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Family life. Japan. Fiction.
Belonging (Social psychology). Fiction.
Racially mixed people. Fiction.
Grandmothers. Fiction.
Pregnancy. Fiction.
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001. Fiction.
Japan. Fiction.
During her mother's difficult pregnancy, Ema and her parents move in with her Japanese grandparents. Usually, in August, Ema and her white, American mother visit Nana and Grandpa Bob in California. But Mom's pregnant and weak, so they move in with Papa's parents on the other side of Tokyo. A new neighborhood's hard, especially for a biracial kid who's called "foreigner" by strangers but identifies as Japanese. Ema describes her life and cares in thoughtful, quietly detailed free-verse poems. She worries about the baby ("Other babies have almost come but were lost"), the judgment of her domineering Obaasan (grandmother), and the frailty of sweet Jiichan (grandfather); she misses Papa, who's almost always at work. Carefully, she refrains from burdening anyone with her concerns. Woven right into this family's heart are events past and present, local and far-flung. One is Jiichan's boyhood trauma during World War II, "in the hills / watching / outside Nagasaki," and how that bombing means that Jiichan's ancestors have nothing like a grave: "There is nothing / no thing / left of Jiichan's family." Another is the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which they watch unfold from Japan and which threaten her fragile mother's peace of mind. An occasional one-sentence poem, starkly alone on a page, strikes hard. Ema's profound choice of her baby sister's name brilliantly touches all the themes, including peace. A tender piece about connectedness. (Verse historical fiction. 9-12)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Ema's life is in flux: her pregnant mother needs rest, so they've left Ema's father in Tokyo while they stay with her grandparents, Obaasan and Jiichan, in the country. Ema misses her home and friends, as well as visiting her maternal grandparents in California in the summer. Meanwhile, her American mother clashes with Obaasan frequently; Ema has trouble getting to know her stern grandmother, too, though she connects with kindhearted Jiichan. As fifth grade begins, sensitive Ema has difficulties at school, including a bully, but her main concern is the health of her mother's baby. Debut novelist Donwerth-Chikamatsu makes good use of the verse novel format to emphasize that "binational/ bicultural/ bilingual/ biracial" Ema is still learning English while revealing an intimate portrait of her daily struggles in an unfamiliar place. The novel is set over the course of several months in 2001, and while the 9/11 connection feels a bit tenuous, it provides a moving outside perspective on the tragedy and helps shape a universal message of "peace among nations/ peace among peoples/ peace in the heart." Ages 9-12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)During her mother's difficult pregnancy, Ema and her parents move in with her Japanese grandparents. Usually, in August, Ema and her white, American mother visit Nana and Grandpa Bob in California. But Mom's pregnant and weak, so they move in with Papa's parents on the other side of Tokyo. A new neighborhood's hard, especially for a biracial kid who's called "foreigner" by strangers but identifies as Japanese. Ema describes her life and cares in thoughtful, quietly detailed free-verse poems. She worries about the baby ("Other babies have almost come but were lost"), the judgment of her domineering Obaasan (grandmother), and the frailty of sweet Jiichan (grandfather); she misses Papa, who's almost always at work. Carefully, she refrains from burdening anyone with her concerns. Woven right into this family's heart are events past and present, local and far-flung. One is Jiichan's boyhood trauma during World War II, "in the hills / watching / outside Nagasaki," and how that bombing means that Jiichan's ancestors have nothing like a grave: "There is nothing / no thing / left of Jiichan's family." Another is the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which they watch unfold from Japan and which threaten her fragile mother's peace of mind. An occasional one-sentence poem, starkly alone on a page, strikes hard. Ema's profound choice of her baby sister's name brilliantly touches all the themes, including peace. A tender piece about connectedness. (Verse historical fiction. 9-12)
Horn BookJapanese fifth grader Ema and her pregnant (American) mother must move to the other side of Tokyo to stay for several months with Obaasan and Jiichan, Papa's parents. It's 2001, and the news is filled with heartbreak. When the baby arrives, Ema has the perfect name for her new sister--leaving her family and readers with hope for the future. Ema's narration is quiet and thoughtful in this deeply absorbing verse novel.
