MY LOST FREEDOM: A Japanese American World War II Story

 This is an example of a topic in history that most of us believe we "know" about, yet actually know very little. My recent post celebrated the story of two Jewish survivor/sisters during the Holocaust, HIDING FROM THE NAZIS IN PLAIN SIGHT. Titles in that new, well-researched series approach familiar historic events through the eyes of individuals whose personal stories during those eras and events are generally unfamiliar to the public. It offers connection and insight that even the most compelling facts on a page  or even in a documentary miss by focusing on the scope and distance of larger stories. 

Crown Books for Children, 2024

The picture book I'm spotlighting in this post takes that individual story approach, authored by one man who lived the experiences in his childhood, George Takei. MY LOST FREEDOM: A Japanese American World War II Story reveals his first person memories and accounts in a poignant and thorough perspective. Anyone might describe  "what they know" about the Japanese internment/imprisonment in this country during World War II in general terms. This anecdotal/biography maintains a sharp focus on the facts through the experiences of Takei, his family, and the incarcerated communities to which they were confined. it is illustrated with subtle realism and engaging connection to Takei and his family throughout those years of deprived freedoms by MIchelle Lee. Circumstances are portrayed with informative detail and provide a sense of the challenges and conditions faced, but convey his family's stability and reassurance through the strength of the Takei family and other prisoners.

Takei, better known to some as Star Trek's Mr. Sulu, opens this very personal book with a letter to readers. In it he offers a concise history of America's launch into WWII and how the bombing of Pearl Harbor generated racial hatred, soon followed by imprisonment of all generations of Japanese Americans, even those born in this country and those with full citizenship. His childhood memories included those typical of California kids before the war began, but then dominated by the consequences of those unjust changes on the lives of him and his family and community. Incorporating archival photos and era-evoking illustrations, Takei's text introduces him and his family to readers, including maps and proclamations with full text that adult reading partners are likely to explore. Their departure involved abrupt relocation, requiring them to leave behind most of their belongings and furnishings, crowding them and many others onto transports and into makeshift, degrading housing, including horse stables that stunk of manure and strung with webs and bugs. 

That sounds painful, and it certainly was, including disease-spread that sickened many children, including George and his baby brother. Throughout the challenging years, George's parents worked hard to calm and normalize their conditions. His father couched their travel and settlement as a vacation and adventure. His mother cleaned and improvised from rags and scraps to arrange even the smallest quarters as a home, including braiding rugs. Among those sharing the hardship, skills and resources were bartered and shared generously. This included community organizing  and communicating with the powers in charge. When loyalty statements were demanded, careful reading by his parents led them to refuse to sign the wording, resulting in punishments and another family move to a "high risk" camp with even more controls. 

Takei has long shared his story with adults, including his advocacy for compensation and reparations to survivors of that time, along with demands for a formal government apology. He lent his fame and public standing to amplify other voices and clarify reality through his own story and to bring along others to speak openly about their experiences and losses. The general America public too easily want to leave the past in the past, having not suffered from the wrongs or carried their consequences and scars forward into life. Through his energetic and persistent work, and that of others, they managed to achieve those concessions from the government. Now this reader-friendly and very personal account allows young readers (and their adults) to directly empathize and better understand a part of this country's history that is rapidly sliding  further and further into history as those directly affected are diminishing in numbers. A gklossary,m author's note, and annotated family photos in back matter humanize this story even more. A timeless and relevant account of one person and his family gives voice to Takei's family story and to all of the surrounding history that must never be forgotten, so that it is never repeated.

History At Its Best: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE

Happy book birthday! And congrats to the winner of the giveaway @AnnieLynn215!

(Contest ended 5/14/2024)

ASTRA BOOKS/ CALKINS CREEK, 2024

I'm excited to introduce you to THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE, Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose, written by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes. Following my review of the book, I'm pleased to offer an interview with Anderson. This is a longer post than usual, but I hope you'll find it worth reading! A book giveaway and other features are included there, so read on!

