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Dear America
Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii 1941
Acclaimed author Barry Dennenberg has written a moving story of one girl's devasting experience at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941. Amber's journal chronicles two months that change her life forever. In late 1941 her family moves to Hawai'i, where they end up at the epicenter of the attack that plunged the United States into World War II. As she watches her world literally explode in flames, Amber demonstrates that in the face of tragedy, kids can find the courage to help and simply go on.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
45 people are currently reading
2503 people want to read
About the author
Barry Denenberg
44 books82 followersBarry Denenberg is the critically acclaimed author of non-fiction and historical fiction. His historical fiction includes titles in the Dear America, My Name is America, and Royal Diaries series, many of which have been named NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. His nonfiction books have covered a wide array of topics, from Anne Frank to Elvis Presley. After the publication of An American Hero: The True Story of Charles Lindburgh, Denenberg was interviewed for various documentaries including ABC’s “The Century.”
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
August 30, 2022
TW//
“This year we have soldiers instead of Santas.”
Early Sunday Morning is one of the most heartbreaking yet important Dear America stories. It captures in detail what the Pearl Harbor bombing was like for civilains and it touches on how the bombing impacted the Japanese people who lived in Hawaii. It was challenging to read and there were several moments where I almost started crying, but it was such a good read.
I feel like American schooling (at least the schools I attended) brushed over Pearl Harbor and everything that happeed there. My schools only covered Hitler and everything that happened in Europe during World War 2. This book helped fill in the gaps of what I didn’t know about World War 2 and it made me feel like I was there during the bombing. It was very intense but it was also phenomenal.
My only complaint about this book was that it wasn’t long enough. I feel like it could’ve and should’ve covered at least a month or two after the bombing, but I understand why it ended where it did since the reasoning behind the journal format was that Amber wrote in a different journal for each place that she lived at and Hawaii was the place that she lived at for the shortest period of time.
I know that this book is intended for kids, but I think the content matter might be hard for a lot of kids to process and I think adults can get a lot out of this book. If you want to know more about the Pearl Harbor bombing and you want to read more of an “account” of what happened as opposed to reading history textbooks, this is a great place to start.
“This year we have soldiers instead of Santas.”
Early Sunday Morning is one of the most heartbreaking yet important Dear America stories. It captures in detail what the Pearl Harbor bombing was like for civilains and it touches on how the bombing impacted the Japanese people who lived in Hawaii. It was challenging to read and there were several moments where I almost started crying, but it was such a good read.
I feel like American schooling (at least the schools I attended) brushed over Pearl Harbor and everything that happeed there. My schools only covered Hitler and everything that happened in Europe during World War 2. This book helped fill in the gaps of what I didn’t know about World War 2 and it made me feel like I was there during the bombing. It was very intense but it was also phenomenal.
My only complaint about this book was that it wasn’t long enough. I feel like it could’ve and should’ve covered at least a month or two after the bombing, but I understand why it ended where it did since the reasoning behind the journal format was that Amber wrote in a different journal for each place that she lived at and Hawaii was the place that she lived at for the shortest period of time.
I know that this book is intended for kids, but I think the content matter might be hard for a lot of kids to process and I think adults can get a lot out of this book. If you want to know more about the Pearl Harbor bombing and you want to read more of an “account” of what happened as opposed to reading history textbooks, this is a great place to start.
December 23, 2021
Note: Read in elementary or middle school
April 5, 2015
I think I would have enjoyed this book more had it been a 'real' diary of a girl who lived on Oahu during the attack on Pearl Harbor. But since this was a fictional diary, I had a hard time loving it. I feel the book gives us a possible taste of what life might have been like during this time, but the epilogue of these fictional characters, which includes later suicides, deaths by tragic car accidents, and babies being orphaned, all long after 1941, seemed contrived. A fictional 'diary' of an event I maybe could have gone for, but the added closing wrap up just made it too much.
June 11, 2020
Feeling very conflicted by this book! On one hand, I really appreciate that it is written in true, diary-style (driven by description rather than dialogue). Not many Dear Americas that I've read have accomplished this realistic style, so I appreciate the thought and time author Barry Denenberg put into telling the story this way.
