A Place to Belong
Emotional post-WWII story promotes compassion, perseverance.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Cynthia Kadohata's A Place to Belong is an emotional historical novel about 12-year-old Japanese American Hanako and her family, who emigrate to Hiroshima after being imprisoned in an internment camp in the United States during World War II. The book is dedicated to Wayne Collins, an American civil rights attorney who helped Japanese American citizens reclaim their American citizenship after the war. Readers will learn about Pearl Harbor and the Japanese internment camps, the Dust Bowl, Hiroshima and the atomic bomb, and the ACLU. The book is also a good introduction to Japanese culture, values, and words such as "nikkei," which refers to someone of Japanese descent, and "kintsukuroi," which is the Japanese tradition of fixing broken pottery with gold lacquer. A character mentions that she's had a gun pointed at her and often thinks about the effects of the atomic bomb. Another character explains what he saw after the atomic bomb was dropped. The characters are often worried about having enough food to avoid starvation and trade butter and cigarettes on the black market in exchange for rice.
Community Reviews
A New Experience from Japanese Americans After WWII
Report this review
What's the Story?
America has been the only home that 12-year-old Japanese American Hanako has ever known. But when Japanese bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor, Hanako's family was viewed as the enemy because of their Japanese heritage, and they were imprisoned in internment camps for four years. Her dad, knowing that they're no longer welcome in America, decides that they should give up their American citizenship and thinks they'll be safest with his parents, who live in a small farming village just outside of Hiroshima. Although Hanako isn't sure what to expect when they arrive in Japan, she hopes that her family will be able to rebuild their lives and open a restaurant like the one they had in America. But she quickly learns that she isn't welcome in Japan either after America dropped its own bombs on Hiroshima. Once again viewed as outsiders and the enemy, will Hanako and her family ever find A PLACE TO BELONG?
Is It Any Good?
Cynthia Kadohata has crafted an emotional historical novel that vividly depicts post-WWII life for Japanese and Japanese American citizens. She delicately presents this dark chapter of world history and its aftermath in a way that's easy for kids to understand, while also highlighting the importance of compassion and perseverance. It's clear that Hanako loves her family deeply and will do anything to make them happy, but her willingness to help others often forces her to make tough moral decisions. Should she give food to a boy who barely survived the atomic bomb when there's hardly enough for her family? Should she help her grandparents in the field or go to school? Should she stay in Japan with her family even though there's no future for her as a tenant farmer's granddaughter or return to America?
There are many heartrending moments in A Place to Belong, but readers will understand that like the kintsukuroi (broken pottery fixed with gold lacquer) that Hanako's grandpa showed her, there will always be good, compassionate people who will help you rebuild and feel like you belong.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about historical fiction. What kinds of details show that A Place to Belong is taking place in a different time from our own? What do you like about reading historical novels?
Did you know about the internment of Japanese and Japanese American people in the United States during World War II before you read this book? Do you think it should be more widely discussed in school?
Is the story's ending happy, sad, bittersweet? Do you find it satisfying?
How do the characters demonstrate compassion and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author: Cynthia Kadohata
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
- Publication date: May 14, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 416
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: October 30, 2020
Our Editors Recommend
-
Kira-Kira
Girl faces racism, sister's cancer in touching tale.
-
Half a World Away
Troubled adopted boy learns to open heart in moving tale.
-
Weedflower
Interned girl, Native boy find common ground in moving tale.
-
The Thing About Luck
Migrant worker girl faces big responsibility in sweet story.
For kids who love historical fiction
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate