Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference

by Joanne Oppenheim

A chronicle of the incredible correspondence between California librarian Clara Breed and young Japanese American internees during World War II.

In the early 1940s, Clara Breed was the children's librarian at the San Diego Public Library. But she was also friend to dozens of Japanese American children and teens when war broke out in December of 1941. The story of what happened to these American citizens is movingly told through letters that her young friends wrote to Miss Breed during their internment. This remarkable librarian and humanitarian served as a lifeline to these imprisoned young people, and was brave enough to speak out against a shameful chapter in American history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, Biography, War, Japan, Middle Grade

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[Kathryn]

This sounds wonderful; I am an advocate of more being known about this dark mark in American history. The librarian and letters intrigued me right away but this is also a historical event I am interested in. I remember being so horrified when I first learned of the atrocity of Japanese internment, but this episode in history became even more poignant and real for me when, as an adult, I met some of my grandfather's friends at his new church group; Japanese-Americans who were life-long residents of Northern California--and whose families were sent to internment camps while they were forced to fight in some of the worst battles/conditions in WWII and came home to find their homes destroyed and possessions stolen. As a life-long resident of Northern California myself, it was truly eye-opening to understand this other side of WWII history; to realize that the horrible injustices happened practically my own backyard while my grandfather fought to preserve the "good ol' USA" and free those facing even harsher conditions under Hitler (little knowing what his future friends were experiencing). Meanwhile "the enemy", my kindly German (future) grandfather-in-law, was captured early in the war and served his time as a prisoner-of-war, singing opera for the US troops and thanking God he did not have to do worse in Hitler's army as he didn't believe in any of it. So complicated and infuriating, how governments decide who can be friends and who must be enemies.

[Dana Berglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book narrates the years of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II through the lens of one librarian's friendship with many children (and their families) who were relocated from (in this case) San Diego to concentration camps away from the coast (in this case, first at the Santa Anita assembly center, then Poston, Arizona). It is built upon the surviving letters -- more than 200 of them -- between Miss Breed and the children, who ranged from kindergarten-aged to recent high school graduates at the time of their relocation in 1942. The narrative carries us through the shut down of the camps and the difficulties in moving on with life, then gives us updates on many of the individuals into adulthood and even grandparenthood.
On one hand, it's a book about this American tragedy, and the truth about the conditions at the camps, through the eyes of both wide-eyed young students and jaded teenagers. It's a monument to resiliency, those who continue to make the best of horrible situations and are able to move on without bitterness. It is about remembering that this kind of fear and racism happened here, and could happen again. It's also an example of how deeply a librarian can become involved with her patrons, and how she was able to use her standing to write articles and letters arguing for the release of the Japanese Americans, and eventually for reparations from the US government. She intended to change hearts and minds toward acceptance and away from fear, in a place and time where she could have been ostracized and threatened, where there could have been significant ramifications for her daily life. She stood up and spoke out through the means she had available, and she supported people immensely behind the scenes.
On the other hand, I acknowledge that there's a danger of making this too much about the white savior, rather than the people at the center of the story. This is tricky. Truly, the story is not so much about Miss Breed (we learn very little about her private life outside of her positive relationship with her sister, and that her family is filled with Congregational ministers) as it is those who wrote to her. Those who found strength from Miss Breed's belief in them. Miss Breed was a stalwart ally who appeared to have walked the walk, not just talked the talk. She was actively fighting the anti-racist fight both in small everyday acts of support for the Japanese American community and in lobbying of the powers-that-be. All of these people in the book were bolstered by knowing that they were not completely forgotten in the camps. Maybe sending candy won't change the world, but she wrote articles in the national librarian publications, and wrote letters to committees and officials. She modeled the importance of being more than a bystander. So, I think this book (successfully written because of the hard work and collaborations of researchers and interviewees at the Japanese American National Museum) is still an excellent source of story and primary sources for this chapter in our collective history.
I hold back a perfect rating because the writing and organization made for a choppy read. It took me far longer than I expected--over a year-- I think because every time I put it down for any length of time, I had to start over. The cast of characters was large: 20 "main" characters, plus added testimony and stories from others not in Miss Breed's direct circle. There was repetition that was sometimes helpful (as if the author knew I'd be confused by so many people at first) but sometimes felt disjointed and repetitive. Some parts felt like they had been written at different times, like she had started over again herself, or had written certain sections to be read independently before meshing them into the full text of the book. Overall, great, but I did not find the writing style enough of a draw to get lost in the book.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well-written and well thought out book about Japanese interment told through the letters of children writing to their favorite librarian, Clara Breed. While this book is much more to do with the experiences of the incarcerated Children than it is about Clara, as a librarian I’m bummed I’d never heard of her before this. She spent much of her own money sending books, gifts and supplies to her Japanese library regulars who were illegally uprooted from their lives and sent to camps. She even got to visit the camp where most of her library regulars had gone, and wrote to them regularly for all the years of their internment. She also wrote to the Roosevelts and wrote several articles in library journals decrying the injustice. How cool is she?!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an important book with lessons for us today. I've read other accounts about the treatment of
Japanese Americans during World- War II, but this used many primary source documents; primarily letters from children to depict life inside the camps. It was well worth the read. Thank goodness for people like Miss Breed who did what was right in the face of extreme prejudice.