On the other hand, some of the characters don't feel real to me. I didn't realize this until I finished reading, but Denenberg also wrote One Eye Laughing, the Other Eye Weeping, my least favorite book thus far in the Dear America series.
In both books, Denenberg struggles to capture the complex thought processes and emotions of his young female characters. Sometimes they focus on, write about, and think things you wouldn't expect from young girls. Other times they quickly dismiss a topic that would likely be of utmost importance to a young girl.
Despite some flaws, the book is well researched. It taught me some things about the attacks on Pearl Harbor and response from the U.S. that I didn't know (blackout regulations, government-issued gas masks, grocery shortages, etc.) These were interesting things to read about within the context of World War II, given that we've recently experienced similar restrictions and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, it's not an awful read, even though the characters are a little lacking.
On the other hand, some of the characters don't feel real to me. I didn't realize this until I finished reading, but Denenberg also wrote One Eye Laughing, the Other Eye Weeping, my least favorite book thus far in the Dear America series.
In both books, Denenberg struggles to capture the complex thought processes and emotions of his young female characters. Sometimes they focus on, write about, and think things you wouldn't expect from young girls. Other times they quickly dismiss a topic that would likely be of utmost importance to a young girl.
Despite some flaws, the book is well researched. It taught me some things about the attacks on Pearl Harbor and response from the U.S. that I didn't know (blackout regulations, government-issued gas masks, grocery shortages, etc.) These were interesting things to read about within the context of World War II, given that we've recently experienced similar restrictions and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, it's not an awful read, even though the characters are a little lacking.
May 20, 2008
This series is for young readers. I've always wanted to read this series to learn more about America's history. Since it is written for young kids there is much left to be desired but a good general overview based on a ficticious character. Rated: PG
March 24, 2014
Amber's dad is a journalist whose paper requires frequent moves. This family had the experience of residing in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese Attack. Her mom was a nurse, so Amber accompanied her to care for the wounded.
It is amazing how closely the movie Pearl Harbor follows this first hand account. Yes, they had to steriize Coke bottles for blood. Yes, nurses were sent out with lipstick to determine which wounded men would be admitted to the hospital and which were not going to survive their injuries.
I can put myself in Pearl Harbor accounts because my dad was a seventeen year old sailor, who had the good luck to have a "liberty" night on December 6. As in the movie, my dad was asleep in a military vehicle on the beach when the attack began. He told me the story many times, of his buddy racing back to their ship. The vehicle was straffed by Japanese gunfire, driver hit, ran over boulder, and overturned. Dad was thrown out and woke up as his head wound was being stitched up. What I vividly recall, is him telling me that you can feel your skin pop when the needle punctures, and the thread as it is slides to reclose an opening. I guess pain killers were used for more serious injuries.
It is amazing how closely the movie Pearl Harbor follows this first hand account. Yes, they had to steriize Coke bottles for blood. Yes, nurses were sent out with lipstick to determine which wounded men would be admitted to the hospital and which were not going to survive their injuries.
I can put myself in Pearl Harbor accounts because my dad was a seventeen year old sailor, who had the good luck to have a "liberty" night on December 6. As in the movie, my dad was asleep in a military vehicle on the beach when the attack began. He told me the story many times, of his buddy racing back to their ship. The vehicle was straffed by Japanese gunfire, driver hit, ran over boulder, and overturned. Dad was thrown out and woke up as his head wound was being stitched up. What I vividly recall, is him telling me that you can feel your skin pop when the needle punctures, and the thread as it is slides to reclose an opening. I guess pain killers were used for more serious injuries.
January 9, 2019
Really good book but incredibly Sad.
One thing that disappointed me, was how short the book was compared to other Dear America Books.
There was mention of suicide in the book, and some curse words. I felt that the book was incredibly rushed, Especially the Epilogue.
One thing that disappointed me, was how short the book was compared to other Dear America Books.
There was mention of suicide in the book, and some curse words. I felt that the book was incredibly rushed, Especially the Epilogue.
February 19, 2019
In this during the beginning of the this diary, Amber Billows tells the readers that she is moving and feels upset because she has to leave her friends. When I had to move to Shanghai from Sweden I also felt upset that I had to leave my friends.
