Weedflower

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fresh perspective on WWII Japanese internment camps.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

AGE
10
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know the book addresses issues of racism and discrimination during World War II, including the internment of Japanese-Americans. There are two incidents of groups beating up individuals, descriptions of cigarette smoking by teens, and several examples of children stealing.

  • Positive messages0
    A mother refuses to let Sumiko attend her daughter's birthday party because Sumiko is Japanese. Sumiko's aunt tells her that "taking care of old men's feet was one of a woman's jobs." Sumiko's family burn all their Japanese items so they are not accused of being unpatriotic. Children in the camp steal food and don't obey their parents. A group of kids steals a chicken and one boy suggests drinking its blood; one boy cracks its neck to kill it. Sumiko's friend Sachi lies all the time. When the Japanese basketball team plays an Indian team, the Indians are "told to stay away from the Camp Three girls."
  • Violence3
    The book is set in the early 1940s and discusses Pearl Harbor and World War II. Frank's brother is killed in battle. People in the camp beat up a man they believe is an informant. Sumiko can hear him groaning and wants to help but her brothers tell her "absolutely not." Boys beat up Frank; Sumiko hits one of the boys in the face with a stick. There is almost a fight after a basketball game but Sumiko's brother diffuses the situation.  
  • Sex0
    Sumiko's brother likes to date many girls.
  • Language0
    Derogatory language such as "Japs" and "Indian lover."
  • Consumerism0
    White people swoop down on Japanese neighborhoods to buy household goods, etc., at a fraction of what the items are worth.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Sumiko tries smoking a cigarette like some of the other kids but she gets so sick two boys need to carry her home. Older teens, including Sumiko's brothers, smoke.
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What's the story?

Sixth-grader Sumiko's family is uprooted from its California flower farm and forced into an Arizona internment camp when the United States joins World War II. Sumiko slowly finds her way in her new life, creating a garden and befriending a boy from the Mohave reservation. But once she's settled, will her family have to move yet again?

Is it any good?

 

In WEEDFLOWER, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata (Kira-Kira) first seems to offer a sad but familiar story about families forced into internment camps. However, she finds a fresh angle by juxtaposing the prejudice against Japanese-Americans with ongoing discrimination of Native Americans on the reservation "hosting" the camp. Sumiko is surprised to discover, for example, that her new friend Frank's tribe cannot vote; no one on the reservation has electricity or running water.

The reflective story will appeal to girls who appreciate Sumiko's close relationship with her older cousins and younger brother and want to learn more about this dark period in U.S. history.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about Sumiko's idea of "ultimate boredom," which she describes as "dread of your own mind, dread of the next day, the next hour, the next minute." How does Sumiko fight this condition?

This review was written by Stephanie Dunnewind
Teen, 16 years old
September 21, 2009
AGE
10
 
Perfect for ages 10+!
I am 14, and I have read this book for my english assignment, the book I had to choose had to have issues of discrimination. Which is why I have chosen this book. It is educational because it puts us in the character' shoes, we get to know how it feels to be discriminated, to know that how it feels when a country you were born in hates you, to get to know how it feels to live in such harsh conditions.In other words we receive a history lesson and an english lesson from this book, but the book is very entertaining and emotional. I would recommend this book to anyone!!
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Parent of 15 year old
January 8, 2011
AGE
8
 
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Kid, 13 years old
April 12, 2009
AGE
8
 
Great Book
Good historical fiction book. I really enjoyed it. This book talks about the internment camps for Japanese. A good book to read.
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Teen, 15 years old
December 21, 2010
AGE
10
 
Nice historical read!
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Teen, 14 years old
December 19, 2011
AGE
11
 
An amazing book (A little spoiler of the book)
It's a great book, with educational logic about the bombing of pearl habor. Otherwise this book has little romance, funny book and is a very entertaining book. I recommend this to all book readers/lovers. Some people think that it doesn't have romance, but think about Frank's and Sumiko's relationship, i confind that their relationship is romantic, but it shows it by small actions, like when Frank keeps glancing at her, and especially when Sumiko brings her cousin to meet Frank's broher. Joseph agreed and said "You're right. She is very pretty"..I think it was what the dialouge said.
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This review was written by Stephanie Dunnewind
Author:Cynthia Kadohata
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Historical Fiction
Publisher:Aladdin
Publication date:January 27, 2009
Number of pages:260
Hardcover price:$17.99
Paperback price:$5.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):10 - 14
Read aloud:10
Read alone:10
This review was written by Stephanie Dunnewind
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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