Pearl
Amy grew up nourished by stories of her near-mythical great-grandmother, a pearl diver in Japan who once found a pearl as large as her fist. Now it’s 1941 in Hawaii, and even though the world is at war, Amy is a young girl interested in her friends and going to the movies, not international politics. But when her family learns that her great-grandmother is sick, perhaps even dying, Amy is the only one who can take the trans-Pacific steamer to Japan to visit. No one, of course, imagines that Japan will bomb Pearl Harbor, stranding Amy in Hiroshima.
Pearl tells an underappreciated war story: that of the Japanese Americans left on the Japanese side of the line once war broke out. Amy’s struggle with the dual facets of her nationality feels both realistic and compelling, and her efforts to survive war and understand herself are moving. Particularly moving are the beautiful illustrations by artist Christine Norrie, which on some pages carry the story entirely, no words needed. This graphic novel is an accessible, engaging book, perfect for middle-grade readers and older.