January 14, 2016
This book was very good. I don't like historical fiction, but this is a quick book/diary from a little girl at the time of The attack on Pearl Harbor.
December 23, 2022
This was an amazing look into what families would have gone through during the attack on Pearl Harbor, l have to admit this book left me crying at the end.
May 1, 2020
This was one of my favorite middle grade historical fiction diaries as a kid and I really loved it at the time, but I was a little bit disappointed by it as an adult. Compared to the other diaries like this I've reread in the past couple years, it just didn't feel as strong. It felt like it lacked the depth that a lot of them have.
I think part of the reason is that this book is so short and so fast. It's only about 130 pages of diary and doesn't even start in Hawaii. The main character is only in Hawaii a couple of weeks before Pearl Harbor, and only a couple of weeks after. It doesn't feel like she had enough time to set down roots or meet friends or get invested in Hawaii as a place. I think the whole thing needed to be slowed down. I do think this book is fairly shorter than a number of the other diaries in this series.
I also wasn't a big fan of the epilogue. The epilogues of these books usually wrap them up and give an idea of what could have happened in people's lives of the time (in a child friendly way, of course), but this one just seemed unnecessarily depressing and pointless. It felt like a bit of a sucker punch. I don't mind a good depressing ending because sometimes they add so much depth, but this one felt cheap.
I dunno, it's probably good for kids but one of those books that doesn't hold up as well for adults. I certainly loved it as a child. I just wished I loved my reread of it as much as I did some of the other diaries.
I think part of the reason is that this book is so short and so fast. It's only about 130 pages of diary and doesn't even start in Hawaii. The main character is only in Hawaii a couple of weeks before Pearl Harbor, and only a couple of weeks after. It doesn't feel like she had enough time to set down roots or meet friends or get invested in Hawaii as a place. I think the whole thing needed to be slowed down. I do think this book is fairly shorter than a number of the other diaries in this series.
I also wasn't a big fan of the epilogue. The epilogues of these books usually wrap them up and give an idea of what could have happened in people's lives of the time (in a child friendly way, of course), but this one just seemed unnecessarily depressing and pointless. It felt like a bit of a sucker punch. I don't mind a good depressing ending because sometimes they add so much depth, but this one felt cheap.
I dunno, it's probably good for kids but one of those books that doesn't hold up as well for adults. I certainly loved it as a child. I just wished I loved my reread of it as much as I did some of the other diaries.
December 13, 2015
Wow. This one was quite short and very sad too. I felt like I didn't have time to get attached to the characters and it left so many loose ends that I flt a little bit cheated. "Is that it? Really?" Still, there was some interesting historical information about how the people reacted in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but overall this book was just too darn short for me to have much of a reaction.
June 6, 2017
I read this book for story research only. I have been researching the attack on Pearl Harbor for *cough* writing purposes *cough cough*. I was starting to get tired of text books and such, so when I saw this book on my shelf I was like "Perfect! An actually story about a girl with eye witness account of the bombing! Now I can get a feel for what I kinda want my story to be like..." So yeah, it helped me some.
January 27, 2024
I feel like if you're going to have a Pearl Harbor diary span two months, it should've been between before and immediately after the attack. Barry my guy, you're not someone who knows how to write young girls well.....
November 10, 2020
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time--since I bought a copy at Half-Price before we moved several years ago! Pearl Harbor has always been a fascinating event to me and it seemed fitting to read this after listening to On the Horizon by Lois Lowry a week prior. I read the majority of this book in two sittings--it was quick, easy and engaging. I think Amber's diary entries as a twelve year old probably represented one of the most realistic thoughts for her age I've read in the Dear America series so far! I really liked how the diary was presented as just another move for the Billows family, none of them ever expecting to get mixed up in the tragedy that they did. I appreciated Denenberg demonstrating how scary and uncertain those post-bombing days were for everyone in Hawaii. There were definitely some scenes that reminded me a little eerily of some things we've experienced during Covid-19. Yet, I think that just goes to show that we have more in common with our ancestors than we realize. We all live through scary times, no matter how different they are, and we all must be brave.