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clara Breed was a children's librarian in San Diego during WWII. When her young Japanese-American patrons were interned at Santa Anita Racetrack in 1942, she did not turn her back on them. She wrote all her Japanese American patrons, and sent them books along with other items that they and their families needed. A number of Japanese American artists sent Miss Breed art objects in thanks for the art supplies she sent them. Author Joanne Oppenheim discovered Miss Breed when she was attempting to locate a Japanese- American schoolmate. She read the story of this courageous librarian on the website of The National Japanese-American Museum. Oppenheim hoped that a book about a librarian who assisted Japanese Americans during WWII would help to prevent the United States from ever interning American citizens again.

In an afterword to this book, Snowden Becker, who scanned the letters of Miss Breed's correspondents for the National Japanese American Museum while she was still in library school, wrote feelingly about Clara Breed as a role model. I too was inspired by Miss Breed. When I returned this book to the library, I went to the reference desk and told the librarian that Dear Miss Breed was one of the best books I'd ever read.

For my complete review including links for further research see my September post "Clara Breed: An Exemplary Librarian During World War II" at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know about the internment camps that Japanese Americans were forced to live in after the bombing of Pearl Harbor until I entered my twenties. I was mad that this important part of our country's history was never taught to me in school. Why would the bad things the US have done be taught, of course?

This book is about a Caucasian woman who really truly loved the children who would enter her library. Many of them were Japanese American children. She kept in touch with as many of them as she could, sent them books and other items, and spoke on their behalf to many who did not understand the injustices done against them. She kept in touch with them so well that she was still in touch up until her death decades letter. That is devotion and love.

This is a really well researched story. Many letters that Miss Breed's "children" wrote to her are included in this book. You can learn what life was like during the process of them losing everything, but trying to make do with what they had while treated like prisoners.

[Melissa Kelley-Windisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne Oppenheim has done a wonderful job of bringing the stories of the Japanese American students who corresponded with their beloved librarian, Clara Breed, to life in this book that combines a plethora of background information, pictures and the real content from letters sent to Miss Breed over the time of the internment camps during WWII. The book begins with a page of photos introducing us to many of the students that touched Miss Breed’s life and made an impact on her. I was amazed to hear so much positivity in the letters Miss Breed received from these youth, whose lives were impacted in such a horrendous way. Their hunger for books and things like gum and candy came through in their letters and you could tell they truly thought of Miss Breed as a friend and Miss Breed thought of these children as hers – you could feel how much she cared for them. The book concludes with stories about how Miss Breed rediscovers these letters and provides some updated information and photos about the Miss Breed’s children. It was very touching to see the list near the end of the book that detailed out the various things sent to the children by Miss Breed over the time of their imprisonment in the internment camps. This would be a great book for middle school students to help introduce them to the events of WWII and the treatment of the Japanese in the US, with Miss Breed being used as a model for compassion and open mindedness toward our fellow human beings.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Librarians should read this one. Miss Breed was a children's librarian who befriended the Japanese American children in her neighborhood and sent them books while they were being held in various concentration camps during World War II. She's a model for what the idea of librarian stands for!

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about such an important topic that is usually not talked about much in American history, since it seems to defy 'American' ideals and show a darker side of the U.S. At the same time, this book also showed how some Americans did stand up for the Japanese Americans.

I never really knew much about Japanese internment. I thought I understood what had happened to the Japanese, but after reading this book I realize how much I didn't know.

However, the writing style was a little boring, like 10 pages felt like it took 20 minutes to read. Also, the book is a bit hefty and could definitely be made to be smaller and easier to carry around...

Still, incredible book, amazing story that really dives deep into what actually happened in the Japanese internment camps.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today’s Non-fiction post is on “Dear Miss Breed” by Joanne Oppenheim. It is 287 including photo credits, an index, a bibliography, notes and an appendix. It is published by Scholastic Nonfiction. The story is told in unusual way as the author speaks to the reader with her thoughts about the letters and the events that happen in the book. The cover is like an envelope with a stamp in the right hand corner that has Miss Breed’s face on it. It also has a picture of a young Japanese American boy reading a book with the words- True stores of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and a Librarian who made a difference. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. This Non-fiction books is written for children about the age of eight like the ones that Miss Breed was writing too but older readers will get much from this book too. There Be Spoilers Ahead.



