Reference
This novel was an excellent first hand account of a child's experience in WWII Japan. It was an easy read and captured the attention of the reader from the very beginning. This would be a perfect supplementary text in a middle school or even high school social studies classroom studying about WWII. Many students would be amazed at the strong will of the protagonist and author, Tomiko. The book is a short read with only 127 pages which would allow the social studies classroom to use this as a book study. It is written by Tomiko Higa, the actual girl holding the flag in a photo taken by a military photographer soon after the battle of Okinawa. The author wrote this book as a response to the photograph was misrepresented in the media many years later. Higa wanted to make sure her true story was written down for all to understand her experience of the hardships of war. The author made a huge impact on me when she explained her close encounters with death and dying, something children should never have to experience. This is an excellent novel and I suggest it to anyone!