My one complaint was how easily Amber was able to leave Hawaii and treat it like it was all just some horrible nightmare. I understand her sentiments, but thought she would have had more bittersweet feelings about leaving. I also found the epilogue to be short and lacking in the details I was actually curious about concerning Amber's life during the repercussions of the Pearl Harbor event.
The most powerful scene in this book, one that I think will haunt me long after I move on to other books, is the one in the hospital when Amber is helping her mom attend to the wounded after the bombing. There is a line of people waiting to donate blood to the victims who were so badly wounded, they may die without the donation. Most of the people in this line, waiting to donate blood to wounded Americans, are Japanese immigrants. Japanese.
My one complaint was how easily Amber was able to leave Hawaii and treat it like it was all just some horrible nightmare. I understand her sentiments, but thought she would have had more bittersweet feelings about leaving. I also found the epilogue to be short and lacking in the details I was actually curious about concerning Amber's life during the repercussions of the Pearl Harbor event.
The most powerful scene in this book, one that I think will haunt me long after I move on to other books, is the one in the hospital when Amber is helping her mom attend to the wounded after the bombing. There is a line of people waiting to donate blood to the victims who were so badly wounded, they may die without the donation. Most of the people in this line, waiting to donate blood to wounded Americans, are Japanese immigrants. Japanese.
March 1, 2010
As the daughter of a newspaper reporter, Amber Billows has had to move many times in her twelve years, but she's never really gotten used to having to pack up and move on short notice. When her father announces that the family will be moving to Hawaii, Amber wishes she could be part of a family that didn't have to move so very much. She's adjusted to life in Washington, D.C., even if she hates the weather there, and has a best friend. Even though she didn't want to move, Amber can't help loving Hawaii, a beautiful paradise with perfect weather year round. But it's the fall of 1941, and though many people in the United States are isolationists, opposed to entering the war, soon the country may not have a choice. Amber is horrified when the beauty and peace of her tropical home are shattered early in the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, a day that will never be forgotten. Although this was not the best Dear America book, and was rather short, I would still recommend it to all fans of the series.
October 19, 2019
Early Sunday Morning, by Barry Denenberg is an amazing book that should be read by everyone. The book represents a diary that has been written by a young American girl named Amber Billows. The part that I like most about this book is how it is based off of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This book really inspired me to love history. One of the most craziest part is how the girl is around my age and she has gone through so much and to think of me in her shoes makes me think about how grateful I am that I wasn’t in this type of situation and my family wasn’t either. Young girl Amber willows kept on fighting for survival with the thought that she would be in Washington if it wasn’t for her dad. I one million recommend this book to anyone who loves history adventure and action.
January 18, 2013
I thought that this was a fairly good book. The storyline was intriguing and there were many historical facts about Pearl Harbor to learn from. However, it seemed that the book was short; the font size was made large to cover more pages.
Reading this fictional diary will give you insight of a young girl's life when Pearl Harbor was destroyed. You'll see a little bit about how it could have been after the tragedy... the darkness, the precautions, the rules, and brave families.
I'm glad I took the time to read the story.
Reading this fictional diary will give you insight of a young girl's life when Pearl Harbor was destroyed. You'll see a little bit about how it could have been after the tragedy... the darkness, the precautions, the rules, and brave families.
I'm glad I took the time to read the story.
May 22, 2021
I'm re-reading some books from the Dear America series for nostalgia's sake since I now have more historical context than I did as a child. This book was short and seemed too convenient! I wish it had been written about a person who lived in Hawaii for a longer time. It had good historical details worked in, but it could've had even more. I wish Amber hadn't moved to Hawaii only one month before Pearl Harbor and moved away one month later. It was too short, and gosh that epilogue was terribly depressing!
November 6, 2007
This book is about a girl named Amber Billows. She and her family experienced the pearl harbor bombing. Now the United states government is protecting everyone for another attack. Now Amber has to live her life in fear until the war is over. What I learned about this book is how cautious everyone was during the war. I thought this book was very interesting.
July 13, 2011
Early Sunday Morning sheds a new, younger light on the Pearl Harber experiance. It is written in diary format of a young girl living at Pearl Harber before the attack. If you're like me and enjoy history, then you'll enjoy this.