From the dust jacket- To Americans of Japanese ancestry, World War II came like a hurricane that swept away their security and freedom. On December 7, 1941 they woke up as citizens and by nightfall, after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, they were the enemy who could not be trusted. In a matter of months they would be imprisoned by their own government. Their only crime was having the “wrong” ancestors.
While wars are usually told in terms of great battles and major victories, the true story of war is often reflected in quiet acts of courage. Dear Miss Breed is the account of how a remarkable librarian became a lifeline to “her children” as she called the middle- and high-school-aged Japanese Americans of San Diego whom she had come to know and love.
Joanne Oppenheim’s narrative is woven with the voices of the incarcerated – the experiences, struggles, and challenges they faced before, during, and even long after the war. Thanks to the books, gifts, and mail send by Clara Breed, they held on to their faith in better times to come. Told through letters, students essays, and recent oral histories with survivors of the dark time in history, this is a cautionary tale about what fear and hysteria can do even in the world’s greatest democracy.



Review- This is a moving story about one librarian who believed that innocent people should not be punished just because they happen to born from one ancestry. I was moved by this true story greatly. I am a librarian so I understand getting close to your patrons and I want to believe that America is greater than how we act sometimes. Miss Breed was public about her opinions on the incarceration of the Japanese Americans by writing many articles about it and by writing those in power to try and get them freed. The children who lived in those camps remember her with great affection and respect. I think that she was an unsung hero of the war here on the home front. Oppenheim’s compassionate treatment of both those in the camps and those who feared Japanese Americans is heartening. I truly enjoyed this book and I think that this time in history should not over looked. The language of this book is easy to understand so that younger children can read and understand what is going on.



I give this book Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my book review, I borrowed this book from my local library, and I read it for a graduate school course.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the subtitle states, Dear Miss Breed is the story of one San Diego children's librarian who went the extra mile (and beyond!) to serve young people incarcerated in the Japanese American incarceration camps during WWII. Clara Breed was young herself, very newly graduated from the Masters of Library and Information Science program when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. As the only children's librarian in her county, and stationed at a branch in the primarily Japanese neighborhood of San Diego, she had many interactions with Japanese American youth. When the executive orders starting coming in to move Japanese Americans into the camps, she was just as heartbroken to see "her children" go as they were to go. Her first grand act of service to them was to visit the train station from which they were departing, handing out pre-addressed post cards and candy and wishing them all well. Thanks to her quick thinking, the children were able to write to Clara and let her know where they were and how to mail them things and how they were doing. She in turn was able to send them books and little surprises.

I don't know about you, but I don't remember learning much about the Japanese American incarceration camps in school. It wasn't ignored or glossed over, but we definitely didn't linger on the subject. I had no idea the scope! Reading in this book about the sheer number of Japanese and Japanese Americans incarcerated was mind-blowing. Also, the timeline. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention in school, but I don't remember learning that most of these people spent two or more years in the camps. They had very little or no information about the future when they were ordered to evacuate, so most sold their entire life's collection of belongings and property. When they were released finally, they were released with $25. That's it! To rebuild their lives! And for those 2+ years, most of the women and children were incarcerated in separate camps from the male heads of household. This is just the tip of the iceberg of information contained in this relatively slender tome.

Dear Miss Breed is laid out in such a way that excerpts from actual letters written to Miss Breed from the children are interspersed among passages with information on the events referenced, pictures of the children and the camps, and excerpts from testimony given at a Congressional hearing in 1981. This makes it very readable; the reader is never bogged down in long passages. And everything is laid out in consecutive order, supporting each other, making it very clear and easy to follow the progression of events. I never found it difficult to pick the book back up after putting it down for the night.

The linking of historical events with personal interest stories makes this a very approachable nonfiction. The "characters" leap off the page and into your hearts. A book that I can definitely see recommending, especially with the institution of Common Core in my state (NC).

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

But Miss Breed only provides a frame for the story, a heartwrenching and appalling description of the life of Japanese-Americans, many of whom were second or even third generation American citizens, in inhospitable and degrading prison camps. Jeanette Oppenheim uses testimony from reparations hearings in the 1980s and interviews and letters from many of the children, now grown, as well as many other primary source materials. A mesmerizing piece of nonfiction, an ode to an exceptional librarian, and a well-researched story of the life of children in the camps, I can't recommend this book more highly. Every American should be aware of this shameful period in our history, often overlooked in school. You may find it with the children's boClara Breed was the Children's Librarian at the San Diego Public Library in the early 1940's, and developed close and affectionate friendships with her young Japanese-American patrons. In April of 1942 all Japanese-Americans were evacuated to relocation camps, and she watched her children turn in all their books and library cards. On the day of the evacuation she went to the train station and handed out stamped postcards, telling the children to write her, so she could send them books.