Of course you know that name. Thomas Jefferson is considered to be a Founding Father of this country, the  primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Like most other famous figures of his time, his name triggers conflicted responses from modern observers. As a landed, slaveholding, white man of privilege and education, Jefferson’s complex life and choices invite a closer look. In this book, superb researcher and writer Beth Anderson explores Jefferson's lifelong study of natural science and its documentation. The book cover and opening spread incorporate examples of a few of the things he observed, measured, and recorded throughout his life. Anderson’s first line is:

 “Thomas Jefferson measured his world.” 

That opening page then reveals that Jefferson's passion was not only to acquire science data, but to record it and share his love of science, one reason he founded the University of Virginia. Throughout the pages, Anderson’s informative, fascinating, and humorous text appears across illustrations that incorporate artfully rendered versions of Jefferson’s archival notes, notebooks, and objects from his collections of fossils and natural artifacts, gathered and preserved by him, and by friends who knew of his intense interests. 

Interior: Opening Spread

Interior: Jefferson Questioning

During Jefferson’s time, a French naturalist, Count Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, was considered the ultimate expert on nature, proclaiming information about Europe and beyond in his multi-volume Encyclopedia of the Natural World. Jefferson’s deep admiration for that publication turned to furious indignity when he read Buffon’s “factual” accounts of North America’s nature. Buffon had never traveled there, relying instead on anecdotal reports from those who had visited the continent. His conclusions were shaped by those limitations and his bias that natural resources in Europe were immeasurably better than those in the “New World”. Buffon asserted that this new country was mainly a miserable swampy land and climate, with NO creatures or flora of significance, certainly none that could rival those found in Europe.

Jefferson’s ire led him to write his own nature study book, documenting his findings with actual measurements and confirmable observations. Spanning years of his life, his challenges to the information in Buffon’s Encyclopedia did little to overcome its wide circulation or the naturalist’s firm authority on the topic. The role of that enormous MOOSE in the subtitle played a crucial role in Jefferson’s motivation (and eventual success) at documenting the truth of his own claims, arguing against Buffon’s assertions and his biased beliefs. Packed with intensity and lighthearted moments (a rotting, one-antlered moose in a crate!) this picture book reveals Jefferson to be a devoted scientist of his day, seeking truth even when the discoveries eventually unstitched the fabric of his own beliefs (his denial of extinction, among others).

 

Not only is the main text a blend of compelling narrative with intriguing details of history, and personality, it is embedded with natural science. It also demonstrates the ways in which Jefferson intentionally and regularly used the scientific inquiry process (summarized in back matter). Always curious, he noticed, questioned, observed closely, collected and analyzed data, and drew conclusions based on facts, recording every step along the way. 

 

Anderson’s author notes are, as always, invaluable to expand resources and better understand the contents through a wider lens. In this case she directly addresses the questionable aspects of Jefferson’s life: slaveholding, errors in his science, the impact on First Nations that resulted from the westward explorations of Lewis and Clark as ordered by Jefferson while president, as well as his own confirmation bias in pursuit of science. She also explains confirmation bias and its effect on scientific studies and interpretation. The point is clearly made that science is always developing further facts and shifting our understanding of new and prior material reported as “facts”. In science, and in social/general information, it is essential to consider the reliability and intentions of the sources of data, the possible omission of related data, and other factors before accepting claims of factual content as fully correct.

 

Interior
Inquiry Process Graphic

The illustrations throughout, both in main text pages and back matter, are priceless in providing readers with verifiable details regarding the account of Jefferson’s life and science passion. Evidence of research (both deep and wide) using primary sources appear on every page and in every paragraph. This new release is a perfect example of my thesis that quality picture books will find eager audiences at every age. This nonfiction offering allows the youngest to expand understanding of an American icon while enjoying many animal facts and images. The portrait of Jefferson’s national pride, personal interests, love of nature and science, and passionate commitment to the truth will impress older readers, including adults. The depiction of Jefferson’s habits and personality give us an engaging and entertaining story. The science of his time and through today make this not only a STEM asset but one well-suited to social studies inclusion as well. I highly recommend it. Check out Anderson's website, and a few of my reviews of her earlier, equally informative and entertaining picture books, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

And now, on to a short conversation with Beth Anderson!