January 11, 2010
Violet's 2009-2010 reading page: http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/swe...
December 7, 2021
I truly hope there's no more books in this series by Denenberg. Another annoying girl, more bad writing. Please let this be the last one.
June 17, 2025
3.5 stars!
This might be the shortest of the Dear America books. I had high hopes going into this when I realized it had the same author as One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, which is one of the best Dear Americas in my opinion. I don't think Early Sunday Morning is as good as that one was, but I did still enjoy it.
The biggest problem for me is that the entires start in October of 1941 and wrap up around Christmastime. So really not a lot of focus on Pearl Harbor and its effects on people living in Hawaii at all. I actually thing this would have been a more compelling story if it was told from Kame's point of view, but with how short the story was, there just wasn't a lot of room to focus on Kame and her family at all. Amber had only been in Hawaii for a couple months and left almost immediately after. I just don't think she was the best character to create to represent the story this Dear America tried to tell
This might be the shortest of the Dear America books. I had high hopes going into this when I realized it had the same author as One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, which is one of the best Dear Americas in my opinion. I don't think Early Sunday Morning is as good as that one was, but I did still enjoy it.
The biggest problem for me is that the entires start in October of 1941 and wrap up around Christmastime. So really not a lot of focus on Pearl Harbor and its effects on people living in Hawaii at all. I actually thing this would have been a more compelling story if it was told from Kame's point of view, but with how short the story was, there just wasn't a lot of room to focus on Kame and her family at all. Amber had only been in Hawaii for a couple months and left almost immediately after. I just don't think she was the best character to create to represent the story this Dear America tried to tell
September 20, 2025
A heart wrenching story about a young girl who experienced the day that will always live in infamy.
June 27, 2025
Rather short but was informative, well-written, and well-researched. The epilogue was a bit melodramatic and the ending was rushed.
February 24, 2011
Early Sunday Morning (Pearl Harbor) / 0-439-32874-8
Clocking in at approximately 130 pages and fairly large print, "Early Sunday Morning" can be finished by late Sunday afternoon. In a matter of a few short pages, Amber's journalist family is swept protesting to their new assignment in Hawaii, followed by a few quick jotted notes about Hawaii history and culture, mostly gleaned from Amber's encyclopedia. More lavish treatment is given to various dinner parties where American officers expound foolishly on the unlikelihood of a Japanese attack, all of which is very interesting, but is not explored very deeply.
The actual attack, when it occurs, is handled well. Amber and her brother construct a pillow fort in the living room - a meaningless gesture, she admits, but one which makes her feel slightly safer - and huddle together, convinced that they will die at any moment. This is a nice touch and a decent reminder to those of us who tend to see the event as "merely" affecting the ships attacked - the surrounding population had no way of knowing how confined the attack would or would not eventually be. Afterward, measures are taken: like the limiting of radio and night lights to prevent 'signaling' the Japanese troops. Amber's family builds a bomb shelter, albeit a poorly constructed one, and procure several poorly fitted gas masks.
Just as things are starting to get interesting, however, the book grinds to a sudden halt. The book had begun, briefly, to hint at the anti-Japanese sentiment that caused so many innocent Japanese-Americans to be rounded up into illegal camps and stripped of their possessions and belongings, but this dead-ends unsatisfactorily. Frustratingly, the author seems to hint that the one arrested person in the novel most definitely had pro-Japan sentiments, and therefore probably really was a collaborator.
This book is too short and too flimsy an approach to the subject matter to warrant the high price that the hardcover is asking. My recommendation is to skip "Early Sunday Morning" and buy "My Secret War" instead - another Dear America book that covers World War II and Pearl Harbor, but covers it in far more detail and integrity.
~ Ana Mardoll
Clocking in at approximately 130 pages and fairly large print, "Early Sunday Morning" can be finished by late Sunday afternoon. In a matter of a few short pages, Amber's journalist family is swept protesting to their new assignment in Hawaii, followed by a few quick jotted notes about Hawaii history and culture, mostly gleaned from Amber's encyclopedia. More lavish treatment is given to various dinner parties where American officers expound foolishly on the unlikelihood of a Japanese attack, all of which is very interesting, but is not explored very deeply.