Miss Breed was an amazing woman. She chaired the Newbery and Caldecott committee that year, a massive commitment of time and energy, and had to take on extra hours as the library's budget was slashed. Yet she still found time to write to many of the young people in the camps. Her salary was so low that she lived with her mother, but somehow she always was able to send her children books, treats, and many things they really needed. As California became more and more hostile and racist, Miss Breed continued to advocate for the imprisoned Japanese-Americans, even going so far as to educate the entire library community about the impact on children with published articles in Library Journal and Horn Book.



Although most of the children she wrote never returned to San Diego, Miss Breed continued to correspond with many of them. I can't come close to expressing what a privilege it is to me to share the same profession with this dedicated, loving, and admirable woman.

oks, but don't discount it. Teens and adults will still fall in love with Miss Breed.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's only so much you can cram into a book. I don't remember any of the history I was taught in school, but if I did remember, I expect it would be about presidents and wars and inventions and discoveries. Columbus discovered America-- how exciting is that? Well...not exactly America. The West Indies (which he thought were the East Indies) and the coast of Central America. Nowadays I think history textbooks try a little harder, but they still seem to be telling the tale, not showing.

If I were boss, schoolkids would spend ten minutes of each class period on facts and the the rest on books like this. Movies, too--documentaries for sure, and works of fiction so long as the fiction was true to the times. Every American schoolkid learns that Hitler killed Jews, but how many know that the United States relocated and incarcerated 110,000 people? Once a Jap, always a Jap--even if they were American citizens born in America and speaking no more than a word of two of the Japanese language. Most of the people had to leave behind their possessions and sell their properties at a huge loss. They were kept in concentration camps (actual term employed at the time), surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by soldiers with guns...for their own protection. If the guns are for our own protection, they wondered, then why are they pointed at us?

In San Diego a children's librarian named Clara Breed walked among the kids queuing up for evacuation trains, hugging her many small patrons and handing out stamped postcards with her address on them. Write to me, she begged.

This book is the result. Her letters from Elizabeth, Ellen, Tetsuzo (Ted), little Katherine and others make up the icing of this nutty treat. The letters are mostly cheerful and amusing, speaking of the sunsets on the distant mountains or the stars overhead...but the darker reality left unsaid is always in the back of your mind, if you only stop to think.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly reccomend this book to those who are looking for more information about what was going on here in the US during World War II. Sadly, the Nazis weren't the only group inprisoning people because of their race. It happened right here to the Japanese! I know my History classes in school glossed over this period of History, which is just horrible! I know we haven't always been "The Land of the Free" but I never thought our own government would give into the fear and slander of certin groups, people, or racist-thinkers. And the REALLY sad thing is how (on a lesser degree) it's still happening with the Muslims and people from the Middle East since 9/11. Fear and speculation STILL hinder people from totally "Embracing their Fellow Man" and it saddens me. I found this book after reading "Hotel On the Corner of Bitter & Sweet" and I think it offers a wonderful in-depth look at how the Japanese endured during their internment. Plus, it hold the amazing story of a dedicated Children's Librarian who stopped at noting to get books to her beloved audiance. She provided them with hope, and a broader perspective of the world outside their tiny dwellings. She is an inspiration to my current profession.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thus far, super interesting, lots of letters and cool primary-source-type-stuff, but I'm not crazy about the writing...

OK, now what I think after finishing the book: NOT a fan of the writing at all. However, I probably would have stuck with it even if I didn't have to read it for class. I really learned nothing about Japanese Internment Camps (really, Japanese Concentration Camps) in school. Only a brief mention that it happened. That thousands of people, mostly citizens and largely children, were forced to leave their homes, with no trials, no due process, and move to substandard housing in the middle of nowhere is appalling. What I found surprising was that until well after WWII Japanese immigrants couldn't even become citizens or own land.

There are lots of letters from Japanese American children to this librarian, Miss Breed, in the book. It's amazing to me that even though these children (and teens) are clearly unhappy about what's happening to them, their letters still have a very patriotic overtone overall. I don't know if I find that appalling or inspiring...

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended for gr. 4-up. The book is aimed for the gr. 7-10 age group, but younger readers who are not intimidated by the size will learn from it, and it is a great introduction to the subject of Japanese-American incarceration during WWII for older students and adults. The book is essentially a collection of letters written by children and young adults to Clara Breed, the children's librarian at the San Diego library. Miss Breed corresponded with her young friends after they had been taken to the "relocation camps" and sent them books, gifts and other items. The surrounding narrative gives a framework of events surrounding the relocation and how the events were portrayed in the media of the time. The last chapter tells of what happened to the young people after the war, and there are extensive notes section as well as a bibliography and index.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dear Miss Breed" is a book about a San Diego librarian who wrote to the Japanese American children who used to frequent her library. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, President Franklin D Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which lead to the expulsion of 112,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast into concentration camps*. Many Japanese American children frequented the San Diego Library and were also incarcerated along with their families. Miss Breed met up with them as they lined up for the buses that would take them to assembly centers** and gave them letters along with her address. She remained in contact with them throughout the years they were imprisoned by the US Government.