SB:  Congratulations on this recent release, Beth. Your track record for finding and sharing the stories of lesser-known historic figures took an intriguing turn with this look at Jefferson and his love of natural science. He’s among the most well-known of our national figures yet I admit to only a passing awareness of his naturalist/scientist identity. I’m anxious to know how you encountered this topic and what made you commit to the extensive research and writing involved. 

 

BA: Thanks so much for the opportunity to share THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE! I saw an article about Jefferson and the moose, and it struck me as jam-packed with all sorts of good stuff: history, science, quirkiness, curricular connections, and consequential concepts of truth and misinformation that ring loud and clear in the world today. I found the topic IRRESISTIBLE! There was a lot of research to wade through—which is good, but also a challenge. While a couple other picture books about Jefferson mention this incident with Buffon and focus on exploration or measurement, I saw it as a story about misinformation and truth. Kids get it on the most basic level of truth vs lies. And they tend to think, like Buffon, that bigger means better. And there was a bit of “ew.” So there was a lot immediately relatable, but I also saw an opportunity to push their thinking a bit and provide something for the classroom. 

 

This incident is one piece of Jefferson’s use and misuse of science, so there was a huge heaviness with the subject, too. I started it in 2018 with the idea that, though facts seem simple things, they’re not. They can be manipulated or made up (nonfacts) and cause tremendous problems. This focus fit with curriculum standards about opinions, facts, and nonfacts, and could model and encourage essential critical thinking skills. There was just so much potential in this story—which is exciting, but also a bit daunting when trying to figure out how to shape and focus it. Once I see so much, I can’t let go and am determined to find a way. 

 

SB: I was impressed with the balance you achieved in discussing this conflicting use of science. Your writing is always filled with lovely language, insights, and heart. Those qualities are evident in this text, too.  Was it challenging to find a story narrative behind this science-focused and detailed topic? If so, how did you go about finding your way forward to this success?

 

BA: I found the basic narrative right away. A narrative with science. The question was how to use the science within the narrative. It was also a challenge to find the beginning and ending, how to make it ring today, and what to do with the negative pieces. I didn’t want to ignore the hard truths. But since those can’t always be scientifically measured, how do they fit, or not, in the story? I carried a few of the hard truths through many revisions, with the idea that larger human truths can only be measured with the heart. Though I loved that contrast, it pulled away too much. If I could share a story that helps kids understand bias and how important it is to question, then I could leave the more difficult ideas in back matter to be pondered. 

 

I know kids are taught to “think like a scientist” when they question and verify, so that was my first path. After I worked with the information (for nine months!), I realized that it fit the basic scientific inquiry process. In revision 23, I began to shape and word it to correspond to that. To find the ending, I went back into the research and found that Jefferson’s book had been published in various forms in the U.S. while he was away. Because of that, science made its way into the hands of everyday people…and parts were in school books. Yes! Now I knew that what Jefferson did was impacting a new generation, a way for me to carry that forward to today. And in a great quote that’s in the back matter, he said he hoped future generations would continue to move science forward, better than his generation did. That was the key to the ending, but that too didn’t come for a very long time. 

 

SB: I suspect that your deep research revealed plenty of surprises involving Jefferson and his extensive records and interests. Will you share one or more of your discoveries that caught you by surprise or had a powerful impact on your text development?

 

BA: Seeing Jefferson’s total obsession with science contributed a lot to character and how it all played out on the page. 

 

Here’s one of the many quotes that were cut. When Jefferson arrived at Buffon’s home for dinner, he was handed one of Buffon’s papers to read while he waited for the scientist. Buffon said, “When Mr. Jefferson shall have read this, he will be perfectly satisfied that I am right.” LOL! Quotes like that reveal attitudes. 