The actual attack, when it occurs, is handled well. Amber and her brother construct a pillow fort in the living room - a meaningless gesture, she admits, but one which makes her feel slightly safer - and huddle together, convinced that they will die at any moment. This is a nice touch and a decent reminder to those of us who tend to see the event as "merely" affecting the ships attacked - the surrounding population had no way of knowing how confined the attack would or would not eventually be. Afterward, measures are taken: like the limiting of radio and night lights to prevent 'signaling' the Japanese troops. Amber's family builds a bomb shelter, albeit a poorly constructed one, and procure several poorly fitted gas masks.
Just as things are starting to get interesting, however, the book grinds to a sudden halt. The book had begun, briefly, to hint at the anti-Japanese sentiment that caused so many innocent Japanese-Americans to be rounded up into illegal camps and stripped of their possessions and belongings, but this dead-ends unsatisfactorily. Frustratingly, the author seems to hint that the one arrested person in the novel most definitely had pro-Japan sentiments, and therefore probably really was a collaborator.
This book is too short and too flimsy an approach to the subject matter to warrant the high price that the hardcover is asking. My recommendation is to skip "Early Sunday Morning" and buy "My Secret War" instead - another Dear America book that covers World War II and Pearl Harbor, but covers it in far more detail and integrity.
~ Ana Mardoll
May 26, 2017
Actual rating, 3 stars
Thoughts and Plot
Early Sunday Morning is probably the shortest Dear America I have read so far. The actual story/diary entries is only about 129 pages long. That said, it's pretty packed with happenings for a book so short. It covers moving to Hawaii, the meeting of a few friends, the bombing, how crowded and limited the hospitals were, what people were expected to do (gas masks, blackouts, bomb shelters, painting buildings, etc), and then the announcement of the Billow's family moving once again.
Very short book. You barely get to know your 'host' before she is bidding you farewell. As usual though, the book contains a short epilogue, historical notes and pictures. The epilogue is just barely over a page long, not really covering too much of what became of everyone in Amber's family. Doesn't even give her husband a name, or say if she got a sister or a brother, where her parents went, what her brother did. It was a sorry excuse for an epilogue really. A paragraph for Lieutenant Lockhart (who no one really cared too much about I think), and a paragraph and a bit for Karme and her daughter. Amber got maybe a sentence or two in comparison. The epilogue is half the fun, because not all books tell you where your favorite character's life went, so it was quite a disappointment. Between the shortness of the book and the epilogue, I'm afraid it lost a whole star for rating. So much more could have been done.
In Conclusion
Short and to the point is how I'd describe this book. Because it was so short it moves along at a good clip. Unfortunately, the shortness also leaves out things that help you get to know your narrator as a person as well as the relationships she (or sometimes he) has with other people. These side effects brought down the over all rating.
Age range: middle school and up
Content: nothing too concerning. A person does die that Amber was talking to, but it is not a graphic death by any means.
Thoughts and Plot
Early Sunday Morning is probably the shortest Dear America I have read so far. The actual story/diary entries is only about 129 pages long. That said, it's pretty packed with happenings for a book so short. It covers moving to Hawaii, the meeting of a few friends, the bombing, how crowded and limited the hospitals were, what people were expected to do (gas masks, blackouts, bomb shelters, painting buildings, etc), and then the announcement of the Billow's family moving once again.
Very short book. You barely get to know your 'host' before she is bidding you farewell. As usual though, the book contains a short epilogue, historical notes and pictures. The epilogue is just barely over a page long, not really covering too much of what became of everyone in Amber's family. Doesn't even give her husband a name, or say if she got a sister or a brother, where her parents went, what her brother did. It was a sorry excuse for an epilogue really. A paragraph for Lieutenant Lockhart (who no one really cared too much about I think), and a paragraph and a bit for Karme and her daughter. Amber got maybe a sentence or two in comparison. The epilogue is half the fun, because not all books tell you where your favorite character's life went, so it was quite a disappointment. Between the shortness of the book and the epilogue, I'm afraid it lost a whole star for rating. So much more could have been done.
