The Dear America

With this sweeping tale of life on the homefront during World War II, Newbery honor author Kirby Larson brings her incredible talent to the Dear America series. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, America finds itself unable to ignore the war raging in Europe any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After living through the traumatic attack on Pearl Harbor, Piper Davis returns to her home in Washington state, where she begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras. Piper's father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Iowa, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her older brother is in the army, fighting in Europe. She, meanwhile, hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl her age who is interned in the camp, Piper learns what it means to be a good citizen and a good person. PRAISE FOR DEAR AMERICA: "More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entree into American history." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations...A wonderful asset to the classroom as well as to home libraries." -- CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICE "Engaging accessible historical fiction." -- SLJ "The Dear America diaries represent the best of historical fiction for any age." -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE