The Bracelet

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida and Joanna Yardly

Grade Level: 3-5

Genre: Historical Fiction

Have you ever thought about what people went through in internment camps? Have you ever had to move away from your home and friends? This is what Emi went through when her family had to move to an internment camp during World War II because they were Japanese-American. This story shares the hard times Japanese- American children such as Emi had to go through during this time and leaving their life they knew behind.

The Bracelet is a story about a young girl named Emi. It takes place during World War II when American is at war with Japan. Emi and her family are Japanese-American and are being sent away to live at in a prison camp. Before leaving for the camp, Emi receives a visit from her friend Laurie who gives her a bracelet for Emi to take to camp with her. Emi loved it and say she will never take it off to always remind her of her friend and her life at home. The family had to leave their life behind to go live in an internment came with hundreds of Japanese- Americans. They have to live in a dirty, small Barrack with no much that reminded them of home. Throughout this story Emi tries to stay strong for her family during this hard time, while sharing her thoughts and sadness with the reader. When Emi losses the bracelet that Laurie gave her she realizes that you do not need an item to remember a person, you only need your memories that will stay with you forever. This story is great for teaching about the hard times Japanese-Americans went through in an internment camp using the perspective of a young girl.

This story is historical fiction. It teaches information during the World War II in the perspective of a young Japanese-American girl, being stereotyped and sent to an internment camp. It is historically accurate and described the process of being sent to an internment camp and the details of being there accurately. It is told in the perspective of a young girl which can be followed and understood better for young readers. The illustrations are helpful in describing the details in an internment camp and showing emotions on the character’s faces. All the characters represent the time period and the situations that they are going through. Their thoughts and feelings towards moving away would be accurate to those who actually went though it in history.   

This book would be best for children ages 7 through 10. It is a great book to read aloud to a class when discussing history of America including the World War II. Also it can be included in a lesson on different ethnicities and the troubles some people had to go through in America. It is great story to read to children to understand the perspective of a child in that time period. It can connect to the Massachusetts frameworks Key Ideas and Details (2 and 3).