So Far From the Bamboo Grove

This horrifying story was told in a really great way through the eyes of a little girl, which makes it really relateable for elementary students to read. i think that this is a topic that does not get given enough attention. When talking about WWII, I normally just think of Pearl Harbor. I think that a lot of times history is just seen as something that does not effect me. War doesn't seem to effect me because I live in a place where I do not have to experience it. I think that it is really important for kids to see that war does not just effect people that go off to the army. To hear the story of a child at such a young age would be very eye-opening for many elementary students. It was hard for me to read some parts of this little girls story. She had to grow up so fast and learn to take pain, act like a boy and be separated from family. I really loved how Yoko's personality really showed starting in the beginning when the soldiers came and she bit them. You can tell that she is independent and doesn't like to be told what to do. I also saw this when her sister would yell at her to keep up and instead of thinking that her sister is just watching out for her, she gets really upset and says that her sister is being really mean. I love the part in the story when they are crossing the bridge and Ko ran ahead of Yoko and their mother. Yoko gets really mad and tells mother that she is beginning to hate Ko. Then, she sees Ko running back to take Yoko and mothers bags so that they can get across easier. This is an important lesson that Yoko learned about trusting family members during hard times to help each other out. It really surprised me to see that the three girls dressed in boy's uniforms and cut off their hair. I little girl reading this part would probably be really surprised to see that they had to do such hard things to get by. Along with them looking like boys, it also shocked me to see that they had to pee like boys in order to not be taken advantage of by the drunken Koreans. This is another thing that most little girls would not feel comfortable doing and boys would be surprised to see that they had to do this. It is also crazy to me to see Ko act like the father now that Hideyo is not in the picture. She is always pushing Yoko and mother to keep going and is always running ahead to see what is coming. In the end of the fifth chapter when they are on the boat and they think that everything is going to be fine from now on. It is sad as a reader to know that the book is not even half over, so their hope is only going to turn into more tragedy. I like that the author also brings in Hideyo's story because it gives more than one perspective and makes the book also interesting for boys to read. A really hard part for children to read would be when the mother dies. It is terrible to think that these two girls are left alone without their brother or both of their parents. This could be a good opportunity to bring up the death of a parent for discussion in the class. As a teacher, I would rather discuss it when we come across it in a book, instead of waiting for it to actually happen to one of my students.
I do believe that at times this book can get a little too graphic but I think that it is important for children to be exposed to these stories because it is no like they don't see violence and tragedy on the T.V. everyday. Kids need to know how lucky they are to live in a country that they do not have to be afraid of their own government and where they get to see their family members on a daily basis.