My first concern when reading this book was that it would have a "white savior" approach to it, but we don't so much learn about Miss Breed as we learn about the kids she wrote to from the letters they sent her. We follow her children as they are sent to the Santa Anita racetracks and forced to live in horse stables before they are moved to Poston, Arizona, a camp built on the Colorado River Indian Reservation (despite the opposition of the Tribal Council). We learn that families are moved into poorly (or incompletely) constructed barracks in the middle of the desert and we learn about the hardships they faced. We read about how after keeping them in camps surrounded by barbed wire, the US Government asked young men to enlist in the Army and the different ways the community responded to that event. And finally, we learn of the eventual emptying of the camps, which was not easy for many who had nothing left outside of the camps.

Now, the perspective of children is much different from the perspective of adults. From one day to another, the adults lost their jobs, properties and everything they worked hard for. Children did not understand this and many actually enjoyed the freedom they suddenly had to run around and play. The difference is evident when you compare the letters of the younger children vs the older children. Adolescents had a better notion of what was happening and many of their lives were also put on hiatus.

The book also provided us with glimpses into the sentiment of the American public at times, with horrifying racist letters written to newspapers and experiences that the Japanese American faced outside of the camps before, during and still after the war. It also gives us some insight into the way the government spread lies and stoked fear (sound familiar?) that lead to this moment in history.

"Dear Miss Breed" is a great introduction Japanese American incarceration during WWII and also an example of how one can be an ally. Oftentimes we feel hopeless and incapable of change, especially on an individual level. But there are many ways in which we can show our allyship. Miss Breed used her position as librarian to not only write to, send books and gifts to Japanese American children - she also wrote articles about their experiences and wrote letters to the government. While she did not change the course of history, she did improve people's lives and gave them hope, showing them that not all Americans were against their very existence.

My only gripe with this book is that it is quite bulky for a book targeted to children, and often does not read as a book targeted to children. It's a very minor complaint, as I read many books beyond my reading level as a child, but it is something to consider.

*"Relocation camps" was governmental doublespeak. "Internment camps" is also a kind of doublespeak to soften the reality, but it is frequently used, even by scholars. To me, and to others, they are both doublespeak for "incarceration" and "concentration camps." During the same war, the Nazis murdered more than six million people in places they called "concentration camps," which was yet another kind of doublespeak for death camps. - pg. 18

**DOUBLESPEAK: Assembly stations, better known as "assembly centers," sounds a lot friendlier than calling them what they really were - prisons. People had no choice about going to one of these assembly centers - nor were they free to leave. -pg. 71

They were located on fairgrounds and racetracks - p.18

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book club choice. Miss Clara Breed was a children's librarian in San Diego and corresponded with many of her young readers of Japanese ancestry during and after World War II. I believe this is catagorized as a Young Adult book and is an excellent source of what life was like for these children and their families.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the reading options I gave on Japanese Internment and I've been impressed by how many students have opted to read this hefty book over shorter selections like Farewell to Manzanar or When the Emperor Was Divine. This is a valuable text -- it carries us through the progression of Pearl-Harbor-deepened anxiety and fear manifested in race-hate and discrimination to internment and lingering ruptures in democracy while raising up specific voices from the many interned. It's remarkable how this one librarian in San Diego had such a resonant impact on the lives of so many young Japanese-Americans. It wasn't just through the books that she'd send them, but her ever-present support and communication with them through these letters. Beautiful. She watched so many of them grow from pre-literate toddlers visiting the library before Pearl Harbor, through the years in internment camps, and beyond, up through her old age, reunion with with a 770-person standing ovation, and death. It's so important for students to have access to such true stories couched in this too-often-overlooked part of our country's history.

