Weedflower

Weedflower
By:  Cynthia Kadohata
Aladdin Paperbacks
Copyright 2006

                                                                        Weedflower

     This is the kind of book I would recommend anyone to read. Before reading it, if someone were to tell me it was about Japanese internment camps and one Japanese American's experience, I would not have chosen to read it on my own. I am not as interested in history as I am other areas. Although I am not into history, I feel in love with the main character, Sumiko. I was able to really connect with her after she was uninvited to the birthday party she was really looking forward to. From then on I felt the pain, boredom, and confusion she struggled with throughout the book.
     During my reading, I found myself to be mostly curious as to how I would have felt if I were Sumiko. Knowing that she is a born American, while being raised with her Japanese culture, made me wonder what "side" I would feel closest to if I were her and being moved onto a reservation and away from home. As a Caucasian American, I do not struggle with identity as much as Sumiko had to. During the reading I made another note. I wondered why the Mohaves on the reservation were so offended with the Japanese for being forced to live with them. I kind of was hoping that they would be able to sympathize with the Japanese, because they know how it feels to have been moved to a reservation. Since they were not sympathetic, I began to realize that maybe it was because they felt so offended by the government that they would send "potential threats" to their reservation.
     I would use this book in my classroom because it teaches a lot about experiences in Japanese internment camps while incorporating friendship, some laughs, and relate-able characters. I think it would be a great way to get students to realize the impact that Pearl Harbor made on our nation.