ALA Booklist (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)Eleven-year-old Ema lives in a blend of Japanese and American cultures. As she says, "binational/bicultural/bilingual/biracial," and "half this/half that." As the summer of 2001 begins, Ema is preparing to leave Tokyo, but not for her traditional California summer with her mom's parents. This summer, Ema and her expectant mother retreat to the home of Papa's parents in western Japan. Ema's fierce obaasan is counterbalanced by her gentle jiichan, who never misses the daily news broadcast. This backdrop of world events maintains its own tension as Ema faces the challenges of school and a particularly troublesome classmate. Written in free-verse poems, this novel has a quiet pace reflecting the tranquility of traditional Japanese culture. As some readers might anticipate, the calamitous events of 9/11 reverberate across the distance to rattle Ema's world. The combination of free verse from the vantage of a mixed-race Japanese American youth is reminiscent of Holly Thompson's writing, although this book is better suited for younger readers.
School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)Gr 4-7 Ema's mom is expecting a new baby, and the pregnancy has been a tricky one, so her parents decide that she and her mother will stay in Japan with her paternal grandparents until the baby arrives. Complicating matters is the fact that her grandparents are very traditional and strict, which makes the biracial tween feel like even more of an outsider. She cannot keep herself from missing her old life of spending summers with her American maternal grandparents or relaxing with her father after work. To make matters worse, it seems she can never make her Japanese grandmother happy. Then tragedy after tragedy strikeall set against the backdrop of September 11, 2001. Everything starts to fall apart. After receiving a small gift during a chance meeting on a train, Ema realizes that she must do her best to remain positive and endure. Written as a first-person novel in free verse poetry, this is an engaging, quick read. Readers will relate to Ema's struggles to grow up and understand how different people react to grief and conflict. Those unfamiliar with Japanese culture will get a glimpse into how other students grow up. Though the topic is heavy, Donwerth-Chikamatsu's writing style will keep even reluctant readers wanting to know more about Ema's life long after the novel's end. This debut is sure to get young students thinking about global connections and how remaining positive through adversity in their own lives may make things a little better. VERDICT An absorbing and affecting story featuring a biracial middle grade protagonist. DeHanza Kwong, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Horn Book
ALA Booklist (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
PREPARING MYSELF
Not enough room
for me to give
Mom space,
I crouch in my corner
fold
clothes for three seasons
into my suitcase
slide
pencil case, supplies box, assignments, notebooks, and textbooks
into my schoolbag
and slip my NASA pen into my pocket.
I do not want to go
to stay with Obaachan, my Japanese grandmother,
but it cannot be helped.
Every August
I pack my summer homework
shorts and swimsuit
to fly to Northern California with Mom
but this year
I am packing
on a school holiday
the longest day of the year
to go to western Tokyo.
I will miss six months of fifth grade at my school
I will miss our holiday by the sea with Papa before California
I will miss a whole month of having Mom’s old room to myself.
My friends will miss the cinnamon balls
wrapped in pepper-red plastic
I always bring back
as souvenirs.
JUNE 21, 2001
Excerpted from Somewhere Among by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
A beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse about an American-Japanese girl struggling with the loneliness of being caught between two worlds when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes an ocean away.
Eleven-year-old Ema has always been of two worlds—her father’s Japanese heritage and her mother’s life in America. She’s spent summers in California for as long as she can remember, but this year she and her mother are staying with her grandparents in Japan as they await the arrival of Ema’s baby sibling. Her mother’s pregnancy has been tricky, putting everyone on edge, but Ema’s heart is singing—finally, there will be someone else who will understand what it’s like to belong and not belong at the same time.
But Ema’s good spirits are muffled by her grandmother who is cold, tightfisted, and quick to reprimand her for the slightest infraction. Then, when their stay is extended and Ema must go to a new school, her worries of not belonging grow. And when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes, Ema, her parents, and the world watch as the twin towers fall…
As Ema watches her mother grieve for her country across the ocean—threatening the safety of her pregnancy—and her beloved grandfather falls ill, she feels more helpless and hopeless than ever. And yet, surrounded by tragedy, Ema sees for the first time the tender side of her grandmother, and the reason for the penny-pinching and sternness make sense—her grandmother has been preparing so they could all survive the worst.
Dipping and soaring, Somewhere Among is the story of one girl’s search for identity, inner peace, and how she discovers that hope can indeed rise from the ashes of disaster.