Some notable quotes:

"I remember... the guard towers, the soldiers with their guns pointed into us... weren't they supposed to be protecting us from all the potentially dangerous hostile people outside?" - Testimony of Amy Iwasaki Mass, L.A., 8/6/81 (72)

"Clara wondered how they could not be bitter. How long would they remain patriotic young Americans?" (99)

"Miss Breed must have been troubled by Katherine's spelling but even more concerned by the way Katherine referred to her teachers, one being 'Japanese,' the other being 'American.' Katherine didn't use the word Caucasian, but her meaning was the same. It was clear Katherine thought 'American' teachers would be better! Was this how Katherine thought of herself -- as Japanese and not American?" (125)

[augh, and some terrible, hateful language examples from various letters to the editor on pg. 147]

"The way of a schoolteacher is hard. The way of a schoolteacher in a relocation center is almost impossible. To begin with there is a basic dilemma of trying to teach American democracy to children in an undemocratic situation" - John Embree (201)

"For me it meant speaking English only, no Japanese... It meant learning little about Japanese art, language, culture, traditions; learning that I am an American no different than anyone else.

But living it was different. After the questions of who are you, I would answer, 'I am an American.' But they would insist, 'No, really, what are you?' And, at times out of the corner of my eye I could see them pulling up their eyes slanty, making buck teeth, and talking nonsense, and then I began to wonder, American? Japanese? Or what? And, I wished I was different. I wished I had blond hair, round eyes. Yes, at times I wished I wasn't Japanese American. Is that what being an American is all about? Is this how we survive in this society?... I was denying my own identity feeling inferior, second class and wishing I was someone else" - Testimony of Donna Kotake, San Francisco, 8/11/81

"My students ask me if this can happen again to another group of people. I must answer yes... we cannot take freedom for granted. Until you lose your freedom, you do not realize how dear it is. There is no price tag for freedom" - Testimony of Grace Nakamura, L.A., 8/6/81

"How can we help ensure that innocent people are not put into camps again? First, the true story of the camps must be told. There is absolutely no justification for what happened on any basis; legal, moral, or otherwise. It was purely politically and economically motivated, and the true story must be told and incorporated into every school book that refers to U.S. history. It is not only Japanese American history, but an integral part of U.S. history for all the people of the U.S. to know.

Second, we must all take up the struggle against racism. We as Japanese Americans, Asians, Blacks, Latinos, and other minorities and whites, we must unite to wave an uncompromising battle against all forms of racism and discrimination based on national origin. Whether it be taking a stand against rounding up Iranians into camps or opposing budget cuts in social spending that affect our minority communities so sharply" - Testimony of Shirley Nakao, San Francisco, 8/12/81

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time not comparing this book with The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell. I read it several years ago, and it was really eye-opening. For a more complete history of the incarceration of Japanese-Americans and German-Americans, I would recommend that book. This book, however is wonderful in its own merit and I really enjoyed hearing the story from a very different point of view. Miss Breed was obviously an exemplary librarian, but her true strength was as a humanitarian. The world needs more people like her.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a moving, informative, and heart-felt story: exactly what I look for in non-fiction.

It is the story of a children's librarian, named Miss Breed, in San Diego, who a large percentage of the children that come to the library are Japanese. When Pearl Harbor happens, and the Japanese-Americans are put into camps in the desert, she stays in contact with them, and sends them books, supplies, and hope over the years they are kept in the camps. The story takes place through all the letters the children sent to her over the years, which she saved, and also through narrative from the author (the letters she sent to them are all missing, other than one, which is disappointing). It is sometimes painful reading all the letters from the children, who were all born in America, and consider themselves Americans, questioning democracy, their own worth, and whether they are wanted in this country. Over all, it is a very moving story, from a part of America's history that I didn't know very much about.

It also left me with the feeling of what a good librarian can be, and what she or he can really accomplish. It was a good read just from that perspective as well.

I, as always, had just a few picky problems with the book. One was that I didn't know how to pronounce the camp they were in: Poston! I didn't know if it rhymed with Boston, or like Post(office)on. I settled on the latter, but it would have been nice to know. Second, the book refers to articles that Miss Breed wrote during the war years, and it would have been nice to have included them, or at least to summarize them. Finally, several times the author writes, Miss Breed felt sad when she looked at..., or Miss Breed thought it was.... There was no way to know what Miss Breed felt or thought at those points, because she died before the author began writing the story, so it just felt a little off-putting in an otherwise clearly non-fiction story for the author to state how Miss Breed was feeling, and not make it clear it was the author's guess, such as: I bet Miss Breed felt... rather than stating it like it was a fact.

Altogether, a moving, historically important story, told through the eyes of those who lived it, but otherwise would not have been able to have their story told.

P.S. I forgot to mention that David, the one at the library who covers the books, and sees them first, called me over and said "you want to request this one. You'll like it." Sure enough I did! Yay for good co-worker recommendation!