 

An interesting historical tidbit is the letter to Jefferson from James Madison in which he goes on and on about government business and then launches into meticulous details of a dead weasel which he had examined and measured. Just goes to show you how irresistibly fascinating science is and how a network of enthusiasts supported Jefferson’s efforts. 

 

Oh, one more good one…with an “ew” factor. The moose was already quite bedraggled when it was put in the shipping crate and placed at the dock for shipment. But then, the ship captain forgot it. Sullivan had to find another captain to take it to France. More waiting. And then of course, the long journey across the Atlantic. That’s what’s behind the “monstrous stench” when Jefferson opens the crate. So even though you can’t include all those extras, they impact word choice. 

 

Although many quotes and details had to be cut, I think illustrator Jeremy Holmes could read my mind! He included so many historical, (some hysterical), details in the art. His illustrations absolutely blew me away!

 

SB: I particularly admire your use of the author note to directly address some of the more concerning aspects of Jefferson and his role within our country’s very troubling history. You used a very balanced hand to discuss the wrongs of society and Jefferson’s place within that history without being judgmental. Can you discuss how you found that balance with readers here?

 

BA: Jefferson is a controversial topic, for sure. While some of the details of his obsession with science are fun and commendable, there was also flawed thinking that used “science” to support racist and damaging ideas. I don’t think it’s right to share one without the other. (If this story was written fifty years ago, most of that back matter wouldn’t be there.) This story about misinformation, mistruths, and bias is also about how we determine value. Buffon’s conclusions that “bigger” implies “better,” and that “different” is “inferior” are common with kids. We judge things through the lens of what benefits us. I have a tendency to want to share these kinds of big ideas, which creates a challenge, but I think kids are very capable thinkers. My hope is that if kids can understand this with animals and environment, that they can then move to understanding the tremendous problems with this kind of thinking about human beings. It’s also valuable for kids to see that we are complex and flawed creatures—and we all carry biases. The challenge is to recognize them and be able to admit when we’re wrong and have more to learn. Not only should we search for truth with facts, but also by considering how the consequences of our actions impact others. I tried to be straightforward and choose words carefully—words to promote thought.

 

SB: Naturally, there had to be MANY details left out of your final work, elements not included because they did not serve this story well. Do some of those remain unforgettable to you? Any that nag you into writing more about them in some other platform?

 

BA: You’re right—SO many great details had to go. One of the tidbits I found amusing, and astounding, was the inconsistent logic in Buffon’s information and how (and why) he could come to some of his bizarre conclusions. Here are a couple. North America is cold and swampy. Huh? Well, the French explored Canada and the Louisiana area, right? Yep, swampy and cold. Now I get it—a bit of over generalization. Another one: all the creatures in North America were smaller than in Europe. Except for the apparently giant mosquitos and reptiles…haha! Learning these things made me ever more certain that I wanted to impress upon kids the importance of critical thinking when reading. 

 

I’m going to pass on Buffon and the Giant Bugs. 

 

SB: As I always ask, what kinds of upcoming works should we be watching for? Any projects not yet ready to announce but ones that feel especially exciting to you? 

 

BA: There are two in the pipeline with Calkins Creek. One story found new life after years in the drawer. I pulled it out when recent events brought it to mind. HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: KATE WARNE AND THE RACE TO SAVE PRESIDENT LINCOLN, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport, is about the Baltimore Plot, when conspirators tried to prevent Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. Warne was the first female detective in the U.S. I recently saw the sketches and WOW! It’s going to be amazing! That’s spring 2025. 

 

And in spring 2026…the story of a spunky teen, SCULPTING PRESIDENT LINCOLN: VINNIE REAM CARVES OUT HER FUTURE, illustrated by Jenn Ely. Clearly, I love stories of spunky young women! And a good Lincoln story! 

 

I have a new manuscript out on sub…..stay tuned. Another story that recent events have made newly relevant!

