03 Mar / Hiroshima by Laurence Yep [in What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature]
Two sisters, Riko and Sachi, are on their way to school when the U.S. B-29 bomber named Enola Gay drops the first atom bomb at 8:15 a.m. on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. History is changed forever. Yep brings to life the terror and shock of the initial blast, its horrific aftermath for the survivors, while providing a vivid historical context to the atom bomb catastrophe.
An effective combination of informative narrative and human tragedy that provides a disturbing, necessary overview of this unprecedented event. Although written for younger audiences, this thin novella is so dense with history that it makes for important reading for adults, as well.
Review: “Asian American Titles,” What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature, Gale Research, 1997
Readers: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult
Published: 1995