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful and bittersweet book.  Dear Miss Breed tells the true story of a young librarian named Miss Breed who worked at the San Diego Public Library in the 1940's and her relationship with the Japanese American children who lived nearby who were amongst her most devoted readers. After Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, these children were suddenly considered "enemy aliens"and were forced to leave behind most of their belongings and evacuate the West Coast to live in relocation camps scattered in desolate regions across the U.S. "The day after Pearl Harbor most of the Japanese children who usually flood our downtown Central Children's Room...turned in their books and walked out empty handed. Little Jack Watanabe, whose fat cheeks always reminded us of a chipmunk's stuffed full of nuts, lost his merriment and became as solemn as an old man, although he still preferred funny books," she recollected.  As the children and their families were taken to the Santa Anita racetrack to temporarily live in cramped and filthy horse stalls before being transferred to different relocation camps, Miss Breed was able to meet "her children" there, take photos of them, say goodbye and hand them postcards so that they could write her.  She faithfully corresponded with these children during their internment and sent them hundreds of books knowing full well that they could never be returned.  She kept all of their letters and postcards.  Some of these letters are shown in the book, along with rare family photos of the children and their life in the camps, documentatation of the Anti-Japanese racist propaganda that was once commonplace, and the memories the children (now senior adults) had of their lives during that time and of their friendship with Miss Breed. This book not only documents a dark and painful event in the history of Japanese Americans, but the history of all Americans, as well.

[Scarlett Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans, many of them citizens of the United States, were shipped off to what were essentially concentration camps, where they would no longer pose a threat to the U.S. Government. Many of these citizens were just children and for some of them, a woman named Clara Breed made a huge difference in their lives by sending them books and other items during this troubled time in our history's past. This is an interesting story, one that should be told, but Ms. Oppenheim's writing style left something to be desired.
Oppenheim hits the reader on the head repeatedly making the point that "America was racist! This was so bad!" when it's a point that should make itself without author commentary. She never even tries to explore the "devil's advocate" opinion which I think is essential in a book like this. I don't agree with what our government did with Executive Order 9066, however I do believe that the people who were in charge of this mass "evacuation" believed that they were sacrificing the comfort of some to save the country they loved. While racism was certainly one of the issues at play, it was not the only one, although that is what Oppenheim tries to make the reader think. She also tended to give statistics/facts with very little context, ie, that the workers in the camps only made $19/month--this statement has no meaning without also supplying the average monthly income of a typical American family.
I'd recommend this book to readers who I felt were capable of forming their own opinions. Probably more of a YA or even adult book than children's, although I do think that children might enjoy some of the letters.

[Karen Mcintyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable account which neither demonizes or glorifies the Japanese who were forced into intermnet camps during WWII.

It is the stark narrative in the letters exchanged by the San Diego Children's Librarian, Clara Breed, and her children who are now inhabitants of horse stalls and subjected to dehumanizing conditions that speak with such clarity about the injustice of the system.

It is especially important for young students of American History to learn that we are not heros --- we never have been -- we are just human beings some of whom are deeply honorable, some of whom are thugs and theives.

We are all trapped by the times in which we live, even Eleanor Roosevelt. In the weeks following Dec. 7th she wrote in her daily newspaper column - My Day -- "if we can not meet the challenge of fairness to our citizens of every nationality, of really believing in the Bill of Rights and making it a reality for all loyal American citizens, regardless of race, creed or color; if we can not keep checkk anti-Semitism, nti-racial feelings as well as anti-religious feelings, then we shall have removed from the world, the one real hope for the future on which all humanity must now rely."

Still Mrs. Roosevelt was forced to accept the internment, just as Clara had to and all those countless Japanese Americans.

The question this mmakes me ask is --- simply when great social injustices such as war --- occur -- is there anything that the majority of people who just find themselves caught up in these surges of violence can do to "by opposing end them?"

This is a book that should be in every library and used by every American history teacher.

[Rosalinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main Character/s: Clara Breed, Japanese-American internees
Setting: During World War II
POV: Switches between Clara Breed and the internees

Summary: This is a book told through a series of letters by Clara Breed and several Japanese-American internees. On December 7, 1941 the United States government began imprisoning Japanese-Americans because of their Japanese ancestry. The Japanese-Americans were stripped of their freedom, security, and home, and were forced to stay in internment camps with no link to the outside world. This was until Clara Breed made herself known. Clara Breed was a librarian in San Diego during World War II. On April 7, 1942 she went to the Union Station with several self-addressed and stamped postcards. Her plan was to reach out to the many Japanese-American children who were in internment camps and aid them in whichever way possible. For the children this was a sign of hope because outside of the internment camps somebody was still thinking of them. The book continues with several letters between Miss Breed and the Japanese-American internees.
Classroom uses/theme: I would use this book in my middle school classroom. This book would be beneficial during a unit of World War II. This book along with other supplemental materials could be used across the content areas of literature, social studies, and math. This book would be used during a literature period to an in depth understanding of the individuals suffering during the war. The social studies could give students background knowledge of the war and that time period.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very insightful book covers a dark chapter in American history with a detailed primary source-laden account of the daily life in Japanese-American concentration camps from the 1940s. It drives you mad to imagine the United States allowing such an institutional racist act to fester for as long as it did and with so little regard for the Japanese Americans who were imprisoned there. The book is written with a slight bent toward the young readers (many of the last sentences of a chapter end with exclamation points). The book is offers many surprising facts in its text and its rich library of images. An anti-Japanese cartoon by Dr. Seuss, descriptions of the horrible bathroom facilities accorded to the Japanese-Americans, and the fact that Eisenhower's older brother was placed in charge of the military organization charged with relocating the Asian-American population are just a few examples of the level of detail this amazing book holds on its subject. The primary sources that offer glimpses into the venomous hatred many held toward the Japanese is striking; ranging from state governors to regular people writing letters into their local newspapers. The presentation of the book is top-notch, filled with many fascinating pictures and clear layouts for the various first person accounts. One comes away with a better understanding of the racism directed against the Japanese during this time as well as measure of respect for both librarian Clara Breed and First Lady Eleonore Roosevelt.

