Review: A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

A PLACE TO BELONG

by Cynthia Kadohata

Atheneum

May 14, 2019

Middle Grade Historical

416 pages

ages 10 to 14

A Japanese-American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese internment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this piercing look at the aftermath of World War II by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata.

World War II has ended, but while America has won the war, twelve-year-old Hanako feels lost. To her, the world, and her world, seems irrevocably broken.

America, the only home she’s ever known, imprisoned then rejected her and her family—and thousands of other innocent Americans—because of their Japanese heritage, because Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Japan, the country they’ve been forced to move to, the country they hope will be the family’s saving grace, where they were supposed to start new and better lives, is in shambles because America dropped bombs of their own—one on Hiroshima unlike any other in history. And Hanako’s grandparents live in a small village just outside the ravaged city.

The country is starving, the black markets run rampant, and countless orphans beg for food on the streets, but how can Hanako help them when there is not even enough food for her own brother?

Hanako feels she could crack under the pressure, but just because something is broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. Cracks can make room for gold, her grandfather explains when he tells her about the tradition of kintsukuroi—fixing broken objects with gold lacquer, making them stronger and more beautiful than ever. As she struggles to adjust to find her place in a new world, Hanako will find that the gold can come in many forms, and family may be hers.

MY TIDBITS

Hope and love shine as a constant beacon in a tale which leaves the reader sighing and praying that a a girl and her homeland find a way to survive.

Although Hanako and her brother were born in America and are Americans, her parents immigrated from Japan. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor and spending four years in a camp, they're shipping 'back' to Japan. Hanako's life is already a sea without roots as four years before, everything was taken from them—her father's restaurant, their home, their lives. Living in Japan is something she's not sure whether to fear or be hopeful about. While the grandparents she never knew before are as amazing as can be, they reside not too far from Hiroshima. The pain and destruction from the bomb hits in a way Hanako never could have dreamed. Somehow, she hopes to find a new beauty, one described by her grandfather, in the chaos and pain.

The author has taken a very complex and troubled moment in history and presented it in a bitter-sweet and beautiful light with just the right amount of hope for the intended age group. Hanako is a lovely girl. Despite the unfair and terrible treatment her family faces, there isn't a sign of hatred or contempt in her heart. Her entire family maintains a peaceful and hopeful attitude, which outshines the darkness around them. Her reactions and thoughts are understandable and her desire to help is an inspiration. The grandparents add to this with their humor and extremely positive attitude. And it's this brightness which allows the horrible world around them to be presented in just the right way.

This isn't a fast paced read, but rather allows the needed time for everything to sink in. And there is quite a bit for the author to bring across. The four years in the camp are only dabbled in as memories and mentions, while the first chapters allow the reader to settle into the entire situation as well as the characters. This isn't an action book, but glides on emotions and experiences. It digs into the heart and brings the problems to life. Not only young teens will enjoy this one, but older readers are sure to get lost in the pages as well.

And here she is...

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning book Kira-Kira, the National Book Award winner The Thing About Luck, the Jan Addams Peace Award and Pen USA Award winner Weedflower, Cracker!, Outside Beauty, A Million Shades of Gray, Half a World Away, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including The Floating World. She lives with her hockey-playing son and dog in West Covina, California.

Happy Book Birthday, Checked by Cynthia Kadohata!

CHECKED

by Cynthia Kadohata

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Fiction
400 pages
ages 10 to 14

From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata comes a brilliantly realized sports novel about a hockey player who must discover who he is without the sport that defines him.

Hockey is Conor’s life. His whole life. He’ll say it himself, he’s a hockey beast. It’s his dad’s whole life too—and Conor is sure that’s why his stepmom, Jenny, left. There are very few things Conor and his dad love more than the game, and one of those things is their Doberman, Sinbad. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor chooses to put his hockey lessons and practices on hold so they can pay for Sinbad’s chemotherapy.

But without hockey to distract him, Conor begins to notice more. Like his dad’s crying bouts, and his friend’s difficult family life. And then Conor notices one more thing: Without hockey, the one thing that makes him feel special, is he really special at all?

MY TIDBITS

Hockey stands center stage, to the side, and in the background in this novel, while hitting on some harder topics which play at the heart-strings.

Eleven-year-old Conor sleeps, eats and breathes hockey, and so does his father. Conor's pretty sure that's why his step-mother left them, but life without her isn't too bad considering hockey takes up everything. Then there's Sinbad, their pet Doberman, who stands at Conor's side through thick and thin. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, life gets turned upside-down. Conor tries to figure out ways to help pay for Sinbad's needed surgery and finds himself seeing the bigger world outside of hockey. What he sees changes him forever.

I was thrilled to get my hands on a hockey novel for middle graders, and the author does a fantastic job at bringing Conor to life. He's a typical, sports orientated boy stuck in a very realistic family situation. His initial ability to only see hockey is understandable, especially with his father cheering along at his side. When tragedy strikes, it's not hard to feel for Conor. His reactions come across natural, and his desire to dig in and help make him easy to like. Even his solutions fit well.

The father fills a wonderful role. He has his issues—ones that leave him broken and fighting for air—but he does his best to hide them. His love for Conor and desire to push him along while piling everything into hockey dreams, captures a real side of many parents.

As for pacing, there's always something going on. Conor has a lot on his plate (especially in the 2nd half of the book), and this pace shows through the book as well. This is a book about a boy who loves hockey, and that shows. Practices and games are not rare. The author either has her own experience in the area or has done her research well, as these scenes are brought forward with all necessary details and emotions. The areas outside of hockey also pack a punch, pulling at the heart-strings. Conor struggles, does his best to handle situations and grows along the way. The reader feels this.

This is an emotion packed novel with tons of hard hockey and personal development along the way. Hockey players (and fans) will easily connect to Connor and sink into his life. However, the 400 page mark is simply too long. While hockey players are sure to love much of this, most won't have the attention span to get through it. Which is too bad. Those who are avid readers may not sink into these sport scenes with as much comfort and excitement as they could, although they will enjoy the other challenges and depth the book otherwise has to offer. For the right reader, this is well worth the read.