In Conclusion
Short and to the point is how I'd describe this book. Because it was so short it moves along at a good clip. Unfortunately, the shortness also leaves out things that help you get to know your narrator as a person as well as the relationships she (or sometimes he) has with other people. These side effects brought down the over all rating.
Age range: middle school and up
Content: nothing too concerning. A person does die that Amber was talking to, but it is not a graphic death by any means.
December 5, 2019
Bleh. For such a short book this was quite a slog. Its brevity really limited the amount of characterization and historical detail it could have, making it feel dull and rushed. Outside of the Pearl Harbor attack and its aftermath, the historical detail is pretty much limited to celebrity name-dropping(Walter Winchell, Benny Goodman, Bette Davis...). The epilogue is by far the worst one I can remember from this series. It starts out by saying how a minor character ended up, and practically skimmed right over the main character, Amber. She got married, adopted a kid, and that's basically all we are told. I, for one, would like to know if she ever took the trouble to sit herself down and spend five minutes writing back to her friend on the mainland. Amber acknowledges that she's really bad at writing back to people, but when she is a middle-class schoolgirl with no responsibilities outside of homework, that just makes her seem like a really lazy friend who can't be bothered to keep up a simple correspondence.
I think the problem with this book versus the others of the series is that most of the others, while they record some important event or era, are character-driven. The stories are built around one character and their perspective on things, and even if some crisis occurs the story focuses not so much on the event directly, but how it affects the main character and their loved ones. Early Sunday Morning doesn't seem to do this. It feels like it was written with the sole purpose of telling about the Pearl Harbor attack, and Amber was just the catalyst for recounting this event. There is nothing wrong with just writing a nonfiction book about Pearl Harbor, and I think this is what Denenberg should have done in the first place.
There is nothing here that justifies the diary format or provides any atmosphere. I feel sort of bad for giving this such a low rating(perhaps some feeling of nostalgic obligation?) but I truly can't remember enjoying any part of it. Skip this one and read My Secret War instead.
February 19, 2019
I just got done reading the book EARLY SUNDAY MORNING: THE PEARL HARBOR DIARY OF AMBER BILLOWS. The book is written by Denenberg, Barry. The story is set in 1941 in Hawaii,pearl harbor, and Amber's house. The main characters are Amber Billows, Andy Billows, and the japenese.
i was looking in the section of history and i come upon this book and realized my grandparents were alive then, so I thought it would be interesting to read something they was alive to experienced.
Amber and her family has to move again, her father is a journalist and move to place to place. Amber thinks Hawaii is a "different planet", Amber soon makes friends with American Japenese girl. They have totally different backgrounds. They have been getting reports of warnings that japan is going to strike Pearl Harbor. Amber and her mom see themselves working in a hospital trying to save everyone they can.
I thought the ending was really good! My favorite part in the book is when she meets Kame, the japanese and american girl. They instantly click and become such great friends. Kame ad Amber have nearly the same personality, Amber likes to hear stories or facts about Kame.
The book was decent. I like the fact that it had a seek of adventure in it. Anyone that likes history or adventure would love this book. A similar book would be MY SECRET WAR: THE WORD WAR ll OF MADELINE BECK, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 1941 by Mary Pope Osborne. A lot of these books are from the Dear America Series.
i was looking in the section of history and i come upon this book and realized my grandparents were alive then, so I thought it would be interesting to read something they was alive to experienced.
Amber and her family has to move again, her father is a journalist and move to place to place. Amber thinks Hawaii is a "different planet", Amber soon makes friends with American Japenese girl. They have totally different backgrounds. They have been getting reports of warnings that japan is going to strike Pearl Harbor. Amber and her mom see themselves working in a hospital trying to save everyone they can.
I thought the ending was really good! My favorite part in the book is when she meets Kame, the japanese and american girl. They instantly click and become such great friends. Kame ad Amber have nearly the same personality, Amber likes to hear stories or facts about Kame.
The book was decent. I like the fact that it had a seek of adventure in it. Anyone that likes history or adventure would love this book. A similar book would be MY SECRET WAR: THE WORD WAR ll OF MADELINE BECK, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 1941 by Mary Pope Osborne. A lot of these books are from the Dear America Series.
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