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The co-op bookstore for avid readers
The Sky We Shared
In this thoughtful and deftly woven WWII novel, an American and a Japanese teen with lives on opposite ends of the world discover that hate for an "enemy" leaves a heavy heart.
In southern Japan, Tamiko spends her time writing in her diary, dreaming of making theatrical costumes, and praying her brother Kyo makes it back from the war. She wishes she could be brave like him and help the war effort.
In rural Oregon, Nellie spends her time lying in the grass, studying the stars, and wishing for her pa to return from the war. She also wishes the boy next door, Joey, would talk to her again like he used to.
Soon the girls' lives become inextricably linked.
Tamiko and her classmates are brought to a damp, repurposed theater to make large paper balloons to help the military.
No one knows what they are for.
Nellie and her classmates ration food, work in salvage drives, and support their community.
No one knows what's coming.
Based on Japan's Project Fu-Go during the last stretch of World War II, The Sky We Shared uses the alternating perspectives of Nellie and Tamiko to depict the shared tragedies of two countries at war.
Book Details
- Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press
- Publish Date: Jun 7th, 2022
- Pages: 256
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 8.30in - 5.50in - 1.00in - 0.90lb
- EAN: 9781947627529
- Recommended age: 10-13
- Categories: • Historical - United States - 20th Century• Historical - Asia• Historical - Military & Wars
About the Author
Shirley Reva Vernick is an award-winning author and journalist. Her works include The Sky We Shared, Remember Dippy, The Blood Lie, The Black Butterfly, and Ripped Away. Her interviews and feature articles have appeared in numerous magazines, national newspapers, and university publications. Shirley graduated from Cornell University and is an alumna of the Radcliffe Writing Seminars. She lives in western Massachusetts.
Praise for this book
* "Vernick's absorbing historical WWII novel alternates between the perspectives of two teenage girls. . . Both girls just want the war to be over, and both think deeply about the complexities of blame, guilt, forgiveness, and compassion while navigating their own country's racist propaganda." -- The Horn Book, starred review
* "Vernick's moving prose renders both voices with empathy. Balanced narratives and steady pacing effectively highlight an often-overlooked period in both Japanese and American history." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A central, meaningful message about the flimsiness of hatred emerges, and the barbarities of the war are revealed in an uncommon, important way." -- Foreword Reviews
"Highly relevant to today's world. . . This book could easily be used as a companion to lessons about World War II in the classroom." -- School Library Connection
"In this extraordinary story inspired by a little-known incident during WWII, Vernick brings to life the hardship, trauma, loneliness and longing of two girls enduring the same war from worlds apart, yet with hope and the resilience of the human spirit always shining through, bright as stars against the night sky." -- Margi Preus, Newbery honor-winning author of Heart of a Samurai
"Combining rich historical detail and urgent emotional drama, Vernick has created a unique and powerful coming-of-age story set against a complex and little-known chapter in America's war with Japan." -- Robert Sharenow, author of The Berlin Boxing Club
"The Sky We Shared is a moving and beautifully researched story, rich with period detail, about two teen girls - one American, one Japanese - on either side of the Pacific in the latter days of World War 2. Readers will be captivated by the unique, powerful voices of Nellie and Tamiko as the girls discover through their experiences of family, tragedy, patriotism, and propaganda that hatred is not a cure for loss." -- Janet Fox, author of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
Delaware Diamonds Awards Nominee 2024 - Diamond State Literacy Association