SB: Thanks so much for your generosity of time insights. And thank you for making THESE offerings possible:

 

CLICK HERE for the Educator Guide for THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE.

Fans of BETH, SCIENCE, JEFFERSON, and TRUTH can purchase signed copies HERE, 

and preorder at any bookstore, online, or at the publisher.

As is often the case with BETH ANDERSON, special added features are developed to introduce her remarkable books to readers, like this short VIDEO CLIP.

Beth has also generously offered a copy of this new book. Any comment added to this post enters you in the giveaway. If you share the post on Insta, X(Twitter), or FB, add a link to your share in the comments for an extra entry. The winner will be chosen and announced on May 14, 2024, BOOK BIRTHDAY for this terrific new offering. The winner's name  will be added to the top of this post and also included in a new post on that day. Looking forward to sharing it with someone! 

Too BIG To Miss!

LITTLE BROWN & COMPANY, 2023

I rarely begin a post about a book for little kids with the cover at the top, and seldom with such a large version of the cover. In this case, it felt like my only choice. I'm asking  you to see, immediately, that this picture book, this book for "little kids" is a very big deal. Apart from the obvious medals indicating that I am not alone in this opinion, it was also selected as best fiction picture book by bloggers, receiving the CYBILS AWARD in that category. 

Please, meet this remarkable book. BIG is written and illustrated by the multi-talented VASHTI HARRISON. Those medals on the cover represent the most prestigious of the many annual awards- Caldecott Gold Medal, National Book Award Finalist for Children, and Coretta Scott King Honor as Author and Illustrator. 

So what's the BIG deal about this book? Can you guess by looking at the cover? I thought I could, and I connected with the potential of its contents before even cracking the cover. The little girl under that BIG word, BIG, is adorable. Her pink ballet tutu is adorable. Her young body looks strong and intentional. And yet, do as I did. Look a bit closer. Check out her eyes. Under her uncreased forehead, below her precious pompom hairdo, those eyes suggest something deeper than intention. 

(Once I finally got my hands on this book for a close-up exploration), my eyes rested on this cover for many minutes. Those eyes hold her story within a dab of deftly placed and angled black line. There is commitment, persistence, and pain. Here we see a child who has lost some of the joy of childhood, one who makes her choices from a place of deep pain and self-healing, but not from spontaneity or trust. She is no longer crushed by the negativity BIG has conveyed but instead elevates it and owns it. It's unfair to think of such a young and adorable child needing to stand on her own, but she has been made to do so. If you can get that from the cover, you'll approach the story you're about to read with the significance it deserves.

With tender-yet-potent minimal text, with expansively emotional and evocative illustrations, with power-laden colors, Harrison addresses a particular issue within Black-girl communities. It is one that also tugs at every boy or girl who has ever felt the pivot from "being big" as a growing-up joy and accomplishment to recognizing "big" as negative. Subtly or literally, moments occur in the lives of children who are larger than average, in height or mass or even per SLsonality, when such a thing as "TOO BIG"  becomes the sharp tip of a universal social spear. That message comes in traditionally-sized clothes, in overt name-calling, in role-assignments, in rejection by peers and even from teachers and parents. Those pink-toned loving words of earliest encounters (caring, considerate, graceful, fun, creative) are buried under darker-hued labels and intentions (cow, moose, not right, TOOOOO anything...). The emotional tattoos of these shifting "assigned identities", including mocking laughter, add weight to the burden she feels, stealing away her true self. 

I don't dare reveal the ways in which my exposition of the story is conveyed within the pages, but it includes her shifting relative size in relation to the pages of the book and a powerful double gatefold-expansion to fully reveal the monstrous-sized pain imposed on this suffering young child. The resolution lies within her, not in the hands of apologies, or of well-meaning "fix-it" or "help you" adults. Her own gentle spirit eventually finds its footing and returns their insults and pain without venom, offering instead her rejection of their impact on her true self. Once she releases the pain within herself she charts her own path to acceptance and self-love, to reclaiming the beauty of wearing pink, of movement, and of grace. She claims her identity, body and soul, and has found power in knowing that BIG is not BAD.

