Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Timeless classic about learning to live an honorable life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
HOW DO WE LIVE? This question is the foundation of a dialogue between 15-year-old Honda Jun'ichi (Copper) and his uncle. Copper is the nickname given him by his uncle, who decides his nephew thinks in a way that mirrors the famous astronomer Copernicus. It's 1937 and Copper attends an all boys school in Tokyo. He has three best friends: Mizutani, whose family is wealthy, Uragawa, a scholarship student whose family makes tofu, and Kitami, who like Copper, is one of the shortest boys in class. Copper's father has died and his uncle offers advice about navigating the sometimes emotionally treacherous waters of his private school. Older boys are bullying and sometimes physically attacking younger students and his friend Uragawa is being mercilessly teased and taunted by boys calling him "Fried Tofu." Then there is the almost debilitating shame he feels after not stepping up to defend a friend. This betrayal leads Copper and his uncle to a discussion about cowardice and what truly makes someone a hero. When he writes about the contrast he finds visiting Uragawa's simple home and the mansion in which Mizutani and his family live, his uncle encourages him to think about how everyone should be valued, whether they have a prestigious job or a job that some might consider demeaning. Throughout the story, Copper's uncle gently but firmly encourages him to examine his behavior and the behavior of those around him (be it good or bad) and use what he learns from those experiences to chart a path toward a life he'll be proud to live.
Is It Any Good?
This seemingly simple story of a teen in pre-World War II Japan challenges readers to think deeply about what it means to live a worthwhile and principled life. Almost any reader will find a character or storyline in How Do We Live? with which they can easily identify. Although Copper and his friends live in a time and place with that readers may find unfamiliar, their struggles are not. Today, as in Copper's time, kids are bullied and made fun of because they look or act differently. Best friends can have a falling out, and just about everyone has a time when they've felt out of place.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the dialogue between Copper and his uncle in How Do We Live? Is there a lesson Copper learned from his uncle that you really value?
Who are your heroes? What makes someone heroic -- is it simply that they've done something extraordinary? Or can it be the way in which they've lived their lives?
Have you ever let down or felt you betrayed a friend?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Algonquin Young Readers
- Publication date : October 26, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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