Write to Me
by Cynthia Grady
Illustrations by Amiko Hirao
Juvenile Nonfiction
Picture book
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
Clara Breed was a librarian in San Diego during WWII. When her young Japanese patrons were relocated to internment camps, she gave them postcards and encouraged them to write to her. Their letters helped her learn about their situation/conditions in the camps, and she was able to send them books and other items (soap, seeds, etc.) during their incarceration. She was even able to visit. This picture book is a gentle introduction to this troubled time in US history and includes excerpts from the letters that Miss Breed received. She saved them – over 250 letters – and later gifted them to one of the girls who had written to her during the war. A lovely and uplifting biography/historical work. Includes author’s note, and timelines of Clara Breed’s life, and the history of Japanese immigration in the United States, as well as a bibliography and sources for additional information.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
