Obaasan's Boots
Lara Jean Okihiro, Janis Bridger
Type:
Fiction
Categories:
Social Issues | Family | People & Places | Asian American & Pacific Islander
Themes:
Prejudice & Racism, Multigenerational, United States
Language:
English
Publisher:
Grade Level:
4-7
Age Range:
9-12
Description
Cousins Lou and Charlotte don’t know a lot about their grandmother’s life. When their Obaasan invites them to spend the day in her garden, she also invites them into their family’s secrets. Grandma shares her experience as a Japanese Canadian during WWII, revealing the painful story of Japanese internment. Her family was forced apart. Whole communities were uprooted, moved into camps, their belongings stolen. Lou and Charlotte struggle with the injustice, even as they marvel at their grandmother’s strength. They begin to understand how their identities have been shaped by racism, and that history is not only about the past.
Contributors
Formats
Awards
Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize , BC and YUKON Book AwardsShort-listed
Red Cedar Book Award - Fiction CategoryShort-listed
Chocolate Lily Book Awards - Novel CategoryShort-listed
Fred Kerner Book AwardShort-listed