Shaw Kuzki
Amazon rating: 5.0/5.0 (only 2 reviews so far), ages 10-13
Good Reads: 4.23/5
Common Sense Media: not yet reviewed
4Rbooks: 5/6, Grades 6+
162 pages
Synopsis:
Every year on August 6, Nozomi and her family participate in the lantern-floating ceremony in Hiroshima, Japan. When she is 12 years old, 25 years after the atomic bomb dropped, several incidents occur that start her, and friends Shun and Kozo to look deeper into the events of August 6, 1945 and come to grips with the after-effects for all of those in Hiroshima at that time.
They learn the story of the older woman at the ceremony who comes up to ask her age and the age of her mother before disappearing into the crowd. They learn about their art teacher who walks with a limp and always paints the same picture of their school yard. Nozomi will hear the story of her mother’s first love, Shun will understand why his neighbor is so sullen and quiet, and Kozo will get the full story of his aunt and her first teaching job.
Together with the other students at their middle school they will create an art exhibit, Hiroshima: Then and Now, to share their stories in a way for others to be able connect with the pain, suffering, and love that continues to this day.
Parental Guidance: medium-high
Numerous stories of loss and suffering.
Graphic depictions of what happened to Hiroshima and its people when the bomb
dropped and what was found in the days after.
Recommendation:
As a teacher, one of my favorite stories to read with my 6th grade class was Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes. If I was still teaching, I would look forward to using this book as a follow-up, especially with more mature and advanced readers. The story weaves poignant and heartbreaking tales into a hopeful look at a more peaceful future.
Originally written in Japanese in 2013 and then translated into English in 2021, Soul Lanterns thoughtfully and delicately tells the tale of the three children learning the deeper details of that fateful day in world history. All three grew up knowing the events of Aug. 6, 1945, but the events of this story are the first time that it becomes real and personal for them.
Before reading Sadako with my class, I would always front load them with a little WWII history to give the story context. I think that would be valuable for any youth wanting to read this story, too. Maybe reading Sadako first would also be a good idea. While Sadako is an ultimately sadder story than this one, the details are not as graphic. Sensitive children should be guided through this by an older sibling or adult.
Between keeping track of all the unfamiliar names and the author’s writing style, the book takes a while to get going, but once invested, the emotional and cultural pay-off is worth the time. I would recommend this a parent/child read as there will be plenty of opportunities for discussions about world history, family ties, and dealing with grief.
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