Hiroshima Dreams, by Kelly Easton; Dutton Children’s Books: New York, 2007; $16.99 “I have the gift of vision. It was given to me by my grandma, handed to me in a lotus seed, a pod that felt as big as my five-year-old hand.” Lin’s unique gift of vision, which she describes in the opening sentences of Hiroshima Dreams, helps her over the years, rescuing others, making her aware of danger, and seeing what no one else can. When Lin’s Japanese grandmother, whom she calls Obaachan, comes to the United States to live with Lin and her family, secrets unravel about the family’s history, and Lin gains a new strength and insight. Obaachan was fifteen years old when Hiroshima was bombed during World War II. She tells the story to Lin: young Obaachan and some boys were tossing her mother’s dress around and it was flying through the wind. The next moment, Obaachan heard a loud clap of thunder, and all that was left was her and a barren landscape. I can relate to a story like this about the horrors of war and how they can instantly shape an ancestor because, when my great-grandmother, Zoia, was one year old, she lived in Russia at the time of the Bolshevik Revolution. When her parents refused to give up their land to the Communists, their house was set on fire. Five out of Zoia’s six siblings died, as well as her father. She, her mother, and one remaining sister, Nina, had to flee to China. Lin and I have stories that changed our family histories in an instant, but unlike me, Lin didn’t learn her story until her grandmother arrived to share it with her. When Obaachan arrives, she brings herself, and also stories that have not only changed history but have made her and Lin who they are. Obaachan shares these stories with Lin alone, and together they learn about their past and how to face the challenges that lie ahead. Hiroshima Dreams takes readers through Lin’s childhood, from ages five to sixteen. Lin’s strange gift of vision develops further from listening to Obaachan’s stories and thinking more deeply about them by meditating. Obaachan teaches Lin how to meditate and they both do so when they have something on their minds. It acts as a way to help them think and consider other thoughts and ideas. This practice helps Lin understand the terrible times of the Hiroshima bombing, and also allows her to see things in a brand new way, making her more perceptive. For example, Lin visits her friend’s house where her friend’s brothers have built a mobile. Lin predicts that it is not sturdy enough and will soon collapse, but everyone else disagrees with her. Sure enough, she is correct! Stories of all kinds bring mystery and memories, and I think that Hiroshima Dreams is a great one, because it encourages us to remember our own stories. Whether or not Lin’s story connects to your story, it still can help you think differently about yourself or your family. Alexandra Skinner, 10St. Paul, Minnesota
Book-Reviews
The Wright 3
The Wright 3, by Blue Balliett; Scholastic Press: New York, 2006; $16.99 The second mystery in a trilogy comprising Chasing Vermeer and The Calder Game, The Wright 3 stars two familiar detectives, twelve-year-olds Calder and Petra, along with a new character, Calder’s old friend, Tommy. It is the end of the school year and the trio, calling themselves the Wright 3, attempt to finish the mission started by their teacher, Ms. Hussey, and their sixth-grade class: saving the Robie House—an actual house in Hyde Park, Chicago, designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright—from being divided up and donated to four different museums. The novel is thrilling, even a bit scary at times. A mason hired to take down the house is “shaken off” the roof. There are unexplained shadows and voices. The Wright 3 almost get killed! Blue Balliet keeps you on the edge of your seat in this captivating mystery packed with action and wit. I liked The Wright 3 for three main reasons: first, its clever and playful mathematical design based on geometry, pentominoes, and Fibonacci numbers; second, its sharp portrayal of characters and their complex relationships; third, its inspirational plot, as it shows that individuals can make a difference—even if they are kids! I liked the way The Wright 3 includes math, which the team uses to solve the mystery and even escape death. Calder, as in Chasing Vermeer, has a set of pentominoes, mathematical tools that come in twelve different shapes. He uses them to create the Wright Sandwich Code, which is challenging but fun to figure out. The Wright 3 use the code to communicate when in danger, making an escape plan. Another math-related clue is the Fibonacci numbers, a number sequence in which the next number is the sum of the last two numbers. The Wright 3 uses Fibonacci numbers in a fun, challenging way, ranging from a puzzle in the artwork to the clue that could save the Robie House. The interactions and problems of the characters in The Wright 3 are similar to the ones my friends and I sometimes experience. For example, Petra and Tommy often seem to compete for the “honor” of being Calder’s best friend, making it hard for them to be close and trusting friends. Mostly, my friends and I get along well. But sometimes we get caught up in uneasy triangles and have to work out some tensions before we can all have fun. As friends are becoming more important in my life, reading about the trio’s friendship issues made me feel relieved that my friends and I are not the only ones experiencing these difficulties. I can relate to Ms. Hussey’s class’s effort to save the Robie House through my school’s effort to stop overcrowding. Because of the growth of my school’s population, we were in danger of losing the science lab, the art room, the computer lab, and the library. We put posters all over the neighborhood. Parents and students participated in many demonstrations saying “No!” to overcrowding. In the end, the City provided us with additional room in an annex. The power to make a change is in Ms. Hussey’s class and my community, and I find that inspiring. Julian Tütüncü-Macías, 10New York, New York
The Other Side of the Island
The Other Side of the Island, by Allegra Goodman; Penguin Young Readers Group: New York, 2008; $16.99 Imagine living in a world of rules—a world where the first letter of your name is chosen by the year you were born, a world where the weather is programmed each day. This is Honor’s world in The Other Side of the Island, by Allegra Goodman. Honor is born in the eighth year of the Enclosure: a world controlled by the Earth Mother, created after the polar ice caps melted and flooded the old world. There is no visible violence or hardship on the peaceful islands on which the world now lives. As long as one obeys the rules, no harm will come to them. But Honor’s parents do not obey the rules. They ignore the curfew, wade in the ocean, and sing songs. They even have another child, a boy named Quintilian, and keep him. Honor is the only child with a sibling. As Honor goes to school and learns the ways of the island, she becomes more and more ashamed of her parents. She tries everything she can to fit in, even changing her name to one where the H sound is heard. But, at the book’s end, Honor has learned her lesson. She realizes that being an individual is OK, and standing out from the crowd is what makes a person unique. She realizes that her parents, who are trying to bring down the Earth Mother and create a world where everyone can be different, are really the ones to imitate. I believe that The Other Side of the Island has a very important lesson to teach. One must learn to follow one’s own heart and be an individual. For example, when Honor realizes that none of the other girls in her class have boys as friends, she quickly abandons her best friend, Helix. When they make up later in the story, Honor realizes that she never should have given up her best friend, despite what others thought. One of the things I liked most about The Other Side of the Island was that I felt like I could connect with Honor’s character. At one point in all our lives, we wish to fit in. For example, I used to ice skate. Many of the girls with whom I skated went to the same school and were always talking about something that had happened there. Although I sometimes wished that I had more to talk to them about, so we could become better friends, I knew that I had to be my own person and not spend my life trying to be like them. By the end of The Other Side of the Island, Honor too has realized this. The Other Side of the Island shows what may happen to our world if we do not stop global warming. It is a scary thought and convinced me that we must do something to keep the polar ice caps from melting. The Other Side of the Island also does a great job of showing how individuality matters, yet it is still an adventure- filled page turner. Honor’s character embodies a determined spirit that I loved, and it made me want to keep reading to see what happened to her. Filled with friendship, love, hardship, and sadness, The Other Side of the Island will stay with you even after you have turned the last page. Kelsey Flower, 13Portola Valley, California