[West Region,]

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of Japanese American Incarceration during World War II and the Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne Oppenheim.

What would you do if you were told that you had to leave your home, your school, and your friends and go live somewhere far away and very different than anything you’ve ever known? What if you were also told that you were now considered an “enemy” of the country, of the country you were born in?

During the Second World War, the President of the United States gave the military the power to move more than 110,00 people of Japanese descent from their homes and businesses, and ship them off to various camps throughout the western United States. Many were forced for four years to live behind barbed-wire, in conditions that were primitive, harsh, and often, unforgiving.

Some young people, however, were lucky enough to be friends with a librarian from San Diego, California. By sending books, buying them candy and requested supplies, and writing words of encouragement, and even visiting them on one occasion, Clara Breed kept these young people connected to the world they once knew and, most importantly, to hope.

To experience the joys and sorrows of these young people, and become a part of the wonderful friendship they benefited from, read this book!

Grade 6 and up. American History (non-fiction). AHA-3322
Submitted 12/15/07 by Carolyn D. Reed

[April Hochstrasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a librarian who was a hero to the Japanese youngsters in San Diego who were shipped off to a "Relocation Camp" in 1941 because of Pearl Harbor. This librarian didn't forget the Japanese children who frequented her library. She wrote to them, visited, sent them books and other necessary items that they couldn't get in the camps. The book was about the camps and the ridiculous position the government took that they were "protecting" the Japanese citizens by removing them from their homes. The secondary story was about Miss Breed and the letters the children wrote to her that told the real story of life in the camps. The third story was about the coping skills, and sometimes denial the Japanese had over the removal "for their own good." I'm saddened that they lost all their possessions and positions in the communities where they lived because they looked like the enemy. In 1943 the government began re-assigning these people to new communities, hoping to break up the close-knit Japanese communities that had existed before. They sent them forth from the camps, mainly to the midwest, with a bus ticket and $25. They had to start over from that point having lost everything. This incident in American History ranks right up there with slavery as one of the black marks on our country.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the best and worst of America. The best is the firsthand testimonies of the children who tried to make the best of being uprooted from their communities and sent to primitive concentration camps in the middle of the harsh wilderness. It is Miss Breed's love for, and support and defense of "her children," neither because of nor in spite of their ancestry, but simply because they were American children who loved and needed books. It is Eleanor Roosevelt's insightful comments on race in America. The worst is the hysteria that led to the internment, and the racist letters to politicans and newspapers in support of racist policies.
The book is too big to read on the train, but the big format allows for lots of photos, reproductions of letters, and side bars (where many of Eleanor Roosevelt's columns are reproduced). I especially liked the sidebars that revealed the doublespeak used to play down the incarceration of US citizens on the basis of ethnic backgroud.
The author put this book together at a sweet spot in history - many of the key characters were still alive, but the stigma that had kept them from talking earlier had faded. This book deserves to be widely read and talked about.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost cried while reading this book, more than once.

And again, this illustrates the problem I have with how history is taught in the United States. I learned a lot about Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and even Mao. But when it comes to WW2, this period in American History is simply not taught.

In Germany, it is illegal to deny the Holocaust. There is no such Federal Law here. I learned about it on my own, because I read a lot as a kid which exposed me to the Japanese Internment Camps. I get so angry when I think about it.

Miss Breed was a (white) librarian who watched many of her favorite patrons get shipped off to concentration camps, and it infuriated her, as well. She reached out to this community, sending material to sew or knit, sending candies and treats, letters, and (above all), books. She wrote letters and articles protesting the illegal lockup of American citizens. It wasn't enough to battle the racism and discrimination that the Japanese Americans felt, but her efforts were appreciated by the young people she corresponded with.

This can never happen again.