistic, The Way We Do It in Japan does show everyday Japanese culture and school activities. Billin-Frye's illustrations are appealing and well researched.

USA Flag

Japaneseflag

Kids explore America's Japanese American heritage / Westridge Young Writers Workshop. Santa Fe, N.M. : J. Muir Publications ; New York, NY : Distributed to the book trade by W.W. Norton ; Bothell, WA : Distributed to the education trade by the Wright Group, 1994. Ages 8+.

Children research Japan and Japanese American heritage. Excellent variety of topics covered.

Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-kira / Cynthia Kadohata.New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2004. 0689856393. Ages 10+

This beautifully written Newbery Award winner chronicles the childhood of Japanese American sisters growing up in the segregated south.

USA Flag

Japaneseflag

McDaniel, Melissa. Japanese Americans / by Melissa McDaniel. Chanhassen, Minn. : Child's World, c2003. 1567661548 (lib. bdg.) Ages 8-12.

Simple, basic and slightly uneven introduction to Japanese Americans. Starting with life in Japan in the late 1800 and then immigration to Hawaii and the west coast. Japanese Americans discusses the hardships and discrimination that they faced. Also deals with relocation camps and the Japanese Americans who fought in WWII. McDaniel lists accomplishments of some famous Japanese Americans. While the historical photographs excellently show the experience of the Japanese Americans several of the newer photos look too much like stock photographs.

Mochizuki, Ken. Heroes / written by Ken Mochizuki ; illustrated by Dom Lee. New York : Lee & Low Books, c1995. Ages 6-10.

A boy is bullied for being a Japanese American some years after WWII. He learns that a hero's actions speak louder than words.

Say, Allen. Home of the brave / Allen Say. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Ages 6+.

Say's nightmarish "memory" of the Japanese internment camps during WWII.

Say, Allen. Music for Alice / Allen Say.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Ages 6+.

With Alice, Say puts a face on the experience of the Japanese American's who were relocated during WWII. Alice and her husband, Mark Sumida's, first "relocation" was to a cow stall at the stockyards. From there they "volunteered" to be farmhands. They were sent to the deserts of eastern Oregon were they were encouraged to grow crops as part of the war effort. Mark studied agronomy and tried to improve the soil by growing alfalfa in the off-season. Through hard work, they became the largest gladiola bulb growers in the US after the war. This is a subtle and delicate family story the reminds all Americans of the injustices that Japanese Americans faced during WWII.

Terasaki, Stanley Todd. Ghosts for breakfast / by Stanley Todd Terasaki ; illustrated by Shelly Shinjo. New York : Lee & Low Books, c2002. Ages 6-10.

A boy and his father investigate a report of ghosts in the neighborhood.

Uegaki, Chieri. Suki's kimono / Chieri Uegaki ; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. Tonawanda, NY : Kids Can Press, c2003. Ages 4-8.

Independent and self-confident (yonsei?) Suki proudly wears her summer kimono (yukata) to her first day of school. Slightly forced multiculturalism. Cartoonish ethnic faces non-discriminatorily waver between edgy and unappealing.