The author note indicates personal experiences that led her to write this, but also explores the documented pattern of Black girls (and boys, too) being seen as older, more mature than their ages, and "too big" to be children. Society does have adultification and anti-fat bias that mandates conformity for many children, but especially Black children. This book matters and its many awards mean it will stay in the canon of available titles across generations, thank goodness. 

I sincerely hope that adults, even those without children, will read this and spend time considering their place within it. As a lifelong teacher, I view my own approach and unaware biases about students who "take up too much space", physically or behaviorally. Working with students identified as having issues in the general classroom meant I also actively taught young people to conform, to "fit in". To my conflicted shame. As an older adult woman, my memory of childhood (despite photograph evidence to the contrary) is that I was fat and not a good fit in a family of slender siblings. Body image, especially for young girls, is a dominant and harmful force in modern American society. This book brilliantly addresses the specific issues related to Black youth, but it has much to say to all of us at any age. 

The author uses the verb "return" in her back note- as in return the playfulness and fun and innocence of childhood to all of our children. 

It's a BIG ask, but each of us has a role in this process  we can't afford to ignore.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON STEREOTYPES: Know How You Think, Why, and How to Take Control

In this post I will feature a new book that is not actually in the "Picture Book" format. I feel that I have no choice, though. My stated mission for this blog is to select and feature excellent examples from among the fantastic array of picture books available, and to highlight ways in which picture books belong in reading lives at all ages. It's worth stretching the picture book label/category to encourage wide reading of this outstanding offering. To readers who check this one out and agree, I urge you to help me spread the word.

Kids Can Press 2020

 THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON STEREOTYPES: How Science Is Tackling Unconscious Bias is written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Drew Shannon. From the first pages, the authors introduce the latest in perr-reviewed brain science and learning, revealing the cold hard facts that have resulted when a dominant society operates under common stereotypes. Real people pay the price. The authors hope that by presenting current scientific information we might  begin the long process of rewiring our brains- individually and as communities and cultures. 

How many times have you wondered, about yourself or about others, "Why didn't they speak up?" or "Why would anyone go along with that?", or even "If I knew about it I would have done something." 

Maybe, but maybe not.

All too often the "choices" and "perceptions" we make, for ourselves and within social groups, are distorted and determined by presets and blinders created in our own brains. Those may relate to gender, ethnicity, age, race, able-ism, language and other biases, financial framing, mis-information that "feels" true but has not been confirmed, and unsubstantiated theories (poiitical, conspiracy, religious, and others).

This nonfiction, 88 page science book is a perfect blend of everything great in a book for kids and adults: an introduction, conclusion, five short and powerful chapters, further readings, sources, an index, and some helpful but simple spot illustration of text. It is a hybrid of a text-ish book and a picture book. 
That means it hits the sweet spot for both young readers and adult readers, providing countless "ah-ha" moments with nuggets of knowledge about how and why we think the ways we do. This book offers important new awareness of our/their internal processes that shape the way we perceive and interact with others. 

The latest research applies to "thinking" and concept formation on individual and society-wide levels. It also provides scientifically-based information about ways we can undo some subliminal processes, undoing or at least acknowledging and countering implicit and explicit bias.
This is the kind of book that can be read in an hour or two, but has the potential to fuel a lifetime of learning.
The introduction makes the point that thousands of years of evolution have hardwired our brains to seek and sort PATTERNS. It is a species survival tactic. But it also means we are wired for developing stereotypes, bias, and assuming causal patterns that are contrary to reality, resulting in lifelong prejudices and misjudgments.

The good news is that there are also reliable practices and processes to prevent and/or rewire our thinking for a more realistic and equitable view of the world.

All that, and more, with the accessibility of a nonfiction picture book. 

COVID 19 and BLACK LIVES MATTER notes:

JUST read the book, please. Trust science. Honestly explore your awareness of how and why you make the choices and decisions you do. Please?